8. Inclusive attitudes

The cheapest, friendliest, most important of all our everyday actions?

Here are some challenging quizzes and under-known facts about prejudice, racism and genocide.

'Bitesize' revision notes on the attitudes of Christianity, Islam and Judaism to prejudice and difference

Anti-racism & cultural diversity

  • ask people - their preferences re: personal care, language (including self-descriptors), religious practices
  • making links with local (or national...) black and ethnic minority organisations for issue-based advice, professional specialists from minority communities, networking...

One of the loveliest ways of finding out about other communities, whether on the other side of the street or the other side of the world is through 'twinning'. Of course the best-known form of twinning is between cities and towns, but why stop there? We can make links through:

  • organisations (companies, charities, leisure etc)
  • faith communities
  • schools
  • sports clubs

and nurture these through:

  • exchanges
  • writing
  • job swaps
  • professional advice

Offenders

A great way to challenge attitudes (including our own) about offenders is to arrange for a project to be undertaken by offenders who have been sentenced by the court and are being supervised by the probation service. (The specific court order is unfortunately called a community punishment order. Not exactly designed to enhance relationships between an offender and the local community by de-demonising the offender.) If your charity or community group, or even your kid's school, needs help with decorating, gardening, cooking, cleaning... get in touch with your local probation service. Here's what the London probation service say about community service by offenders.