Colleagues,
Too frequently, our BAME colleagues, friends and students
encounter incidents of racism in their lives.
I want to make clear, both personally and on behalf of the Edinburgh
Napier community, we will do all we can as a University to address the scourge
of racism.
Edinburgh Napier is committed to diversity and inclusion in
its fullest sense. We will address racism directly through our actions in our
educational programs, our research and support for businesses, our policy advice
and development, our disciplinary practice and in our public engagement. We
will push for a society that is equitable and kind, where people do not have to
fear for their lives because of the colour of their skin, and where everyone
has the same opportunities to grow, thrive and enjoy their lives. And we will
be judged by our actions.
We've always been committed to equality and diversity and are
known as a friendly, supportive university. In recent years, we have made huge
improvements in terms of gender equality and in recognising and supporting our
LGBT+ community, for example. We will continue to work hard to ensure we do the
same for our student and staff BAME community – we have zero tolerance for discrimination
of any sort.
In the meantime, if you do suffer or witness discrimination
of any kind, please report this through our Report
and Support scheme. You can do this anonymously if you wish.
While we may at times feel despair at the tragic, hate-inspired,
events we have recently witnessed and struggle with how to root out and address
racism, I am certain that we can begin by being compassionate, supportive and
fully inclusive in our actions. As a University we are committed to an
intentional and unwavering effort to celebrate diversity and treat each other
with kindness, respect, collaboration and accountability, consistent with our
core value of inclusion.
I welcome any suggestions and feedback on what we could be
doing better - we understand culture change is a journey; please be assured
that our efforts continue.