FOCUS
ALL FOR ONE, AND ONE FOR ALL
Meetings understands why establishing an inclusive sector should be at the forefront of the MICE industry’s efforts.
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ticks in a bundle are unbreakable. Unity in diversity. The more, the merrier. All of these idiomatic references are commonly used but should also extend to our business objectives and be at the very heart of what we do.
EMPHASIS ON INCLUSIVITY Although there was already a global movement towards ‘inclusivity’, it is a word we have heard more over the past year than in previous times. The Covid-19 pandemic is one of the most
6 • MEETINGS l MAY/JUNE 2021
impactful disasters we have ever faced as a human race. Typically, disasters are defined by the number of people they have affected, and the Covid-19 crisis has had a devastating effect. For those who are considered as being marginalised, their suffering has only been further exacerbated because already-stifled opportunities have now been completely depleted in the wake of the economic fallout caused by the pandemic. To put this in perspective, according to a UN report on the impact of Covid-19 on women, 47 million women and girls have been pushed into extreme poverty. Inclusivity is a broad term – as it should be, because that is the thrust of what it means to have inclusive environments. It levels the playing field to ensure that those who are marginalised can access the same opportunities, and that each person and their contribution is based on what
value they bring, and not superficial traits such as physical appearance. In its truest sense, inclusivity knows no colour, creed, social standing or sexual preference. In a business context, inclusivity means that we can ensure everyone is accounted for across all facets of the operation – from encompassing target audience strategies, to successfully establishing a flourishing work environment that fosters a sense of belonging and purpose. In South Africa, we have come a long way from the very dark days of apartheid but we still have a distance to go before we are truly inclusive – both in the workplace and in our homes. “For inclusivity to play a role in the South African context, it is vitally important that we first redress the wrongs of the past, and ensure that transformation leads the drive towards inclusivity, so that the playing fields are first equalised before we can talk about inclusivity,” says John Arvanitakis, CEO and founder of Chat’r and a director at SAACI’s Johannesburg branch. If history has taught us anything, it is that the destructive nature of divisiveness leads to chaos, conflict and corruption. If left unchecked, it can give rise to human rights abuses that might take many generations to correct. In business terms,
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