Everyone is Included...All People, All Places, All Ways

Inclusion Quotes '08

"Diversity and inclusion in the workplace are essential business tools today."  Andy Wright, Vice President of Advertising, The New York Times "When you talk about diversity and inclusion, it really is just creating access to opportunity for those who have generally been under represented and underserved." Valerie E. Patton, Executive Director, St. Louis Business Diversity Initiative "If Americans define freedom as autonomy and mobility, Europeans concentrate on inclusivity. They feel free only when they see that others in their communities are free, too." Susan Schaefer "Diversity and Inclusiveness allows one to make a product or come to a decision that makes the most sense to most people." Teti Kamagunda, Kenya “African-American history is American history, black history is American history. The telling of American history must include everybody. We can never understand American history without understanding black history.” Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, Professor, Georgetown University "A successful coalition/collaboration must include all the stakeholders." BRENDA B. POLLAK "We believe climate change is an evolving issue, so if you position yourself in one position and are inflexible, you may not allow the circle to widen and include everyone." Koji Tsuruoka, Director General for Global Issues, Japan "A strategic investment in accessibility is not only sensible, it is a vital component of moving forward with an inclusive approach to be able to work with as many customers as possible to maximise reach, revenues and ultimately profits." Terry Golesworthy, President, The Customer Respect Group "Inclusion benefits everyone.” Liz Hammer "If we want change, we must include everybody in the process." Ann Itto, SPLM Deputy Secretary General of Southern Sector, Sudan "If you design for the young you exclude the old, but if you design for the old you include everyone." Glenn Miller, Director of Education and Research, Canadian Urban Development Institute “We must do everything possible to ensure that each one shares in the benefits of development. Development must be all inclusive.” Joe Baidoo-Ansah, Minister of Trade, Industry and President’s Special Initiatives, Ghana "In any multi-ethnic society inclusivity of all ethnic groups is vital to the country’s policy formulation and good governance." John Da Silva, Guyana "Inclusiveness is a hallmark of a mature and forward-looking institution and certainly of the pre-eminent urban university." Phil Evans, Director of Campus Grounds, San Francisco State University Radical Inclusion: We welcome and respect the stranger. No prerequisites exist for participation in our community, except for the acceptance of the community. Everyone is In. You are great -- you can relax from measuring yourself when you are with us. We don't spend time measuring you -- we want participation, not evaluation. Michigan Burning Man Principle "I believe that the principal objective of contemporary secularism must be the creation and maintenance of an open and inclusive society that recognises the importance of religious views to those who hold them and which respects the integrity and sincerity of religious communities in their quest for truth and purpose." Tom Frame, Director, St Mark's National Theological Centre, Australia "If the American theater seeks to be more inclusive and representative of our country's diverse population, we must learn to explore the classics of American theater through diverse perspectives to reveal new layers within them." Justin Emeka, Oberlin visiting assistant professor of theater and African American studies "In its best moments, America sings a song of inclusion, and, as one, we rock 'n' roll." Daryl H. Miller, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer "Inclusiveness is crucial to growing and sustaining successful community partnerships." Dr. Lawrence Potter Jr., Executive Director & Chief Diversity Officer, Office of Institutional Diversity, University of St. Thomas "An inclusive city is one that allows all residents to be their authentic selves and bring their full voice to the table." Carmen Ramirez “When we include, we break down fear.” Gary Warren "If you want to build a society, you must include everyone as a builder. If you contribute to something, you belong to it." Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the British Commonwealth "Tolerance is an essential ingredient in the only politics that can work--a politics which is a process of inclusion, not one of division." Donald Dal Maso, Musician, Writer "Stability is an outcome of inclusivity and open communication." The Pakistani American Leadership Center

