Ubunto, Equality, Equity And What’s Lost In Translation

This is the idea that justice is not just about punishing wrongdoers, but about restoring relationships and repairing harm, for example, forgiveness for the ongoing African Holocaust.

Ubunto, Equality, Equity And What’s Lost In Translation

“Our community agrees that promoting truth justice and fairness takes priority”

In January 2023, BME Volunteers CIC wrote to 430 UK Public Authorities. Our findings unveil that there is a distinct lack of “by and for” (Black-Owned or Black–led) provisions for African and African Caribbean People' compared to other ethnicities.  As an ethnic group, we compare unfairly with regard to equitable access to adequate and appropriate public services, social spaces, and activities. Often, we are aggregated as Black or Brown to meet the equality act public sector duty by decision-makers. This often leads to feelings of loneliness and depression, which can have a significant impact on an individual's visible and invisible health.

Ubunto, Equality, Equity And What’s Lost In Translation.

 

What does it mean to you and what should it mean to the disability justice movement for change?

 

Equality and equity are two concepts that are often used interchangeably. But they have different meanings and implications for us.

 

Equality refers to treating everyone the same, regardless of their individual needs, wants or circumstances.

 

How do we measure equality qualitatively and quantitatively?

 

Measuring equality can be a complex task, as it involves assessing a wide range of factors that can vary depending on the context.

 

Here are some ways that our community can suggest the movement can work with us to measured equality both qualitatively and quantitatively:

 

Qualitative measures of equality:

 

  1. African and African Ancestry Perception surveys: These surveys ask people about their perceptions of equality in different areas, such as education, employment, and healthcare. This can provide insights into how people experience and perceive inequality in their daily lives.

 

  1. Case studies specific to Neurodiversity and Disability within our community: We offer both lived experience as well as case studies as service providers which can be used to examine specific instances of inequality and how they impact individuals or groups within and outside our communities in London. This can contribute to developing a more in-depth co-understanding of the complex factors that contribute to inequality.

 

  1. Coming Together: Our focus groups can be used to gather insights from specific groups of people, such as those disproportionately marginalised within our communities or people with complex and multiple disabilities. This can provide a more nuanced understanding of how different groups within the same ethnic community experience inequality.

  

We offer a Sounding Board for Quantitative measures of equality:

 

  1. Income and wealth distribution: Measuring income and wealth distribution can provide insights into how resources are distributed across different groups in society. This can help identify areas where inequality is most pronounced.

 

  1. Education and employment statistics: Measuring education and employment statistics, such as graduation rates and unemployment rates, can provide insights into how different groups are faring in these areas. This can help identify areas where inequality is most pronounced.

 

  1. Health outcomes: Measuring health outcomes, such as life expectancy and infant mortality rates, can provide insights into how different groups are faring in terms of health. This can help identify areas where inequality is most pronounced.

 

In summary, measuring equality requires a combination of qualitative and quantitative measures. By using a range of methods, we can gain a more comprehensive understanding of the complex factors that contribute to inequality and identify areas where action is needed to promote greater equality.

 

Equity, on the other hand, refers to treating people fairly by taking into account their individual needs, wants and circumstances.

 

Measuring equity can be a complex task, as it involves assessing a wide range of factors that can vary depending on the context. Here are some ways that equity can be measured both quantitatively and qualitatively:

 

Quantitative measures of equity:

 

  1. Distribution of resources amongst London’s Neurodivergent and Disabled Communities: Measuring the distribution of resources, such as income, education, and healthcare, can provide insights into how equitable resources are distributed across different groups in society and within our communities.

 

  1. Fair Access to Opportunities: Measuring access to opportunities, such as employment and education, can provide insights into how equitably opportunities are distributed across different groups in society.

 

  1. Fair Representation: Measuring representation, such as the number of women or people of colour in leadership positions, can provide insights into how equitably different groups are represented in different areas of society.

 

 

Qualitative suggestions to measure equity:

 

  1. Perception surveys specific to the community: These surveys ask people within the community about their perceptions of equity in different areas, such as inclusive education, fair employment, and accessible healthcare. This grows our knowledge and insights into how people experience and perceive equity in their daily lives.

 

  1. Case studies: Case studies can be used to examine specific instances of equity and how they impact individuals or groups. This can provide a more in-depth understanding of the complex factors that contribute to equity.

 

  1. Coming Together: Focus groups are a useful tool to gather insights from specific groups of people, or on specific topics (unlawful discrimination, discriminatory corruption, hate crime, domestic violence, organisational abuse, child abuse), disproportionately prevalent in parts of our communities or impacted by its prevalence outside of our communities.

 

This can provide a positive step forward to co-understanding how different groups within and outside our community's living environments experience equity.

 

To summarise, measuring equity requires a combination of quantitative and qualitative measures.

 

By using a range of methods, we learn a more comprehensive understanding of the complex factors that contribute to equity and identify areas where action is needed to promote greater equity.

 

How do we measure the degree of fairness in the equity model versus the equality model?

 

Measuring the degree of fairness in the equity model versus the equality model can be a complex task, as it involves assessing a wide range of factors that can vary depending on the context.

 

Here are some ways that we suggest the degree of fairness can be measured in both models:

 

Call To Action - A Dual or Hybrid Equality Model:

 

  1. Fair distribution of resources: Measuring the distribution of resources, such as income, turnover, education, and healthcare, health social capital, can provide insights into how equally resources are distributed across different groups in the disability justice movement.

 

  1. Fair access to opportunities: Measuring access to opportunities, high-level decision-makers (government and counterparty), funding, ‘private tender’ and education, can provide insights into how equally opportunities are distributed across different groups in the movement.

 

  1. Fair Representation: Measuring awareness and knowledge of the diversity of London’s African Ethnic and African Ancestry Neurodivergent and Disabled People’s organisations.

 

Analyse and address the quantity, risk profiles and capacities of “by and for” organisations or communities with Neurodivergent and or Disabled African or African Ancestry part of the movement.

 

Analyse and address the quantity, risk profiles and capacities of “by and for” organisations or communities with Neurodivergent and or Disabled African or African Ancestry not part of the movement.

 

Measure leadership roles (boards, trustees), justice infrastructure (Legal Aid, Mayor’s Office For Police And Crime, Metropolitan Police Service, Transport For London, All Party Parliamentary Groups,) Public and Voluntary sector commissioning, grant making, decision-making, affluential and influential positions, will help alert and develop insights into how equally different disabled and neurodivergent groups identifying as Africans or from African Ancestry have a fair voice and are represented in different areas of movement and civil society.

 

Call To Action - A Dual or Hybrid Equity Model:

 

  1. Fair distribution of resources: Measuring the distribution of resources, such as income, turnover, education, and healthcare, health social capital, can provide insights into how equitable resources are distributed across different groups in society.

 

  1. Fair Access to opportunities: Measuring access to opportunities, high-level decision-makers (government and counterparty), funding, ