The crux of diversity and inclusion is ensuring that there is a sense of belonging amongst all the individuals within a certain space in any given context.

This wisdom is shared by Dr Tinashe Ndoro, senior lecturer in the Department of Marketing Management and member of the EMS Diversity and Inclusion Committee. He looks at diversity from a holistic perspective, starting at family level and where we come from.

“I think the fact of the matter is that we're all different in any given setting, in any given context, there is even diversity in our families. We have different personalities. We have different ways of behaving. We have different outlooks. But families that flourish are families that enhance and embrace diversity, that respect each other for who they are, so everyone feels that they belong.”

He believes that if one looks at diversity from a holistic perspective, you can tackle a lot of issues related to inclusion because all of these issues are interlinked.

Diversity plays an important role in transformation if you acknowledge it and are mindful of it, he adds. “At the core of all of this is respect. Respecting means showing empathy. If I claim that I embrace diversity, but I do not fully respect or fully empathise, then I have not yet started embracing diversity.”

As a lecturer, he has experienced a lot of cultural diversity among his students, and many different lived experiences. Students come from different backgrounds and have to find their space in the university context. But in the end, most students have the same needs, he notes. They have the same goal of graduating and creating a future for themselves. That is something they share in their diversity.

Interestingly enough, diversity is not just about differences, but also about similarities, he adds.

“If you're trying to manage diversity, start by focusing on similarities. I've learned over the years that, for me to be able to embrace diversity, I need to understand and focus on the similarity that exists between me and the other. That similarity creates empathy. It allows me to interact with that person as a person.”

When he started interacting with people from different backgrounds, it enriched his outlook in life. “It enriched me as a person in the sense that it opened up my mind, and that open mind enabled me to have effective relationships.”

Ndoro believes that embracing diversity and inclusion is important for the betterment of others.

“For any given well-functioning society, people need to interact with each other across the board. Through interaction, you get good ideas. You learn. You grow. Diversity comes into play as a tool that can enhance effective, optimal interaction, which ultimately results in the greater good,” he concludes.