"When a legislative body becomes more inclusive, the quality of public discourse can only gain." Teresa Ruiz, New Jersey State Senator "The historical consciousness, the cultural inheritance of Indigenous peoples and nationalities are needed to build an inclusive and just society.” Alberto Acosta, President, Constituent Assembly, Ecuador "Society must be inclusive in economic and political terms and sense of belonging must be generated for ensuring peace against extremism." Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, Bangladesh "The stark reality is that most poor people in the world still lack access to sustainable financial services, whether it is savings, credit or insurance. The great challenge before us is to address the constraints that exclude people from full participation in the financial sector. Together, we can and must build inclusive financial sectors that help people improve their lives." Kofi Annan “A culture of diversity and inclusion thrives when people with unique perspectives work together to achieve common goals.” Candice Barnhardt, Chief Diversity Officer, Nationwide "The knowledge economy isn't about digital elitism; rather it is about digital inclusion. The Information Society shouldn't exclude those already disadvantaged in society. It is about closing societal gaps and divides - gender, digital, rural / urban, poor / rich, formal / informal sector, first world / third world, etc." Jide Awe "We still tend to associate good leadership with those male qualities of being tough and strong where, in fact, being nurturing and inclusive and collaborative is just as effective, if not more." Fran Donaldson, President, Canadian Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs “Inclusive growth demands inclusive governance.” President Pratibha Devi Singh Patil, India "One should appreciate the differences and the universal similarities inherent in all religions. The feeling of exclusivity of one's own religion should not take place, rather a universal inclusivity and respect and understanding of other's religious beliefs should be, must be, the order of the day." Dr. Chandra Muzaffar, President, International Movement for a Just World "When a person with an intellectual disability can be recognized as an honored citizen, a role model, a person of dignity, a leader. It is significant of a new inclusive way of thinking that will help us all learn how we can share each other’s gifts and live better together.” Rick Jeffrey, President, Special Olympics Virginia "Globalization can (only) work if it is an inclusive globalization." British Prime Minister Gordon Brown “We need to include everyone; it’s the only way we can be a neighborhood.” Officer Jennifer Moulthrop, South Williamsport Police Department, Pennsylvania "While growth is important, it is also imperative that growth becomes more inclusive because if certain regions, sectors or groups of people are denied economic opportunities for long periods, the spread and sustainability of growth itself is threatened. Hence, growth, to be inclusive, must take into account the betterment of every section of society." Dr Anil Kumar Jain, Professor of Economics, Banaras Hindu University, India "Sport in general – and football in particular – is the driving engine of any integration and social inclusion." Albert Frieder, CEO, Plusport "If you want a strong society, it has to be inclusive. If you have to push a boulder up a hill, do you want 10 people or 100? If you weed out colour or gender, you get 10." CYNDI LAUPER, American singer-songwriter "Social and political inclusion and equality are necessary factors for building a stable and harmonious society and prosperous economy." Prashanta Dhakal, Canada Forum for Nepal, Ottawa, Canada “By failing to include all levels of literacy in the democratic process, we deprive people of being fully human, and we betray the democratic principles we hold dear.” Cheryl Stephens, Plain Language Wizardry, Vancouver, BC, Canada "We've got to change from within ... to expand the notion of beauty to include all people in the family of humanity." Tina Allen, Sculptor "A society that tolerates structural economic exclusion and inequality will ultimately fail. Our sustainability as a country depends on our commitment to building an inclusive, equitable economy that heals the scars of our racial legacy and gives everyone a fair chance to prosper." John Kimble, Author "Only inclusive development through empowerment can societies become strong. Only inclusive development through empowerment can we achieve lasting outcomes." Raja Dr Nazrin Shah, Crown Prince of Perak "As long as communities feel marginalized and victimized, terror will breed in ghettoes around the world. Inclusion and integration is the only way forward. Just to clarify, I am not saying we can hug terrorists and make them change. But we can change the hearts and minds of ordinary people and take away the breeding grounds." Deepa Krishnan, Mumbai Magic "Inclusiveness means all people coming to the center and participating in the center." Dr. Denise Askin, President's Advisory Council on Inclusiveness, Saint Anselm College

