Karlshochschule International University

The first keynote speeches and panel presentations of our (re)Thinking Diversity conference have only just ended. Here are some impressions and feelings we got from them.

 

Vincent Roscignio: Bureaucratic legitimation and race-, sex- and age discrimination (audio cut)

Alexandra Kalev: Linking micro and macro sources of inequality at work: Cognitive biases and organisational structures (audio cut)

Helena Desivilya Syna: Reflections about intergroup conflict, social divisions and diversity in organizations

 

Helena Desivilya Syna held an inspriring presentation on her work and research concerning bias and modalities of otherness in a divided society and complex reality. Her focus point are the issues of surface diversity and shadow negotiations between Jews and Arabs in Isreali organizations. This protracted national conflict can, in her opinion, only be overcome by an active third party stepping in and spotlighting the topic which mainly runs on unspoken and subvisual bias – the hidden aspects of diversity.

 

Jona Rosenfeld: The outsider as an opportunity for adressing diversity

 

Jona Rosenfeld may be one of the most interesting and striking people we have ever had the honor to welcome at our university. Having been born in Karlsruhe and having migrated to Palestine in 1939 due to his father’s idea of their Jewish origin and the issues of the upcoming Second World War, the today 90 year-old held a fundamentally interesting, charming and eye-opening presentation based on his own life, experiences and work. Diversity, according to him, is a mission of a visionary; the value of difference and the move beyond exclusion.

 

Barbara Giovanna Bello: Diversity and intersectionality: A possible liason

Barbara Giovanna Bello gave a broad insight into diversity and intersectionality. She describes equality, diversity and non-discrimination as a new era that has to be thought of more carefully, since people are united in diversity. The speaker mentioned new tools how discrimination can be tackled and describes the intersectionality of discrimination.

 

Zvika Orr: Managing cultural diversity through multiculturalism in NGOs for social change: an Israeli case study.

The way diversity is managed in NGOs was discussed by Zvika Orr using an Isreali case study. This case study points out the discrimination towards specific groups. The speaker also explains the rejection of seeing discrimination as a problem by the directors of NGOs and comes to the conclusion that the term “diversity” is tried to be hidden by other words, to replace diversity by a term like “culture”.

 

We would like to thank our so far speakers for their deep insights and innovative views that they so kindly shared with us, and are looking forward to more to follow!

 

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