5 ways to be a JEDI: Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion 101

We've all been there: intentions are great but execution seems daunting. Here are some worthwhile strategies you can adopt on your way to becoming a champion for all.

Remember you are only an expert in your own experience

Get to know your personal history and your culture (yes we all have culture). Once you know who you are, you can start to understand, uncover, and unlearn your own biases - we all have them even we don't know we know...you know? Also, connecting to your story will help you to connect with others. Once we know what makes us unique, difference becomes the norm rather than the exception.

Lean into the discomfort

It's not easy to make mistakes, not know a thing, or to try something new. If you lean in, get curious, and shift judgement to wonder, you will learn so much about yourself and others. It's a worthwhile journey full of beautiful mistakes.

Have a working definition of the LGBTQ2S+ acronym you can speak to

Be a great rainbow ally! Get to know what the letters mean and find an acronym that fits who is in your broader community. Hot tip: you can also just look up what local queer organizations in your ares are using ;)

While you're at it:

Introduce yourself with your pronouns: he/him, she/her, they/them

Pronouns have made a come back since grammar school - cool eh?

Know whose land you're on

There's an app for that! Yup, Whose Land is a collaboration between Canadian Roots Exchange, TakingITGlobal, and Bold Realities. The app consists of six different maps of Indigenous territories, Treaties, and First Nations, Inuit, and Metis communities. This initial step will hopefully get you more interested in the nations around you and start to support their initiatives and organizations.

Diversify your content, talent, and contributors!

There are so many talented folks out there with diverse lived experiences. We know that diversity of thought leads to more innovative and productive teams, outperforming homogenous teams by 35%. Hey, don't just take my D&I expert word for it, check out research and articles from McKinsey, Harvard Business Review, and Forbes!

These are just 5 steps to start your JEDI journey.

There are so many more paths to wander, reach out and learn more you will!

(baby Yoda is my favourite Yoda)