{"id":32703,"date":"2021-10-19T14:06:08","date_gmt":"2021-10-19T13:06:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/?p=32703"},"modified":"2021-10-19T14:06:08","modified_gmt":"2021-10-19T13:06:08","slug":"we-all-have-a-role-to-play","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/we-all-have-a-role-to-play\/","title":{"rendered":"We all have a role to play"},"content":{"rendered":"

Anoop Kurian, Chair of the Race Action Group at <\/span>DWP Digital<\/span><\/a> shares his personal lived experiences and how he wants to make a difference in this role and as a citizen for Black History Month.<\/span><\/p>\n

To be responsible citizens, we all must do better. Too frequently do we hear \u2018I treat everyone the same\u2019, \u2018I am not racist\u2019 or \u2018I don\u2019t see colour. It is not enough for people to say they\u2019re not racist, we need people to take accountability and be proactively anti-racist.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I landed here from India in 2008 when my company wanted me to work for their UK client. Right from day one, I always felt fitting in is not easy. I\u2019m unexpectedly reminded that I stand out. A group of teenagers once surrounded me as I was walking through the city centre shouting, \u201cHey, you have money, give us your money!\u201d I smiled and with my palms held out and replied \u201cSorry.\u201d As I continued walking, \u201cYou brown guy, give me money!\u201d shouted a teen. There were more words I had never heard before. Then came the pushing and I couldn\u2019t break free. Soon, other people started noticing and they fled the scene.<\/span><\/p>\n

I had another incident when I was returning from my office when I passed a man on a busy street, with hatred in his eyes he shouted, \u201cGo back to your country!\u201d I didn\u2019t stop, but the person kept on talking.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As I\u2019ve picked up, surviving means dealing with the harsh truth that the UK is not as diverse and open as everyone thinks. There is an underlying level of bitterness that appears now and again.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What can our society do?<\/h3>\n

To root out racism from our society and to stop these kinds of incidents, we must continue to teach everyone about topics such as racial inequality, systemic racism and white privilege. It\u2019s not the job of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) people to educate everybody about these issues, but the responsibility lies in every one of us.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We all should have an eagerness to learn. People are sharing their stories and lived experiences daily, and they have become even more accessible. Hear what people from the BAME community are saying and try to find out what you can individually do to support them \u2013 remember the purpose of these conversations is to find out the needs of others.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you hear people make racist comments, call them out. It\u2019s important to take a stand and call out that someone\u2019s conduct is incorrect, and then actively challenge it. Challenging improper behaviour can be difficult, even more so when this involves calling out friends, and colleagues, but we must take an actively anti-racist attitude and speak out.<\/span><\/p>\n

We all know there is no quick fix to this, and it takes time. No matter how well-meaning we are, these changes do not happen overnight. It takes time to shape a culture of inclusion that intentionally amplifies the potential of the diverse brains, voices, and minds. All institutions in our country have an important part to play in driving this change.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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What is DWP doing?<\/h3>\n

In DWP and DWP Digital, we are moving in the right direction. We\u2019re taking significant actions to help us move in the right direction to fix this issue and play our part in this journey. We want to make DWP and DWP Digital an anti-racist workplace where all colleagues, whatever their background or situation, feel supported to thrive and achieve their full potential. We also want to create an environment where everyone feels valued, belonging and invested in making DWP Digital an attractive place to work.<\/span><\/p>\n

We are creating learning sessions and organising events to discuss with colleagues about race and racism. The main objectives of those sessions and events are to:<\/span><\/p>\n

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