The Racial Equality Project
The Racial Equality and Diversity Project is designed to
allow Catholic Charities agencies to examine their operations with an eye
towards equity in the agencies and in the communities that we serve. Catholic
Charities USA is mindful of the increasing diversity of the workforce and the
client population and stands ready to assist member agencies in addressing this
issue as strength. In addition, Catholic Charities USA is also keenly aware that
racism has not been eradicated and feels an obligation to examine racism and its
relationship to poverty and destruction of social structures. Vision
2000-Strategic Direction II specifically calls member agencies to build a more
inclusive Catholic Charities. The Racial Equality Project is the tool that will
assist member agencies to this goal both internally and in the communities we
serve.
Member agencies are given the opportunity to administer a
climate survey, designed by the National Service Center, to help them identify
those areas that may be barriers to an inclusive operation. The climate survey
examines hiring, retention, promotion, salary structure, performance evaluation,
and related areas. Once the results are analyzed, the National Service Center,
in cooperation with the agency, plans and designs training and other assistance
to assist the agency in addressing issues identified by the survey. Assistance
includes designing training programs, examining recruiting strategies, and
agency operational policies, hosting dialogues, etc. Training topics may include
community, authentic communication, inner healing, connection, fear, separation,
privilege, spiritual dimensions of equality, relationships, paradoxes in equity
and "what's at stake" in a diversity process.
To date, twenty-six agencies and the National Service
Center are a part of the project. Most of them have developed and are
implementing corrective plans to address issues raised in the first phase of the
project. In the coming year, ten additional agencies will join the project. The
National Service Center will gather data from all participating agencies to
determine what trends emerge from the groups and to determine how we can assist
agencies in attaining the goal of equity and inclusiveness in their operations.
We hope to replicate best practices. Once we have addressed the issues raised by
our internal process, we hope to empower communities to heal the racial divide.
The Racial Equality Project also focuses on collaborating
with national organizations working to eliminate invidious discrimination, thus
drawing on our collective strengths.
For additional information, please contact:
Dr. Bill Thompson, director, at:
bthompson@catholiccharitiesusa.org
(703)-549-1390, Ext. 119;
Rory Muhammad, research analyst,
rmuhammad@catholiccharitiesusa.org ;
(703)-549-1390 Ext. 144;
Virginia Meneses, senior administrative assistant,
vmeneses@catholiccharitiesusa.org ;
(703)-549-1390, Ext. 168
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