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2/19/2018

10 lessons as a diversity coordinator part 2

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​Eight years ago to be exact, I headed one of the biggest multiculturalism grant in Canada. Written originally as a farewell note to volunteers, supporters, partners, I tucked it away somewhere and did not send. Today, I am sharing these nuggets I have learned along the way.  Here are the next 7 points as food for thought.


3. It takes time to build respect for diversity and it involves educating everyone you meet. Increase the function of education. Apply intentionality to get results.
 
·         Respect the contribution of others
·         Expand on what has been accomplished
·         Collaborate and challenge
 
 
4. Push the envelope when needed. Say No to Mediocrity. Stimulate generative thinking. Create the space to innovate. A little push, a little more effort can translate to bigger impact at less cost or implication. They say it takes 3-5 meetings for people to get past the courtesies and stereotypes to create meaningful connections. Go beyond the usual song, dance, and festivals.
 
5.  Be conscious of the power dynamics that one is not perpetuating the power imbalance that already exists in the community. Being in a position of power, a visible minority at that, it was sending different messages- it is both the message and the messenger.
 
6.    Don’t take No! for an answer. The No is actually not now or maybe. Institutions are risks-averse by nature. They have a delayed reaction to changes in the world/environment. Learn to know how to take the first step with boldness. But know the limits of your scope too!
 
7.    The bureaucrats, the executives and the taxpayers want the same. They want to see success. Demonstrate success early. Learn from early adapters on what sticks and what is really important. They have valuable contacts, connections, and stories to share at the tip of their fingers.
 
8. Develop the competence in organizations, people and networks to navigate persistent challenges on an on-going basis. When something happens, people can go past beyond their organizations to call one another for help and support.
 
9. Didn’t I say this before? Work towards collective impact.  Big players, small players, unknown players should work together.
 
10.Celebrate Achievements. Keep up the good work, keep the energies up, keep the people informed all the time. Keep the loop closed.

​BONUS: 
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With the benefit of hindsight,  we can take a more objective view of achievements and failures. Take it with a grain of salt. Start with humility knowing that you do not know a lot of things and end with humility knowing that you still have a lot to learn about the community.

 
​If this is something that resonates with you, let me know what you think and share your own lessons learned as an intercultural navigator for your communities. 



Related Articles:
10 Lessons learned as a Diversity Coordinator Part 1
​
4 Prime Benefits of a Diversified Board/Committee



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2/12/2018

10 lessons as a diversity coordinator pArt 1

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​A couple of years ago, wearing a hat as an intercultural actor in a municipality where it had been labelled the “murder capital” of Canada, my life was busy as bee. After three and a half years of community engagement, I wrote a few lines to reflect on my experience, lessons learned, small and big triumphs and thought I may have to put it away somewhere where other community leaders and innovators can benefit and also resonate from.

 
Experience is the best teacher. No amount of textbook theory can prepare you for a community engagement solving a social problem that is very complex and rarely follow a neat paradigm of solutions. With the help of staunch community leaders and brave volunteers, I completed the diversity project and generated strong positive feedback from all those people -women, children, youth, faith leaders, churches, businesses, and whole host of other important actors in the community. While we hope that there are significant sustainable outcomes from the project, one thing that was very clear from the onset, the office where the project was birthed and the people who rallied behind it were the same people working towards social cohesion and intercultural understanding until now. Not surprising, right?
 
Promoting and advocating for diversity and intercultural harmony calls for courage. In the midst of polarization, division, and hatred that are around us, we can take comfort that it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.  Let us be that light.
 
For fellow travelers in the intercultural engagement journey, here are some of the lessons learned as a food for thought.
 
 
1.    Creatively work through the systems- whether it’s the political, cultural, institutional, religious, generational, organizational, etc., including hierarchies, philosophies and other surprises. These systems are present and operating in the lives of people and communities. Navigate carefully. While it is easy to criticize and point the blame, it is beneficial to be constructive and solutions-oriented.
 
2.    Gather support from the outside, inside, out there, in here, and all around. It is better to form weird alliances than to fight alone. Listen to everyone that has a story to tell. Keep your eyes and ears open at all times. You will never know what can possibly get produced with ideas that are not censored just because it doesn’t come from the top. Maximize interconnectivity.


​To be continued.............................





