Mexico City, Mexico, November 29, 2023. School of Business of the Universidad Panamericana held the conference Diversity and Inclusion, competitive advantages in the labor market.Esmeralda Araiza, leader of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the Australia, New Zealand and Mexico Chamber of Commerce (ANZMEX).ANZMEX), in which she spoke to the students about issues such as equity, accessibility and privileges.
Recognizing diversity
During the first minutes of her speech, Ms. Araiza emphasized the importance of recognizing and valuing diversity and highlighted a simile between human beings and trees: there are things you can see about us, such as branches and leaves, but there are also things you cannot see, such as roots. "We are all different, look at us, we are diverse, but we do have something in common: we all have the same value," he said.
He then shared the concept of IDEA, as "the acronym for the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility guide", and highlighted its growing relevance in the contemporary world.
Beyond what we see
During the meeting, the topic of stereotypes and how they can influence our perception of others was also addressed. "Sometimes the most obvious, the most logical, does not go unnoticed. And sometimes there are things we don't see, but just because we don't see it doesn't mean it doesn't exist," he commented. These words invited reflection on our own perceptions and prejudices.
However, he also mentioned that thanks to neuroscience and neuroplasticity it has been proven that it is possible to modify how we function to reduce these biases. "Bias in mathematics is an error that we have by calculation. Our brain also makes mistakes, we have prejudices and stereotypes that have been instilled in us since we were children, but there is a way to reeducate our brain so that it does not make mistakes," the teacher mentioned.
The privilege
The concept of privilege was broken down into its many forms. It was addressed how privileges can be visible and invisible, tangible and intangible. For example, the privilege of having a quality education, access to health resources, or even having a social support network. These are aspects that we often take for granted, but which play a crucial role in how we navigate the world.
One particularly resonant aspect was the recognition that privilege is not necessarily something one chooses, but is often the result of circumstances of birth such as race, gender or socioeconomic class. "Privilege sometimes we asked for it, sometimes it was given to us, sometimes we were born with it," he noted. This perspective emphasized the importance of awareness and humility in our interactions and how we address social inequalities.
In an interactive exercise, participants explored how privileges can affect equal opportunities and emphasized that "every privilege entails a responsibility, that which was by chance, must be given meaning and advantage".
Celebrating diversity
Toward the end of the event, the importance of inclusion was emphasized. "We are all unique and different, but equal in value and rights," the speaker expressed and served as a call to action for the entire university community to recognize and celebrate diversity.
This conference at Universidad Panamericana was more than an academic event; it was a meeting of minds and hearts seeking to better understand the world we live in. Messages of diversity, inclusion and the recognition of privilege were woven into a narrative that not only informed, but also transformed.
If you want to learn more about the academic offerings of the School of Business, go to: https://www.up.edu.mx/educacion-universidad-facultad-de-empresariales/
