Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) leads from across the University came together last month for a half-day workshop to explore how we, as a community, play a role in collaborative problem-solving on emotionally and politically-charged issues. The workshop was facilitated by Reverend Harriet Harris, University Chaplain, and Fiona McClement, University Lead for EDI.
For the purposes of this workshop, conflict was defined as ‘difference that matters’. We started with the premise that universities are particularly prone to conflict, and we suggested that conflict can diagnose issues that should be resolved but similarly, it can be an inevitable by-product of the many positive aspects of our institution – our diversity and advancement of knowledge and society through the contestation of ideas inherent in academic inquiry.
Universities, including ours, typically have students and staff who think and feel deeply about EDI, identity-based rights and social justice. This is to be celebrated, as we have shared interests in creating a better future for ourselves and our communities, and indeed a better present. Experience tells us that it can also make it challenging to work across difference, however.
The workshop deliberately avoided delving into specific EDI issues and importantly, it was not meant to challenge participants to reconsider any deeply held beliefs on certain topics. It was an exploration of how we might reframe our understanding of conflict more generally, and Harriet ran some workshop exercises speaking to six themes on this:
- Conflict does not need to be prevented, nor even resolved, but transformed.
- Conflict takes place within relationships and need not define them; the relationships are a resource.
- The most common responses to conflict are ineffective.
- We want to support and prepare ourselves.
- Emotions are always present, powerful, toxic if ignored, and best handled by attending to core concerns.
- We want to use the energy of the conflict, and the resources of the whole group, to transform the conflict.
This was a big topic to broach for one afternoon, and we could have spent much longer discussing it.
The workshop focused on practical suggestions, inspired by organisations like More in Common, which advocates bridging polarisation and recognising the nuanced, balanced nature of many people’s cultural viewpoints, which are often more compassionate than we might assume from the media.
Aspiring to work towards collaborative solutions across divergent views may not require sacrificing values or overlooking crucial issues of rights and justice, if we are working with care in a framework of ethical practice. Healthy debate can be invigorating, enriching and drive discussants on both sides to evolve and improve their arguments.
However, some topics take a significant emotional toll on those taking part, have profound implications for how people and communities co-exist and may touch on personal experiences with traumatic elements. In these cases, it is essential that we thoughtfully consider how we navigate our differences while preserving essential values of dignity and respect.
The session also explored the broader societal backlash against EDI (or DEI) initiatives, notably in the United States, but also evident in UK-based organisations rolling back diversity and inclusion programs and measures. We explored the dynamics of this backlash and discussed strategies for evolving our practices, and more explicitly evidencing how everyone in our community benefits when we have greater equality, diversity and inclusion.
In conclusion, we acknowledged the imperative to focus on impact and show that EDI transcends good intentions and is a central, mainstream option to understanding and responding to a rapidly changing world.
Important feedback from the event highlighted the need to consider the diverse roles of EDI Leads across the University. It’s essential to ensure that expectations align fairly with their levels of seniority.
The session invited us to consider how, as a community, we can collaboratively transform conflict into opportunities for learning and growth over the long term.
You can find out more information about our College and Professional Services EDI Committees on these pages:
EDI Committees and Contacts – Colleges | Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Professional Services EDI Committees | Equality, Diversity and Inclusion