Diversity Workshop 2009
November 9, 2009
By: Ashwin Pienaar
On the 31st of October 2009 members of the Rhodes University Student Representative Council (SRC) took part in a diversity workshop in Eden Grove, facilitated by the International Office.
The participants were fortunate to have Mr Labethe Malefo, from the Wits University International Office, to conduct the workshop. The proceedings were based on a Ministerial Report on ‘Transformation and Social Cohesion and the Elimination of Discrimination in Public Higher Education Institutions’ (2009) released by the National Education Department. The report, its findings and the workshop itself helped the participants reach a nuanced understanding and respect for the diversity of individuals constituting the university environment. The theme for the day’s proceedings was appropriately taken from the /Xam phrase inscribed on South Africa’s Coat of Arms; “!ke e: /xarra//ke”, meaning “Unity through Diversity”.
The morning session focused primarily on, first, expectations of what the participants wished to gain from the workshop and, secondly, conceptions of diversity in individuals. The primary goal was to reach an understanding of how to manage diversity in a respectful and mature manner and, in relation to examples of the mismanagement of diversity, addressing potential conflict that can (and has) risen from examples of diversity in society.
The primary activity of the afternoon session was an exercise where participants were invited to voice negative and positive stereotypes that they had come across regarding a range of identities. The participants who identified as being affected by these stereotypes were then invited to express how they felt about ‘labelling’. In order for this exercise to work it was important for the participants to feel comfortable in their environment so that experiences could be shared trustingly. Notably, it was important to debrief after this exercise in order to problematise how stereotypes are formed and, therefore, move forward with a greater understanding of diversity.
Whilst the overall goal of the workshop was to help the student leadership appreciate a potentially sensitive issue they might encounter in their portfolios: how to manage issues arising from identity construction, the workshop had an underlying theme: addressing and managing diversity in foreign students on campus. To this end, much time was devoted to problematising examples and conceptions of discrimination suffered by foreign students (and staff) at the university.
In closing the participants revisited the expectations outlined during the morning session in order to address the extent to which goals for the workshop had been met. Judging from the warm applause and conversations after the workshop, the day’s proceedings were found to be both valuable and stimulating. The participants greatly appreciated the efforts of Mr Malefo, who handled very sensitive subject matter (and emotions) with honesty, poise and intelligence.
