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This talk includes mentions of harassment and depiction or
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I remember the magic of connecting to the
Internet for the first time, over two decades
ago. I was instantly hooked on its wonders.
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Today feels different.
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The platforms we were once so excited
about are dehumanising and urging us to fit
into stereotypical and often oppressive
societal norms.
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It’s easier to feel like there’s no room for us
at all.
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It’s easier to feel like there’s no room for us
at all. We don’t belong. I don’t belong.
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Peter Block
“Our communities are separated into silos; they're
collection of institutions and programs operating
near one another but not overlapping or touching.
This is important to understand because this
dividedness that makes it so difficult to create a
more positive or alternative future.”
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Diversity and inclusion are prerequisites to
intentional communities where anyone can
belong.
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Diversity and Inclusion
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Vernā Myers
“Diversity is being invited to the party.
Inclusion is being asked to dance.”
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Diversity encompasses complex differences
and similarities between people such as:
gender, race, age, ability, socioeconomic status,
religion and many more aspects.
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Inclusion is a sense of belonging, engaging
all individuals and letting them function
at full capacity.
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Equity requires a set of informed policies and
practices, intentionally designed to promote
opportunity and rectify disparities.
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Exclusion takes the form of discrimination that
denies full access to rights, opportunities and
resources that are normally accessible to others.
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The Industry
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Astra Taylor
“We have somehow deceived ourselves
into believing that this state of insecurity
and inequity is a form of liberation.”
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26%
of computing occupations are held by women.
Source: National Center for Women and Information Technology
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6%
of Fortune 500 chief executives are women.
Source: Fortune CEOs
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98%
of VCs are white or Asian males.
Source: Silicon Valley’s Morality Crash
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29%
is as high as the pay gap between men and
women gets.
Source: The Gender Pay Gap in Tech
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60%
of women reported unwanted sexual advances.
Source: Elephant in the Valley
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30%
of women of colour were passed over for a
promotion.
Source: Tech Leavers Study
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8%
of tech workers never experienced gender
bias.
Source: ISACA Breaking The Gender Barriers
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95%
of Open Source contributors are male.
Source: Github Open Source Survey
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We are turning a blind eye to systemic issues.
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The tech industry often becomes a safe
harbour for only one type of demographic
—white men.
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Allyship
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Ellen Pao
“We are at a crossroads.
We can take the hard road to reforming
our industry through innovation and
accountability or continue with the status
quo after a moment of self-flagellation.”
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We glorify our leaders, trusting they are the
only agents of change.
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We glorify our leaders, trusting they are the
only agents of change. This deeply patriarchal
agenda limits our capacity for improvement.
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Change begins with us.
No reach or exposure necessary.
No more silent bystanders.
No more looking away.
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Being an ally is an ongoing process of
unlearning, re-evaluating and challenging
the oppressive status quo.
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01
Educate
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Laurie Penny
“Thousands of otherwise decent people
are persuaded to go along with
an unfair system because changing it
seems like too much bother.”
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We need to commit to an ongoing act of
introspection, reflection and learning.
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Ignorance is part of the oppression.
Don’t expect members of underrepresented
groups to coach you.
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02
Listen
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Mia McKenzie
“Shut up and listen.”
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Listen to diverse, confronting stories—
understand, believe and empathise who we’re
allying ourselves with.
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Sarah Jeong
“The Internet is experienced completely differently
by people who are visibly identifiable as a
marginalised race or gender.
It’s a nastier, more exhausting Internet, one that
gets even nastier and even more exhausting as
intersections stack up.”
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03
Understand privilege
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Privilege is a set of unearned benefits that
come with identity traits, such as race, religion,
sexual orientation, class or ability.
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Privilege is the opposite of oppression, but
the two can coexist.
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It’s our responsibility to recognise and identify
the privilege we have. Keep a list.
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04
Combat unconscious bias
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Unconscious biases are shortcuts our brains
take in processing information.
We are all guilty of bias.
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Make your bias conscious—question first
impressions and justify your opinions.
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05
Organise
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It’s our responsibility as organisers to ensure
safe and inclusive platforms for gathering.
We need set the tone for the industry.
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Implement an enforceable Code of Conduct,
publish diversity and accessibility statements
and ensure equal representation.
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06
Donate and give
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Diversity and inclusion-oriented organisations
are often understaffed and underfunded.
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Donate: funds, time, mentorship. Scale it up.
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07
Diversify and amplify
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It’s crucial to amplify voices of those without
privilege.
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Follow more people with opinions and
backgrounds different than yours.
It’s up to you to decide what to amplify.
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08
Take responsibility
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No matter how hard we try, we will make
mistakes.
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We need to own up to our wrongdoing and
take proactive steps to prevent it from
happening in the future.
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1. Educate
2. Listen
3. Understand privilege
4. Combat unconscious bias
5. Organise
6. Donate and give
7. Diversify and amplify
8. Take responsibility
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The Future
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Peter Block
“Sustainable transformation is constructed in
those places where citizens choose to come
together to produce a desired future.”
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Technological choices we’re making today
won’t matter in a span of a few short years.
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The only thing to prevail is the impact
we had on other people.
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We cannot build a better future perpetuating
abusive exclusion.
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People first
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Martin Luther King Jr.
“Life’s most persistent
and urgent question is,
‘What are you doing for
others?’”
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Thank you
Slides: speakerdeck.com/fox/building-inclusive-communities
Questions and feedback: @fox on Twitter