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Oh dear. I was hoping not to respond to any more of these. My experience in political activism tells me the opposite. When calls are made for these types of initiatives, they don't CREATE divisions, they merely bring to the surface those that are already there, which your average white, straight person can blithely ignore till some stressed out minority person takes their courage in their hands and brings it to their attention. Once it is under everyone's noses nothing is ever the same again, which can be a very uncomfortable sensation for those whom the status quo suited. However, with goodwill and continuing work, something better than what was there before can result. I am from a different place, I'm a New Zealander and we tend to be more optimistic; I've seen good changes come from this sort of initiative, lets not give up on the chance of a truly inclusive society. I know people in London who live in areas where inclusive ethnic diversity is much closer to reality than it was 20 years ago; this is not a coincidence but thanks to the work of those brave souls who brought their troubles to the attention of those in charge. OK, I'll try and stop now. Sarah :-) Tom Roper wrote: > As a veteran of London Labour local authorities in the 1980s I think > there's a great deal of evidence that splitting up an organisation by > race, sex, etc etc ad infinitium, promotes the very sort of division and > discord that it claims to be against....so yes, I'm afraid historical > experience does makes me think that they are mutually exclusive. > But this sort of discussion surely should take place within the LA > structures, not on this list? There's the AGM this afternoon...that's > the place to raise this. > > Tom Roper, Head of RCVS Library and Information Service > Tel (library): +44 (0)20 7222 2021 > Direct line: +44 (0)20 7202 0721 > Fax: +44 (0)20 7222 2004 > E-mail: [log in to unmask] > Web site: http://www.rcvslibrary.org.uk > > -----Original Message----- > From: A. Nutton [mailto:[log in to unmask]] > Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2001 12:24 > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: Diverrsity Council > > > These discussions are not "plotting and scheming". This is a valid > > discussion relevant to the library profession as a whole, and it > concerns > > our responsibility as a profession within wider society. I for one > would > > like this profession to acknowledge and discuss these issues, and > LIS-LINK > > is a very valuable resource for achieving this. > > Thoroughly seconded! > > > > If LA members really want a "Diversity Council", so be it...I think > most > > > of us would be more interested in developing professional unity... > > You make it sound as though you feel the two are mutually exclusive aims > - > Is this what you intended, or an accident of the written word without > the > nuances of voice etc? > > I would hope that any such council would embrace an all encompassing > 'equal > opportunities' policy, covering all aspects of difference, not just a > limited list. Perhaps it would help if they made it explicit that their > remit was not limited to a fixed list of 'approved minorities'? The fact > that it may be possible for someone to 'disguise' their 'difference' > doesn't > make it right that they should have to. > > Alice Nutton > > Undergraduate Programme Librarian > University of Notre Dame London Centre > [log in to unmask] -- Ms. Sarah Currier Research Fellow INSPIRAL Project Centre for Digital Library Research Andersonian Library, University of Strathclyde 101 St. James Road, Glasgow G4 0NS United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)141 548 4586; Fax: +44 (0)141 548 2102 E-mail: [log in to unmask] Web: http://inspiral.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/