By Tracy Ray - SAVO's Diversity Officer

Here is my definition of diversity which I came up with while researching for the Diversity on the Agenda project:

You can not hold on to it or control it. You can not decide when to have diversity, but it happens when there is more than one of us. It is about difference and how it can affect or influence our lives and our way of thinking.

Everyone is different. Without those differences, we wouldn't have the choices we have in life today. Though with these differences and choices have come barriers. Stereotyping has left some people feeling that they cannot be open and honest about themselves and their background to others, because of a fear of being bullied or being put in to a box. It can also cause a fear of how someone could react when you approach them.

Change isn't always easy, no matter which sector we work in. How we manage change and the way it affects us is important. It can mean the difference between excluding or including, feeling like part of a team or being a loner and feeling isolated. We all at some point have known how it has felt to be 'the new kid', but how we are accepted and treated leaves an impact on us.

To make our organisations diverse, we need to think and speak positively about how we could bring solutions to these barriers. This may involve questioning the organisation's aims, objectives and mission statement to make sure we are not discriminating against people because of their differences.

There will be times when this is hard to do, especially when challenging our own or other people's views and opinions. Political correctness and believing that everyone's views are acceptable is not what diversity is about. Respecting that person's opinion and challenging them is a part of diversity and helps organisations to decide if this reflects their values and standards. The same can be applied to ideas that are put forward. If these are challenged in a positive way and rejected, the person/people who put the idea forward would still feel valued because avenues were explored and discussed before the decision was made.

Diversity isn't about becoming a 'yes to everything' organisation. There will be times when what is put forward will conflict with the organisation's core principles. We need to learn about and acknowledge these differences and use this knowledge to benefit our communities and help us to work together better.

Click the boxes in defining diversity weblinks to see how other organisations and companies define diversity.