Travel notebook #1

Piccadilly Ciurcus, London, United Kingdom. April 13, 2023 (personal file photo)

London is a city that welcomes people from different countries and cultures, not just as tourists, but as immigrants looking to build a new life in the United Kingdom (UK).

Report published by the House of Commons Library< /a> (one of the houses that make up the UK Parliament) identified that the population of foreigners living in the United Kingdom is concentrated in London. 37% of the city's residents were born in non-British countries, while if the entire UK population is considered, 14% are foreigners.

The diversity is so great that we can travel to more than ten countries without leaving Greater London through cuisine and walks through locations that have become hubs for immigrants. Therefore, it is not very difficult for you to start a conversation or create closer ties with people who come from a cultural reality very different from the British and, I could even generalize and say very different from Western culture - even though we cannot always put everything in the same category. bag always.

And in the midst of this coexistence or simply observing the dynamics of everyday life and relationships in this cultural multiverse, I have been reflecting a lot on how inclusion actually , demands much more than respect, especially when it comes to the State, Cities and Companies as actors in its promotion.

So that you can follow what I will say in the next few lines with greater fluidity, I bring a possible definition for what I mean when I say inclusion. When I use the word inclusion I am referring to a process in which measures of different natures are taken so that people are able to participate in life in society regardless of the factors that are part of who they are strong> regarding physical condition, ethnicity, religious belief, economic power, level of education, gender, sexual orientation, etc.

Here in London I have seen quite interesting and happy movements regarding Ramadan, for example, which is a sacred period for Muslims in which they intensify their religious practices. I have seen British institutions allowing their employees who exercise this faith to arrange special hours with their managers that enable them to maintain their spiritual traditions in a healthy way. And talking about State and Cities, festive lights and a panel saying “Happy Ramadan” are installed in the region of the famous and bustling Picadilly Circus. According to The Guardian, London became the first European city to set up a large decorative structure to celebrate the month of Ramadan.

Going the same way, I saw a large fast food company advertising an option made under Halal food rules (follows specific Islamic rules) on a huge banner in front of one of its units.

Other examples I can give are signs in public places that indicate that certain paths are not suitable for wheelchair users, and even notices about priority seats on buses that explicitly point out to those who have not yet noticed that the conditions that make the people being entitled to preference in those seats may not be apparent.

And speaking now of the inclusion of citizens in the processes of creating public policies through what we call social participation - which is one of the pillars of my professional work -, the Thornton Heath region, for example, it has drawn up a local regeneration plan designed with the participation of its population, which, in turn, is made up of a significant number of immigrants.

I could cite some other examples of inclusion being more than just respect and I am sure that I will identify many other examples of good practices that will confirm my perception and give even more substance to my reflection and research. But for now, this is what I share to invite you to this flow of thoughts and looks that have filled my day.

The question is, inclusion actually exists when the difference of each group and individual not only does not pass through judgmental eyes, but also, and equally important, when this difference is part of what is expected from relationships , routines, processes. Whether in providing a public service, developing a public policy, preparing a work schedule or inviting a friend to dinner.

I have repeated and ratified more and more that in order for diversity and inclusion (D&I) to be, in fact, materialized in the most diverse realities, mainly institutional, it is essential that they are addressed , addressed strategically, as an end that, to be achieved – and kept alive – requires study, planning, execution and monitoring. Understanding what these two words are about, what they mean within our reality or our company, and how we or our organization can make them something tangible in the short and long term, are some of the questions that can be answered and, perhaps they should be answered. They are capable of taking us to a context in which D&I can begin to permeate our day-to-day lives, being something (much) more than indispensable terms and concepts for a good discourse aligned with the agendas of the present and the future.< /p>

Well, Inclusion is indeed inclusion when it goes beyond the bare minimum. This is what I see, perceive and analyze from where I am today.

So I end this first overflow and look at what London has invited me to revisit, discover, deepen and share.

May these words take you to good places in the now and create seeds for what you hope and plan for tomorrow.

I am Jéssica Leite, futurist, researcher, artist and tireless enthusiast for the positive co-creation of now and tomorrow.

Until next time.