With the support of the embassy of Canada for Argentina and Paraguay, RACI carried out March 25 and 26 the Reflection Seminar on diversity and inclusion (D&I). The activity, that was directed to Civil Social Organizations (CSO) from Argentina and Paraguay, provided theoretical-practical tools and a space to share experiences among the participants, who represented more than 50 organizations. Convinced that it is necessary for the CSOs to have spaces to discuss and promote good practices in I&D, the seminar was focused on self-reflection and joint construction of means to smooth the way towards greater organizational plurality.
In order to accomplish these goals, during the first day of the Seminar, RACI´s team gave to the more than 50 participants a framework to understand the Diversity and Inclusion and their dimensions from the prism of intersectionality. Since this involves a deep and continuous learning process, the participants had the chance to apply these concepts and categories through individual activities and in aleatory working groups.
During the second day of the Seminar, we counted with the presence of a luxury panel, made up of experts in various topics. In the first place, Arantxa Padrón (APAdeA), exposed in the first place a pan of the disability in general, for then deepening exposing a frame of rights to understand the neurodivergent today. Also inquired about the possibilities of the social inclusion today of the persons with neurodivergent. For her part, Doris Quispe (from the campaign Migrar no es delito), provided compelling evidence to counteract prejudice most commun regarding the role played by the migrants in our country: in addition to deepening how the campaign worked for the construction of the migrant as a political subject. Later, Manu Mireles ( Contratá Trans/Mocha Celis) enriched the debate with this exposition about trans activism and the diverse initiatives that are run to achieve greater access to rights for this collective historically abandoned. Then, Andrea Rivas (AFDA) presented her perspective about the non binary language and the regimen of rights of the LGBTIQA+ community in a scenery of widespread violence. Finally, Silvia Gascon (Universidad Isalud), gerontology, contributed with her vision about the situation of the rights in older adults and the necessity of thinking collective tools facing the emergency posed by the rapid aging of the population of our country.
From the panel, the participants embarked on a second process of group dialogue that highlighted the need to deconstruct the culture of CSOs, recognize their members and beneficiaries as diverse subjects, evaluate the status of each organization and face protocols, controls and appropriate behaviors for a successful transformation for the future. For that, the participants work in the study of hypotetical cases about situations of discrimination, exclusion, and arrasment among the CSO, a dinamic that open the possibility of identify how the diverses forms of opression and marginalization permeate the organizations, as well as allow them to find strategies to counteract inside each one of them.
The Seminar is part of an institutional process that recognizes that the CSO assists to a change of paradigm in their organizational cultures, which seeks to reflect in their daily work the values held by and for the communities they serve and defend.
In this frame, RACI has achieved to conform a work team about Diversity and Inclusion among the members of the network. It is a co-created space, currently composed by 14 members with experience and interest in the topic, whose goal is generated sinergies, articulate efforts, share experiences and apply measures aimed to achieve a more inclusive and diverse Civil Society and reach the goals of Sustainable Development from Human Rights. This group has had its inaugural meeting in march and is looking forward to a second meeting the next april 7th.
In short, the Seminar has contributed to amplify the voices of all organizations from the institutional and personal aspects, a task with which RACI is very committed.
Thanks to the Embassy of Canada for Argentina and Paraguay for supporting us, and everyone for participating!