2020, the syrup of nightmares though it may have been, brought with it one very important feature – online everything, including conferencing.
The results have varied; for many people, going back to the office will be the main goal of 2021, while others wonder how they have ever lived without it.
From the perspective of inclusion and diversity, however, online conferencing has been a wonderful change, and one that really can make a difference in the future as well.
If we have learned one thing in 2020 it was that diversity and inclusion break down the most when people from vastly differing financial backgrounds have to try and compete in unequal races for success. It really does matter where you come from and what options are presented to you; and just because there are many examples of people who, against all odds, manage to overcome those odds, we should not associate their enormous efforts and capability (and often a great deal of luck) with a fix-it for everyone. They are not the norm. They are an exception – brilliant and inspiring, perhaps, and a proof that almost anything can be possible, but they are one to a thousand, perhaps one to a million, of people whose situation is just slightly but fundamentally different… different enough that they cannot, in fact, overcome their specific situation.
Social, cultural and religious practices according to gender are one such situation that can prove too difficult for most, especially for women, to overcome (because women tend to be viewed as property, or less capable or only truly adult when they follow a very specific path to what their society considers personhood and social identity, and then it’s often too late and too complicated to start to try to battle for a career, or it becomes, again, unthinkable for different reasons). Finances are another, possibly even more crucially important, because while advances have been made and are constantly made even in the most rigid of cultures for human rights, the financial possibilities often remain bleak.
If I wanted to attend every conference that is in some way relevant for my work, I would have to travel a lot. And that means thousands of dollars or euros just for the travel itself… now add to that all other expenses, including any conference fees that might be forthcoming.
And yet, conferences remain a valuable source of connections – meeting people and being able to hear ideas that may spark your own are just two of the most important parts of the experience, with an extra addition of having been present.
Having been somewhere (usually at a specific time and place) plays a huge part in all human cultures. We judge others and adjudge them hierarchical place in our society by where they have been and whom with. This can be a pretty rigid process – we may consciously or subconsciously ascribe more value, importance and relevance to those who “have it”, i.e. who fit the specific boxes, than to those who don’t… and as it can take an enormous amount of money, as well as time (which is another difficult one to juggle especially for those who are working a day job while working towards a specific career goal otherwise), people who lack either or both will be automatically disadvantaged.
Now consider that minorities often already fall into disadvantage category, not only because they may come from less affluent backgrounds (eg due to racial background or immigrant status), but also because of specific socially ascribed traits (think racial profiling, gender bias, lgbt stereotypes). This can lead to invisible, but very effective, discrimination… and a side-effect is loss of unperceived and unknown talent that could have been.
2020, however horrible it turned out to be, offered us a glimpse of what we could do. And what we could do, if we are serious about changing our societies for good in terms of diversity and inclusion, is to not shelve the online conferencing function.
Consider this. Even if we return to in-person attendance, it should not be impossible to organise events so that online attendance is also possible. With perhaps a smaller fee, or no fee at all, these events could become more open to attendees of different backgrounds, from different parts of the world, who may be brilliant minds but would otherwise not have the option to attend the conference in person. Attending this way may also enlarge the number of conferences one person (even a more well-to-do one) can attend; the result should be better connections for everyone, but also a better flux of ideas, and better cross-disciplinary work.
Both are needed for the changes we are hoping to enact in our societies, worldwide; and the good part of this possibility is that it should arguably not be difficult (or even particularly expensive) to achieve.
What would it take to bring this plan into fruition?
Awareness is, in my opinion, the key to everything, in this case and otherwise; the next is comprehension of the value of the talent in potentia.
If we change our perception of value in people, from the value being people, with an added side of curiosity at what bright ideas they may have, instead of the old view of only paying attention to those who have already had a chance to prove themselves, often time and time again, we open ourselves, as a global society, to not only a world in which diversity and inclusion are no longer just empty phrases, but one in which potential is valuable and precious, and coming in all shapes and sizes.
Above all, this idea needs voices. Bringing a discussion into a larger audience takes people bothering to hear and to give a little of their time and attention to what needs to be done as well as how it can be done. In this case, all our efforts should centre on acknowledging the importance of accessibility in developing talent and advancing diversity and inclusion, and not let it stop there, but keep evolving it on our own platforms, through our own means, until we have succeeded in bringing about change.