It’s generally agreed that inclusion is a good idea, one to get behind. Yet inclusion comes up against human beings, you and I with our fear, our uncertainties, our not knowing. In those spaces, we can get locked in, locked down, and righteous. In the work I do with teams, we discuss how unsettling it can be to not know. For as long as I can remember, I have been curious and interested to have more spaciousness and choice and freedom for myself and for others in these tricky or challenging moments. Inclusion invites us to consider other perspectives, opinions, beliefs, behaviors than what we know in this moment.
I learned so much about the practice of inclusion from a year I spent in France after high school, working in a group home with adults who were differently abled and a team from around the world who had come to live in the French countryside. I learned about communication, including non-verbal communication, and how love is a circuit moving through people whose tender hearts keep them connected to our shared humanity. We need to return to being open and curious about people and situations which unsettle us, return to caring bravely – first for ourselves, and then for those around us who may seemingly not care. Inclusion is not something to be forced, it won’t work. Anything forced comes from a hierarchical or authoritarian way of being. Inclusion here requires courage, remembering the freedom of “not knowing”, and listening to ways of being we don’t yet know.
How do you grow your inclusive practices?
Katy's description of inclusion suggests the 'spacious' potential for new understanding when one listens with curiosity, 'not knowing', and compassion. Good insights here Katy.😊