CILIP’s new BAME network steering group, including Hong-Anh, met for the first time in April.
nising the issues and moving forward is crucial. She talks about a speech CILIP Chief Executive Nick Poole gave at the start of the year in which he outlined CILIP’s commitment to delivering change across the profession. In it he said: “Put- ting equality, diversity and inclusion right at the heart of what we are and what we aspire to be as an organisation has felt like coming home – like finally stepping up to do the job which we were always there to do. It strengthens our advocacy, our focus and our resolve both to fight for diversity and representation in the sector and to do more to champion the role of our sector in creating a better world.
“We are learning, and will continue to learn. I believe that there is a powerful opportunity for us as information profes- sionals in an information society to stand up for equality, to stand against injustice, to strive for equity in the representation of under-represented voices, to correct the imbalance of power rather than tacitly to benefit from it and to strengthen the hand of the brilliant, diverse people in our pro- fession who are under-represented. That responsibility rests on all of us and I am committed to ensuring that CILIP does listen, does learn and does play its part in making positive change.” (Read the full text here
https://bit.ly/2G4uwnr.)
Hong-Anh says hearing the speech felt “really, really inspiring because in the past – and I know other people have felt this – we have felt that CILIP hasn’t always been publicly vocal in its recognition of what needs to change.”
Seeing a desire for change is refresh- ing and “it feels like the conversation about diversity is having a moment in
18 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL
the profession,” according to Hong-Anh. However, it is important that the moment is not lost and she says: “It also feels like we have been talking about it in quite a polite way, and now perhaps it’s time to be upfront about what the problem really is so that we can really face up to it.” The practicalities of implementing change are not lost on Hong-Anh, who talks about the need for data to say where we are and targets to point to where we want to be. However, she adds: “The risk of tokenism [when using targets] is real, but you can mitigate against it by making sure that targets aren’t the only thing you are working towards.”
Targets are not silver bullets – rather they provide a framework for improve- ments without delivering solutions, so it is important to think more broadly about how to achieve them.
Empowered to make a change “If the environment people come into is not welcoming and inclusive then you struggle. Are you culturally prepared for it; are you practically prepared for it? For example, if you say you want a diverse workforce, you need to have the facilities to cope with that – a prayer room for example,” says Hong-Anh.
There will inevitably be constraints – money, time or lack of resource, formal leadership structures – to implementing these sorts of changes, especially in small- er organisations. However, Hong-Anh says change can come from us all. “Can you change your behaviour?” she asks. “What are you responsible for that you can change? The reality is we all have responsibilities in our roles. Look at those
Steering group scopes CILIP’s BAME Network
A NEW CILIP Steering Group of information professionals from BAME backgrounds has met for the first time to scope plans for a new BAME Information Professional’s Network.
The eight-strong team, chaired by CILIP Trustee Shirley Year- wood-Jackman, pinned down the Network’s priorities, purpose and audience. Work also began on Terms of Reference, which will go to the CILIP Board in May, with a view to launching the Network sometime in June.
Shirley has said, “I believe that this team has the experience, whether as a student or as a direc- tor, to establish a BAME Network which can make real and lasting change and I look forward to work- ing with them to achieve this”. There will be another network- ing opportunity, and a breakfast seminar, at the CILIP Conference in July. For more information and steering group member bios visit:
https://www.cilip.org.uk/page/BAMENetwork
responsibilities and at what you can change to improve everything. On a broader level it is about rethinking what leadership looks like. It doesn’t always have to come from the top, there are lots of different models of leadership – and a real strength can come from a lot of people feeling empowered to make a change. That sends out a positive message.” IP
April-May 2019
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