Developing Across Differences: Moving Past The Past

Understanding and overcoming the roots of inequity and discrimination-based conflict

“I feel discriminated against. Help me.” “There are tensions in our team around racial issues; what should I as the group leader do?” “What are unconscious biases? And why should we even care?”

This course is for HR officers, consultants and other diversity professionals who seek answers to these and similar questions so that those they support can work together more effectively by addressing and overcoming racial, ethnic and other discriminatory tensions, inequities and conflicts that impact everyday interactions.

Why should you attend?

Join this course for contextual, historic insights about the origins of systematic discrimination and to gain practical skills that individuals in your organization — or those of your clients — can apply for more successful interactions with their fellow colleagues and other stakeholders.

Part 1 of this course will provide a contextual grounding on the topic by demonstrating how negative aspects of the past may be manifest in present-day behaviors and enabling structures. Using as an example Dutch involvement in the slave trade, we examine the historic roots of racial discrimination that is unequally visible to different members of our groups.

In Part 2, we examine how developing certain practical skills — perspective taking, using emotion regulation techniques, and offering/accepting genuine apologies — to acknowledge the past’s impact and move beyond it can help build better interpersonal dynamics and resolve conflicts or tensions to result in a more constructive environment.

Additional information

Practical information

Dates	9 July 2024
Location	Academy Building (Broerstraat 5) or Harmonie Building (Oude Kijk in Het Jatstraat 26)
Level	PhD/Postdoc/Practitioners May be appropriate for some MA students; contact the organisers for consultation about eligibility
Fees	€ 560 includes course and materials, optional evening programming
Academic coordinators	Dr. Anjana Singh & Dr. Nadine Binder
Contact	ic rug.nl or info iddifferences.org

Requirements

Participant profile

This course is for you if you are — or are helping those who are —

● Serving in a role that supporting colleagues’ professional development and wellbeing (e.g. HR, human capital, people)

● Implementing diversity and inclusion initiatives within an organisation and want to address (inter)personal changes needed within an organisation

● Providing training or on-the-job professional development opportunities to help colleagues better communicate and collaborate across diversity

Contact the organisers at ic rug.nl or info iddifferences.org if you have questions about the suitability of this course for your circumstances.

Level requirements

The DAD is for multipliers who help individuals, organizations and societies better recognize, appreciate and use differences as a way of better communicating, working and thriving together.

These are (in-house and external) trainers, educators, consultants, coaches, researchers, scholars, facilitators, HR staff, advanced-level (MA+) students, and professional development specialists with 5+ years of experience/study in the greater Differences field. Contact the organisers at ic rug.nl or info iddifferences.org for consultation about appropriateness and eligibility.

It is expected that the participants have a sufficient command of the English language to actively participate in the discussions and to present their own work in English.

Course schedule

Sunday, 7 July
15.00-18.00 Optional networking event

Monday, 8 July
09.00-17:30

Course approach

This course will blend cognitive discussions about key concepts and frameworks together with group discussions about challenges you currently face, plus Interactive Learning methods in which you will sample and consider how you might apply the knowledge and strategies gained in this course within your own contexts.

Learning outcomes

In this course, you will learn how to help yourself and those you work with so that you/they can better:

● Have a solid understanding of the historical underpinnings of racial, ethnic and other discriminatory practices.

● Appreciate and articulate ways in which negative aspects of legacy can be present in current interpersonal dynamics and interactions.

● Develop skills around perspective taking, holding space for uncomfortable questions and answers dialogues, using emotion regulation techniques, and offering/accepting genuine apologies in order to begin to move beyond the past to a more constructive future.

Workload

6 hours of in-class learning and active participation using experiential methods.

Upon successful completion of the programme, the Summer School offers a Certificate of Attendance that mentions the workload of 6 hours (28 hours corresponds to 1 ECTS). Students can apply for recognition of these credits to the relevant authorities in their home institutions, therefore the final decision on awarding credits is at the discretion of their home institutions. We will be happy to provide any necessary information that might be requested in addition to the certificate of attendance.

Application procedure

Deadline for application	Registration closes on 1 July 2024.
Date of selection	Within 72 hours following registration, you will be contacted directly by the organisers about your application.
Application	Participants submit payment and details about their interest at the link below (click the "Apply now!" button). They will be contacted directly by the organisers about their experience and the suitability of the course.

Apply now!

Please note that as all courses are subject to meeting minimum enrolments, the DAD team will confirm on or before 17 May 2024 that your course is taking place. We strongly advise you not to book non-refundable travel until you have received this confirmation. In all cases, refunds for courses are not available except in the case of course cancellation by the DAD organisers. In the case that your preferred course is cancelled, you are welcomed to enroll in an alternative course or request a refund. You will be notified on or before 17 May 2024 if the DAD course is cancelled. This policy is different from that of other University of Groningen Summer School and Language Centre courses. Full details are available on the Developing Across Differences (DAD) Learning Lab & Community Week Terms and Conditions page.

Last modified:

08 May 2024 11.52 a.m.