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2/2/2018

my First day as a Rotary peace fellow

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Our Guest Writer is George E. Ngwane. He is a writer, poet, peace activist, educationist, political analyst, Pan Africanist and founder/Executive Director of AFRICAphonie. He is a Rotary Peace Fellow Batch 18 and awardee of other outstanding fellowships around the world. He writes political commentary, engages in debates and dialogues, and ardent passionate participant of the peace and transformational challenges in Cameroon. You can follow him at www.gngwane.com.

​Every year, the Rotary International awards the Rotary Peace Fellowship to outstanding community leader from all over the world to come to Bangkok, Thailand and participate in a month-long Peace and Conflict Resolution Studies with outstanding colleagues of peace advocates and internationally acclaimed teachers and instructors. The deadline for 2019-2020 cohort is on 31 May.  Please visit the website at https://my.rotary.org/en/peace-fellowship-application​.

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By George Ngwane
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​What can I say about my first week in BKK as a Rotary Peace Fellow?

Well, I remember that after being dropped off from the airport by my house counselor (the generous Abdu with whom I still have telephone contacts), I went to my Room 18 and came out in the evening to have a feel of Chula by night. It was at the shopping mall near our International house.

​Dazzled by the shimmering lights and lost in awesome wonder of the gigantic buildings, I hardly noticed the welcome shrill of three tall ladies. It must have been Wendy, Jelena and a third person but Wendy recognised me as one of the Fellows because I was wearing the famous green, red, and yellow jersey that has made my country Cameroon the quintessence of the glory of world class football ( never mind if this is being replaced by the gory tales of a national conflict). Yes, Wendy came across to me at that moment not just as a cheerful and caring "mama" ( remember she is married to my own namesake Jorge) but one with an eagle's eye for  details( remember how she would with tears of sympathy meticulously talk us through her child-centered peace education project). The ladies invited me for a drink but believe it or not I am shy at spontaneous acquaintances even if I get stuck to relationships for a long time. I am also more of an introvert and BKK got me thinking most of the time why Africa's infrastructural development had become stalled. It was the venerated Kenyan Professor Ali Mazrui who said that while other countries were already going to the moon we Africans still do not have roads to our villages (Oops!! sorry already delving in politica). Well, I politely turned down the drink offer under the guise that I was trying to talk to myself in the quiet of my soul and in the utter sound of silence.

I then retired to what I thought would be the comfort of my AC room but my uninvited guests of mosquitoes and tropical heat had another conversation with me which lasted till the wee hours of the morning. To my room neighbours Jelena, Elma and Francine, this must be where the journey of snoring train began. I always thank you for your kind accommodation and elastic understanding.

I got up in the morning to meet with our Course Coordinator. After passing through the front office with a bevy of ladies all in unison shouting welcome! welcome!, I nearly barged into the office of  the Ajang,(difficult to throw away this macho mentality that the boss must be a man). Helas, the charm yet firmness and the gentleness yet authority of a lady spontaneously lured me into the chambers of what became for three months the office of Jenn, our course Coordinator.  Like a typical headmistress who knows all her pupils' names by heart she shouted "George from Cameroon, welcome, how was your flight?, when did you arrive?". Which question was I to answer first?. Anyway after all the niceties of meeting and greeting she conducted me with military precision (I could not keep up pace with her fast steps) to our lecture room and our finger room. It was in the finger room that I met Dickson. Jenn had not finished introducing both of us to each other when I am sure to her pleasant bewilderment Dickson hugged me like we had already met somewhere in Nairobi or Douala. That warm ubuntu embrace of Dickson served as a connector between us even when there were obvious scenes of dividers. Next personality to get into the finger room was the tall gentleman whose sense of humour always brought comic relief to our sometimes stressful lectures. Yes, Sjors gave me another warm Dutch hug and I knew I was in Chula in the company of classmates, friends and soulmates. 

I cannot believe it was three years ago because our interaction is still as warm as the Indian breeze and our thoughts on each other still remain as fresh as the river Nile. Like we say back here in Africa, mountains do not meet but (wo)men do.

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    ​Hello!  My name is Maiden Manzanal-Frank, also known as the Global Strategist. I am an award-winning diversity champion, organizational development expert, writer, speaker, a Rotary Peace Fellow, an upcoming author, and an incurable realist. I work, write and engage others in the  intersection of impact through innovation and sustainability.  I accelerate on-purpose organizations' achievement of impact and growth strategies through the alignment of their stakeholders so they can do greater good in the world. I keynote in conferences and corporate events every year. I'm writing my first commercial book on Global Impact Leadership. You can chat with me at LinkedIn.


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