CISV International and our global family of member associations and chapters, help our young participants develop to their full potential as future leaders and active global citizens – to make a difference in their communities and the world. CISVers are united by our mission: to educate and inspire action for a more just and peaceful world.
As educators and active global citizens, we must live our values and be fair, inclusive and just in how we treat each others; respecting our differences and the things we have in common.
Our differences of identity are what makes each one of us unique. Identities include (but are not exclusive to) race, age, ethnic origin, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, or abilities. In CISV, we recognise that the intersecting of these identities means that people within our family will experience different levels and types of discrimination and disadvantage, or privilege and advantage within CISV.
While we understand that everyone who participates in CISV was raised in differing environments, with differing beliefs, CISV must be an organisation where everyone feels that every part of them belongs here. Discrimination against anyone based on their identities, which often cause them to be marginalised within the wider world, does not align with our values and is unacceptable within CISV.
We want our organisation to be one where everyone feels that they belong for all of who they are.
We have listened to CISVers who tell us that this has not been, and is not always the case. In some instances, discriminatory behaviour has been tolerated and issues not acted upon. To rebuild trust, we know that this will be an ongoing effort to build on the positive work of CISVers who have started to improve what we do.
We commit to making sure that anyone who experiences racism or discrimination in our organisation can disclose it safely, confidentially and with the confidence that we will take it seriously and take appropriate action. We pledge to continue the long and hard work to become an anti-racist, Gender, Sexuality and Romantic diversity supporting, fully inclusive organisation, and to help create a just society in the communities in which we serve through:
Clear leadership. Our Governing Board has taken decisive action to improve our organisation and created an action plan for how we can better achieve diversity, equity, inclusion and justice within CISV. This action plan is supported by the work of existing CISV International working groups working on areas such as Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion; and Gender, Sexual and Romantic Diversity Inclusion Working Group.
A safe environment. On every level of CISV, we are further striving to make our organisation a safe environment for all volunteers, staff and participants, especially those with marginalised identities. We are doing this through reviewing the ways in which anyone can disclose discrimination that happens to them safely, confidentially and with the confidence that we will take it seriously and take appropriate action. We aim to lift up the voices of those traditionally oppressed, excluded or disadvantaged in society and give them the resources and tools they need to thrive in CISV.
Recruitment. We want to make sure that everyone who works with us, whether staff or volunteers, at International, association or chapter level:
- better reflects the diversity of the communities they work in
- upholds our values; and
- is committed to building a safe environment for our participants.
CISV International will provide the tools and training that our Chapters and Associations need to recruit fairly, assess and understand behavioural biases and the ongoing work that this needs to reduce the risk of causing harm to participants, volunteers and staff.
Programmes and activities. Through assessing and improving our training and educational content, we are making sure that the fun, educational content we provide is inclusive to all, upholds and furthers CISV’s beliefs and does not perpetuate further stereotypes and discrimination towards those with marginalised identities.
Individual accountability. An organisation is made up of the individuals within it. Each one of us who is involved in, participates in and believes in the peace education work we do can and should play their part. Change starts within each one of us. We must all be prepared to listen to each other, challenge our own and other’s behaviours and thinking to be the change we want to see.
“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” Rumi.
