Diversity, Equity and Protagonism: Overcoming Institutional Paralysis

Presenter: Niaz Khadem

Institutional support for DEI is in crisis. How can teachers and communities respond when educational institutions relinquish their responsibilities? The presentation offers an approach to grassroots, asset-based planning for DEI that sidesteps ineffective institutions and empowers individuals and communities to lead the way. Beyond a mere critique of DEI efforts that rely on institutional support, it presents actionable strategies that build agency and ownership among individuals, families and groups at the local level. Emphasis is placed on building on strength, consultation, prioritization, and pursuing our work in a learning mode. Not all hope is lost for our institutions however. The presentation introduces a concept of protagonism that sees individuals, communities and institutions as three protagonists that have the potential to work together for the common good. Drawing on the discourse on transformative institutions, it offers a vision of what is possible when relationships between the three protagonists are characterized by cooperation and mutual support.