How is the NGOs Managing Diversity and Inclusion in the 21st Century?

REFLECTION: HOW NGOS ARE MANAGING INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY IN THE 21ST CENTURY
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Reflection: How NGOs are Managing Inclusion and Diversity in the 21st Century
Diversity and inclusion are critical aspects that most NGOs adequately advocate for in the contemporary community. Diversity is significant since it is based on differences that shape an individual’s view of the world using different approaches (Greer and Egan, 2019). It is vital in recognizing, respecting, and valuing differences based on different elements such as disability, religion, and race. Diversity is a crucial element to address in contemporary society since it is believed that most organisations enhance racial segregation, limiting unification (Carboni et al., 2021). On the other hand, inclusion refers to a well-established framework of strengthening human rights by accommodating individuals, different groups, and populations in society without considering factors such as religion, race, and disabilities (Williams, 2021). It can be identified as a process of providing equal opportunities and access to society by limiting intolerance and different types of discrimination. Inclusion is a significant element since it affects elements of life. Therefore, inclusion must be considered in all non-governmental organisations to enhance equity and development. Diversity and inclusion are viable since they target equality and development.
I am interested in this topic since it is crucial to NGOs and enhances equitable development. My placement in one of the NGOs, the Barnardos, made me understand the importance of diversity and inclusion. Diversity and inclusion are essential to NGOs since their implementation leads to enhanced development (Crush, 1995). Development is a significant element in contemporary society. According to Shrestha (2005), development is a crucial element heavily limited by lack of inclusion and diversity. In 2021, different NGOs are making significant efforts to ensure that they successfully address the problems of poor development, which may adversely impact different populations in society (Roberts, 2021). Barnardos is one of the NGOs which advocate for equitable development by eliminating specific development barriers in the community. Therefore, the topic widens my scope of understanding the necessity of development in respective communities and populations through allocating appropriate resources regardless of religion, race, or disability.
Inclusion and diversity are also significant for NGO and development scholarship since they create a learning atmosphere for different populations in contemporary society. NGOs also need inclusion and diversity in all their activities to build a positive reputation in the community (Arora and Patro, 2021). The success of any NGO depends on its ability to allocate the resources to different populations in the society without any external force but specific development elements and requirements such as access to free education by the Africans (Afford, 2021). All the organisational activities must be in line with a strategic direction of enhancing development in the community to different races, religions, and individuals with or without disabilities. Therefore, all the identified factors complement diversity and inclusion. The paper probes diversity and inclusion by focusing on a reflection in Barnardos, an NGO organisation in the UK.
Racial Diversity
Racial diversity is one of the most significant elements of inclusion and diversity in NGOs in the 21st century. It refers to acknowledging and celebrating different racial groups to promote peace and unity in the community (Wilkinson and Eggert, 2021). It also recognizes value differences noted from different racial identities by promoting different racial ideologies. Racial diversity is also essential since it enhances development since individuals, regardless of their races, can adequately work in different organisations as long as they have the required skills. It is a concept that focuses explicitly on upholding the needs and desires of the group by making them included in the critical organisational decision-making process and limiting the cases of racial discrimination. All the activities in the NGOs and other institutional structures should align to equality regardless of race (Wilson, 2012). Therefore, the NGOs treat racial diversity as a significant component in enhancing inclusion.
The essential way how NGOs promote racial diversity is through fighting racial discrimination. In Barnardos, I noted the organisation specifically treated racial discrimination as a critical offense, and those engaged in the act would essentially suffer specific punishments. I also noted that most organisational activities were associated with de-campaigning racial discrimination. Racial discrimination is detrimental to enhancing racial diversity since it segregates the community into racial and ethnic groups, which most NGOs resolve (Cullen, 2010). Most NGOs are at the forefront in reducing racial discrimination to obtain a better working environment in the community. For instance, Barnardos works hand in hand with the local leaders to create awareness of racial discrimination and create a specific framework to allow the community members to be involved in community development regardless of their race. Therefore, it is necessary to consider all the elements of racial diversity to promote racial development successfully.
NGOs promote racial diversity by employing a chief diversity officer. Chief diversity officer is a significant position that has heavily emerged in the 21st century and is considered by many NGOs. The person is responsible for establishing a better framework used to oversee inclusion and diversity in different levels of the organizations (Lehmann, 2016). They also advocate for racial sensitivity to avoid other causes of racialized employment in different institutionalized infrastructures. Racial sensitivity is an essential component since whenever it is not adequately addressed, the outcomes would be adverse to the organizations and lead to failure or low community participation. For instance, the NGOs work hand in hand with the chief diversity officers to implement policies that reduce racial segregation and discrimination. Therefore, the NGOs successfully manage racial diversity and inclusion.
NGOs also promote racial diversity and inclusion through active community participation without considering racial identities. One of the critical actions that most NGOs in the 21st-century embrace is enhancing community participation and engagement. Community engagement is essential since it allows members of the society to work together in accomplishing different needs in the society, such as development. During the community engagement, organizations such as CharitySoWhite takes notes of racial problems in the communities (CharitySoWhite, 2021). The organizations use such opportunities to develop and plan considerable actions that include different individuals regardless of their races. The organizations also oversee different activities which are likely to jeopardize inclusivity and implement significant policies to eliminate them. Therefore, NGOs successfully engage the community to promote racial inclusion and diversity.
Additionally, different organisations also call for NGOs to dismantle racism and create an equitable environment free from different forms of injustice. According to Bond (2021), NGOs are challenged to interrogate and look inwards into different institutional structures which heavily embrace racial discrimination. Therefore, the NGOs create international platforms which allow different populations to report different cases of racism and reduce racial power. They also advocate for different leaderships in specific institutions to enhance openness while advocating for racial justice. Appropriate reports and recommendations are necessary to establish a practical framework for racial equality (CharitySoWhite, 2021). Barnardos also takes a similar direction since it dismantles racism by reducing different powers to specific institutions in the UK to promote racism. Therefore, due to the increasing discrimination in the 21st century, the NGOs oversee different institutions to promote racial diversity and resolve racial discrimination.
Religious Diversity
Inclusion and diversity are also expressed in terms of religious activities. Religious diversity is also a component that most NGOs advocate for while promoting inclusivity. It refers to acknowledging and including the different populations in the communal activities without focusing on their religion, for instance, allowing the Muslims and Christians to work without any segregation based on religion (Lehmann, 2016). It also involves bringing the populations from the isolated communities into the community image. CharitySoWhite organisation focuses on suitable strategies which allow different religions to work together without considering any religious factor (CharitySoWhite, 2021). The organisation adequately fights for religious harmonization to limit specific instances which may jeopardize religious equality. The NGOs also advocate for managing the activities of different populations based on their effort and without necessarily focusing on specific religious forces. Therefore, it is necessary to justify that NGOs adequately promote religious diversity in the 21st century.
Religious diversity is also evident in different development scholarships. Religious diversity involves enhancing the development of the communities regardless of their religion (Shrestha, 1995). African Foundation for Development, through its programs, adequately enhances development in Africa irrespective of the religious groups of participants (Afford, 2021). Different countries which me...