Category: DEI

NCRA DEI Training Summary –  Session 1, 4/22

Holistic Underground, the NCRA DEI consultants and the DEI Committee, recently hosted two well received leadership trainings. More than 20 NCRA members took part in session 1 and about 14 in Session 2. (The YouTube links are available from the office. )

By Portia Sinnott, NCRA Executive Director, 4/15/2022

These 2.5 hour engaging and interactive sessions were designed to assist NCRA in:

    • Hosting an inclusive and welcoming Recycling Update that demonstrates our commitment to equity
    • Developing better JEDI skills and cultural competency
    • Building a more diverse membership by fostering an inclusive environment

The first session was focused on tools including a framework for navigating change, an introduction to the principles and terminology of JEDI – justice, equity, diversity and inclusion, a methodology for becoming more inclusive communicators, a framework for moving beyond unconscious bias and tools and best practices for creating inclusive spaces.

Courageous Conversations
I particularly liked the Red Lens/Green Lens breakout exercise that utilized the affirmation above.

But first, I would like take a moment to introduce a simple yet effective approach designed to make sure everyone has a voice – introverts as well as extroverts. Before each exercise we spent 2 minutes journaling focused on questions related to the exercise. For example:

1) How can the Green Lens help you navigate your Unconscious Bias?
2) How can this support you to foster more equity and inclusion in this field?

Then when we went into discussion and breakouts we all were better prepared to share in a more succinct matter.

Green Lens
The Green Lens is a way of seeing and communicating by Dr. Maria Nemeth. Basically it can help you take a pause and listen more respectfully when someone is irritating or disagreeable. Conversely, the Red Lens is the opposite – how to listen disrespectfully. Please check them out above.

For Next Time: Moving Beyond Unconscious Bias
We would like everyone to review the 4-page Three Steps To Moving Beyond Unconscious Bias, with idea of getting a dialog going about the article. Please download and then let us know what you thought of it. Please do not share without with Holistic Undergrounds’ permission.

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DEI Salon: How To Create a Safe Space to Discuss Social Justice, 3/21

Icebreakers are a great way to start a meeting. By loosening everyone up, they encourage us to be more open to each other. But how do you break the ice when talking about challenging topics with diverse groups? Join us as we practice techniques and activities used to help colleagues have successful DEI conversations.

NCRA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee Salon

HOW TO CREATE A SAFE SPACE
TO DISCUSS SOCIAL JUSTICE

Tuesday, March 16, 2020, 4:30pm – 6:30pm PST

NCRA Board Member Jula Au of RethinkWaste and
DEI Committee Co-Chair Felisia Castañeda of Recology San Francisco have been holding every other week DEI meetings with their respective outreach teams for more than a year. They will share lessons learned during this free interactive Zoom gathering.

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Standing in Solidarity: BLM Statement, 10/20

Prepared by the DEI Committee, 10/5/2020

Short Version
The Northern California Recycling Association (NCRA) was shocked by the murders of George Floyd, Ahmed Arbery and Breonna Taylor, and shares the anger, grief and frustration felt by millions around the globe. We recognize these violent acts are not unique, but part of larger, systemically racist power structures ignored for far too long. The NCRA leadership has come to better understand the impacts of white privilege and our unconscious complicity with it. Without question, we affirm that Black Lives Matter, and that we cannot and will not, stand silent any longer.

We understand dismantling oppressive systems requires ongoing learning and unlearning, and efforts both big and small. We know change does not come easily and the path forward may be uncomfortable, but we will not shy away from this important work. This challenge requires all of us to work together and the DEI Committee welcomes your input and suggestions via the NCRA Contact Page. We look forward to continuing this conversation and to your engagement in supporting the path towards a just, equitable and sustainable future.

Longer Version
The Northern California Recycling Association (NCRA) was shocked by the murders of George Floyd, Ahmed Arbery and Breonna Taylor and shares the anger, grief and frustration felt by millions around the globe. We recognize these violent acts are not unique, but part of larger, systemically racist power structures ignored for far too long. The NCRA leadership has come to better understand the impacts of white privilege and our unconscious complicity with it. Without question, we affirm that Black Lives Matter, and that we cannot and will not, stand silent any longer.

Through a continuous effort of learning and unlearning, NCRA is deepening our understanding of how the socially constructed concept of race is a tool used to strengthen power structures that suppress and exploit the Black community through discriminatory policies and practices. We are committed to actively work towards dismantling these human-made systems of injustice, and building a society that celebrates diversity, lifting up the voices of Black people and all who suffer from systemic oppression.

