The Impact of Diversity from a Peculiar Perspective

one

two three four

five if i were to ask you to point out

the simplest similarity

between number three and number five

what’s the first thing that comes to

your mind

i know the first thing that comes to my

mind they’re black

and so am i good evening everyone my

name

is amani kaya and today i’ll be

discussing

about the impact of diversity

now you’re probably wondering to

yourself right now amani

what was the point of having those

images as your introduction

well let me explain in recent times when

i

or maybe yourself hear or see stories

about black people in the news

and interacting with other racial groups

were often flustered with the negative

experiences

bestowed upon them rarely have i or

maybe yourself

heard or seen a person of color discuss

about the positive

admirable and desirable experiences that

they’ve gained

while being black this got me to wonder

as to why this is and after much thought

and reflection i realized a substantial

factor

something that a lot of us in this dream

have been exposed to but a lot of

communities

are lacking diversity see nine years ago

when i first took a flight from

kenya a country which was largely the

majority to thailand

i became a minority it didn’t take much

intelligence

for my seven-year-old self to realize

that there had been a huge

cultural shift i remember my first day

here at isb

standing out for the panther looking

around and thinking

wow there are a lot of foreigners in

this place coming from a predominantly

black

school in kenya the sublime relationship

between students

regardless of their race or ethnicity

was in short fascinating to me

previously feeling like a black sheep

amongst a flock

when i first arrived at isb isp made me

feel

like a black sheep amongst a colorful

flock everyone

different everyone unique but everyone

accepting see when looking at the

factors that make diversity

so significant inclusion and belonging

are substantial diversity

is having a seat at the table inclusion

is having a voice let me say that one

more time so the older folks like my

parents

can hear that more clearly diversity is

having a seat

at the table inclusion is having a voice

from the moment i stepped on

to my classroom for the first time to

the moment i used the bathroom for the

first time

i was met with openness and welcome from

the peers

around me i felt included

according to researchers at dartmouth

university

uh kind actions not only create

positivity

but can alter the perception in which

one has towards another group of people

or in my experience the kind action

bestowed upon me by my peers

altered the perception i had for certain

racial

racial and ethnic groups needless to say

it was a shock when i found out that an

asian and a white boy

can not only run faster than me but jump

higher than me as well

but here at isb we’re different our

sense of belonging

derives from the fact that we are taught

to value others despite of the way they

look

we are taught to have an open mind we

are

taught to see diversity as an

opportunity

as i mentioned previously diversity is

having a seat at the table

inclusion is having a voice therefore

belonging

is having that voice be heard belonging

is a social support and acceptance that

one gains

from being a part of a group belonging

is one of the greatest struggles amongst

teenagers in a current

modern day and age

in a book written by carla shalaby

troublemakers she addresses

through her experience of being an

educator the flaws and trying to force

all students to conform to the societal

behavioral norms

set forth by not only their peers

but the school systems as well but here

at isb we’re different our sense of

belonging here

derives from the fact that we are taught

to value others despite the way they

look we are taught

to see diversity as an opportunity and

we are taught

to see diversity as not only an

opportunity but a privilege

as well dr kenneth of stanford explained

belonging is as much of a huma

as a need as food and shelter for we are

limited without the social support

of others especially when the different

ideas from our own

if it’s one thing that diversity has

taught me is to be a more critical

thinker

not only when interacting with others

but to be more critical and thoughtful

person when coming to my academics

seeing more than just meets the eye not

only with my academics but with people

as well

a smart man by malcolm forbes once said

diversity

is the art of thinking independently

together diversity of god allows us to

see a new standpoint into a situation

be more creative and crucial in creating

beneficial change

for society mahatma gandhi stated our

ability to reach unity and diversity

will be the beauty and the test

of our civilization the ability not to

judge one simply based on the

stereotypes you hear

the things we see but rather of the

experiences we generate

is a key component in which diversity

has taught me

i dare say that if diversity

could be spread amongst communities all

over the world those appalling stories

we read regarding racial injustices may

decrease

as people will start developing better

relationships

with one another and become more

comfortable with each other

in the survey conducted by gallup

analytics we surveyed over 155 000

individuals in 146 countries

asking them a rather odd but simple

question

have you helped a stranger recently and

what was found was that the individuals

from a more diverse community were more

likely to report

of having a stranger than those who are

not

showing diversity can create trust

diversity can create generosity

and more importantly diversity can

create a better sense

of community as we move

forward with our lives i challenge that

you seek diversity through a sense of

inclusion

and belonging knowing full well that

adversity may come no matter if you’re

black

white or asian now i can’t promise

that the world will be a welcoming a

place as isb

has been to me not many people have

grown up in an environment

that sees different perspectives as a

privilege or diversity

as an opportunity we are in

a special place but we you

and i can be the change we wish to seek

in our world by carrying forward the

values

we’ve learned that difference is

good that diversity leads to new ways of

thinking

that we are all

human and if our population can live in

unity

then better relationships and

individuals could be developed

as our strengths lie in our differences

not similarities so go

and grow together

thank you