This page outlines work that’s happened and is happening across the network to explore and deepen our understanding and practices of diversity, equity, inclusion and justice over the last three years of Catalyst. The most recent activity is at the top. At the bottom is a reading list of Catalyst-relevant articles people across the network have shared to stimulate ongoing discussion.
2024, November: Next steps on DEIJ
We are grateful to an activity lead who saw the need to make our work on DEIJ clearer. The questions below were partly inspired by a repair conversation with them. This is very much work in progress, but a snapshot of Directors’ current thinking on key priority questions and materials/next steps that go towards answering them includes:
- Where will we document Catalyst’s DEIJ activities to date (and beyond) in an open, shareable way?
- How can we create a culture of continuous learning and accountability around DEIJ? Ensuring ongoing DEIJ learning is shared and stimulates discussion
- How/where can we document a shared understanding of how we talk about (and to) intersecting minoritisations, and specifically race/racialised people, so that there’s a system that doesn't rely on people of colour calling it out?
- What resources/training can we offer people coming on board to Catalyst - and those already contracted in some way - so that they are effectively inducted into this DEIJ understanding?
- How can we live our Equity value, which ‘ensures we recognise that we do not all start from the same place’?
- How do we ensure power-sharing practices continue, given the reduction in team size and re-centralisation of authority in the Directors?
2024, ongoing: EDI action learning set
- Formed and led by activity leads and sociocracy support partner, Abi Handley
- Meets every month on Zoom, with slightly different attendees each time, with a focus on peer learning. Core members are XXX, XXX, XXX.
- Attendance is covered by Catalyst participation fees.
- Shared by activity lead XXX back in March. Run by XXX
- A year-long peer discussion group working through the white supremacy culture characteristics, focusing on one characteristic per month
- XXX and XXX (Directors) and XXX and XXX (freelance strategic support) are taking part in this.
- Each of the remaining Catalyst activities’ propositions described how they will more closely align with the new Catalyst vision and mission, embedding DEIJ across their work and finding ways to work alongside communities in their delivery