NCRA’s mission is to end waste, but our vision is broader. We strive for an equitable future that sustains ecosystems so they may provide benefits to all people – regardless of age, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, class, ability, language, or cultural background. We know that climate and environmental justice are inherently tied to social justice and that systemic racism and the resulting social, physical, and economic inequalities have significant impacts in the wasting, reuse, and recycling industries. We seek to engage and elevate those most impacted by systemic racism as we cannot solve our most pressing environmental problems without listening to their voices, ideas and solutions.

In the Fall of 2019, after receiving challenging feedback regarding a lack of DEI awareness and procedures, NCRA established the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee to drive meaningful change across all aspects of our work. We understand dismantling oppressive systems requires ongoing learning and unlearning, and efforts both big and small. We know change does not come easily and the path forward may be uncomfortable, but we will not shy away from this important work. This challenge requires all of us to work together and the DEI Committee welcomes your input and suggestions via the NCRA Contact Page. We look forward to continuing this conversation and to your engagement in supporting the path towards a just, equitable and sustainable future.

 

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Who is at the Table? DEI Webinar Recording, 8/20

WHO IS AT THE TABLE?

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
in Waste and Recycling
August 27, 2020

Presented by: The National Recycling Coalition (NRC) and the Northern California Recycling Association (NCRA) in coordination with the NRC Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Council, the NCRA DEI Committee and the Ohio Recycling Coalition. Produced by Portia Sinnott, NCRA Vice President and Zero Waste USA Program Director.

Recording              Speaker Bios

This webinar’s objectives are to motivate the waste and recycling industry to actively explore and discuss DEI issues and initiatives, and inspire individuals and organizations to create their own mandates. We will address the issues via succinct introductory presentations with commentary, hold a robust intra-panel discussion and follow that with a lively Q&A session!

What does Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) mean in the Waste and Recycling Industry?

Are we leading the way or stumbling behind? Does anyone have a handle on the statistics? Has your business, agency or non-profit adopted DEI initiatives? Are they actively being implemented and tracked? Are the benefits clear to all involved? What factors are being addressed – age, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, class, ability, language and/or cultural background? Does your actual workforce reflect these commitments – in front of the house: management/decision makers, as well as the back of the house: workforce/membership? Are there efforts underway to stimulate workforce training and advancement?

PANEL

  • INITIAL SLIDES
  • Moderator and Commentator, Arley Owens, Executive Director, Ohio Recycling Coalition, former NRC Board Member, organizing member of the NRC DEI Council, and former Chair of the NRC Communications Committee and the Minorities Recycling Council
  • DEI Introduction and Industry Situational Report, Sophia Huda, Vice President, Ohio Recycling Coalition, member of the Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board and Adjunct Sustainability Professor, The New School, New York SLIDES
  • Developing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Mandates, Faye Christoforo, Executive Director, Post-Landfill Action Network (PLAN) SLIDES
  • Sustainable And Safe Recycling, Alina Bekkerman, NCRA Board Member and San Francisco Conservation Corps, Program Manager and
    Felisia Castañeda, NCRA Member and Recology San Francisco
    Environmental Learning Center Supervisor SLIDES
  • Moving Forward Together, Abrilla Robinson, Vice President, Ohio Recycling Coalition’s and Chair of the Ohio Recycling Coalition’s newly created Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council. Past President of the National Recycling Coalition Minorities Recycling Council and organizing member of the new NRC DEI Council.

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DEI Presentation Guidelines, 2020 & 2022

NCRA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Presentation Guidelines
Developed in May 2020, updated in June 2022

The following guidelines are not intended to guarantee a product or piece of information is appropriate to all audiences. Rather, we hope that this document will serve as a point of reference and stimulate careful consideration by anyone preparing a presentation.

Some of them were gleaned from the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), Cultural Considerations: Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Presentations. The article is well worth reading as are the resources presented there.

  1. Cross Cultural: Consider how different cultures may relate to your subject.
  2. Language and Literacy: Think about your audiences preferred languages – both spoken and signed, and literacy level.
  3. Diverse Perspectives: Use case studies, scenarios, or vignettes examples that reflect diverse perspectives.
  4. Build Connections: Aim to create a presentation that supports new or renewed connections and community-building.
  5. Positive Examples: Include positive examples from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Also include examples from urban, suburban, and rural frontier populations, as well as examples from U.S. territories and 
tribal communities.
  6. Diverse Data: Where available include statistics, demographic data or trends about racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse groups as appropriate or indicate where it is not available.
  7. Diverse Images: Portray images, graphics, and visual aids that both incorporate people with disabilities and reflect the culturally and ethnically diverse groups and communities in which they live. Avoid type casting.
  8. Resource Languages: Indicate whether the resources highlighted in your presentation are available in different languages.
  9. Honor Experience and Struggles: Recognize that many sustainable practices and norms today have been practiced for many generations and the roots of the Zero-Waste movement lie in the decades long experiences and struggles of communities of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).
  10. Integrity: While giving your presentation, speak with integrity, avoid assumptions and generalizations.