"Every church that extends a welcome to people of all sexual orientations and gender identities speaks prophetically to the community inside and outside the church, sending a clear message that God's inclusive love is for everyone." Rev. Ruth Garwood, National Religious Leadership Roundtable "Welcoming LGBT people is often a signal to prospective members that the church is progressive in other ways as well. These churches attract not only LGBT people, but also allies who are looking for an inclusive environment in which to raise their children. Once on a path of inclusion, churches also begin to examine their actions on other issues, expanding their understanding of the implications of the diversity of race, gender, economic class and physical ability." Rev. Ruth Garwood, National Religious Leadership Roundtable "Segmented killing and hatred will only stop when we enlarge our personal, national, and international circles of concern to include all six billion people on this planet: not just the white ones, Christian ones, American ones, female ones, or any ones. Simply put: every one." Cindy Sheehan "In an inclusive society, we should be advocating for everyone to have jobs." Joe Polito "Achieving an inclusive globalisation, one that can combine economic dynamism with social justice in a sustainable way for all is the key political challenge facing this generation of leaders and politicians." Gordon Brown "Our nations and peoples must invest in the politics of inclusion, of power sharing, of broad-based governance at the grassroots level, within a constitutional order." President Paul Kagame, Rwanda "We live in an era where inclusion of all sections of the population in economic development and especially in the financial markets is the need of the hour." Abdullah Al Shuraim, Chairman, Gulf Navigation Holding PJSC "If we are serious about higher and sustained economic growth, the development of entrepreneurs should include all races so that we can learn from and help one another." Abdul Milazi, Associate Editor of Business Times "Growth will be irrelevant if it excludes the poor." Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, India "Only through inclusive cooperation shall we be able to better serve the establishment of peace in the world and to better defend human rights, and the rights of nations, families, and those classes of society which are at-risk." Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians “The inclusion of children with disabilities is not a charitable act but a matter of rights. Empowering and enabling children makes them less vulnerable to violence, abuse and exploitation.” Nicholas Alipui, UNICEF Director of Programmes "Digital inclusion is a crucial enabler of economic regeneration and growth. Digital access can transform cities and communities, providing improved access to employment, education and health information. The internet can also help to combat isolation and increase a sense of community." Professor Dennis Kehoe, Advanced Internet Methods and Emergent Systems Centre, University of Liverpool "I think too often Christians have found their comfort zone in acts of charity, compassion and love, rather than the struggle for justice and the full inclusion of marginalized people." Rev. Mark S. Hanson, Presiding Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America "The history of the labor movement tells us that unions are at their strongest when they're most inclusive." Stuart Applebaum, Union Leader

"Political dialogue can only be meaningful if it is an inclusive process that involves all political forces." Foreign Minister Ilkka Kanerva, Finland "Our best hope towards fighting hatred and anti-Semitism begins with teaching our children to value a culture of acceptance and inclusion rather than one of hatred." Jonathan Bernstein, ADL Regional Director "If we are to live in an inclusive society, in which people are treated equally, we must all have respect for one another." Martin McGuinness “We must be the advocates of hope and challenge when barriers are imposed on individuals with disabilities restricting their access to a full and inclusive life.” Dan Snobl, Director of Physical Education and Disabled Student Services, Southwest Minnesota State University "We believe it is only in the authentic and inclusive hearing of all voices that our own authentic voice is fully formed and informed, and the promise of our democracy fulfilled." Alan Strachan, Ph.D. and Janet Coster, M.A. “Democratic and inclusive political systems around the world are a bulwark against the terrorist mantra of incompatible civilisations." British Foreign Secretary David Miliband “An inclusive community is one in which people feel a sense of belonging in the economic, social, political and cultural dimensions of that community." Trudy Beaulne, Executive Director of the Social Planning Council of Kitchener Waterloo "The reality is that we are all affected now by what happens in Asia or Latin America or Africa. And if we do not work across countries and continents to create a globalisation that is inclusive for all, then not only will the poorest of the world who lose out react to being excluded, but people in our own countries will feel - as many do today - victims not beneficiaries of the process of change - losers and not winners - and protectionist sentiment will gain ground." Gordon Brown "Through communication processes like recognition of different ideas, soliciting employees true 'points of view' and dealing with employees who are disrespecting diversity, we can create harmonious, inclusive and welcoming climates." Monique Brennan, Certified Human Resources Practitioner "Economic and social inclusion has always been the most powerful agent of change and builder of mutual trust." Maurice Greenberg, Chairman and CEO of C.V. Starr & Co. Inc. "America is getting better, getting more tolerant and inclusive of all people." U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison “Inclusion is the foundation of an academic community.” Mark Bandas, Dean of Students, Vanderbilt University “What would Jesus do? Knowing that he [accepted] people who were rejected by everybody else? That he talked to everybody regardless of whether there was a tradition [against it]? Any [religious] group that isn’t inclusive of all people is obviously judging them; and that’s not…what the Christian philosophy is all about.” Tina Seitz, Transgendered Woman "An organization's going to be successful only if you utilize everyone's talent to the fullest by being inclusive -- because you want the organization to be the best it can be." Gen. Marcia M. Anderson, Illinois Army Reserve "Governments can enhance growth by increasing inclusiveness. A country's most valuable resource is its people. So it is essential to ensure that everyone can live up to their potential, which requires educational opportunities for all." Joseph Stiglitz