Culturing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Diversity, equality, inclusion
embrace
in their circle
reminders of
power, structure
distance, absences
and more,
with no name,
no words to describe
feelings that
get carried over,
sometimes,
over and over,
over lifetimes
over generations.

We are
what we have seen, heard
and experienced,
what we have let go,
held on,
grown out of,
and what remains. 
Each of us
a masterpiece
of timeless
and timed
evolution of moments
of a lifetime.

What defines me?
how I spell color or colour
my skin that doesn’t change
the many languages
that shape my thought?
My empathy,
my accent, my gender,
my food, clothes, job, roles
culture, habits, habitats? 
What do I
bring to the circle,
to the table
to my  cohort, colleagues and community,
in different
countries, counties,
mapped and unmapped,
to diverse cultures, languages
topographies
and more variations
than I can list? 
To my collective,
I offer my lifetime,
my circle has ‘me’,
an amalgamation
of memories
of countries, counties,
languages, cultures
food, love, laughter,
that nurture me,
tears and hopes
that remind me
to find meaning
empathy, connections
and a purpose
for this ephemeral life. 
I share this ’self’
with my circle,
I hope
my vulnerabilities
my strengths are
viewed a such,
that it will open others
to start our journey
on a common ground
of sharing
what makes us,
us. 
From this common ground
we start our conversations
start our culture,
inoculated with moments
of lifetimes
of experiences
and empathy.
In these shared lessons
we grow together
being symbionts
creating pathways for
co-operation,
networking to thrive,
together.

Lets empathise
collect and connect
views of
diversity, equity and inclusion,
be pleasantly surprised
at the common values we hold dear,
and work together
culturing diversity equality inclusion
for our collective future
together.

-By Neeraja Havaligi