Over the past few weeks, I (Mya) have had the opportunity to take part in two very different conversations that ultimately centred around the same theme: the importance of community, belonging, and representation.
As Co-Founder of ACAMHA, I was invited along to The Scouts in Nairn weekly meeting to share and discuss some of the work we do around understanding and celebrating our diverse communities and how making others feel welcome and that they belong is important. We talked about the impact our actions can have on others, especially when we choose to celebrate our unique similarities rather than focusing on our differences. Our cultures, traditions and heritage are all intertwined, and something to be proud of.
Those conversations about belonging, inclusion and celebrating diversity continued on Thursday 28 May, when Aneel Singh Bhopal and I were invited to be part of Reframing Diaspora Engagement for Community Futures in Ireland and Scotland, a collaboration between Maynooth University in Dublin and the Centre for Migration, Diaspora, Citizenship and Identity at the University of the West of Scotland.
The entire day was great and had representation from different groups including Scottish Government diaspora representatives, international relations representatives, lecturers, community leaders and NGO executives. It was interesting to listen to people's experiences and input, and despite the different demographics and organisations represented, the consensus was that community engagement with policymakers, terminology, and true meaningful and authentic representation is vital.
What struck me was how connected these discussions were. Whether we are speaking with young people about creating welcoming communities or engaging with academics, policymakers and community leaders about diaspora engagement, the message remains the same. People want to feel that they belong, that their experiences matter, and that they have a voice in shaping the communities and policies that affect them.
We cannot begin to be good global citizens if we are not creating spaces for people to influence policies that affect them on a daily basis.
What does true representation of the diaspora look like in your organisation, staff room and even within your decision-making team?
This stays much closer to your original wording and structure while creating a natural bridge between the two events.
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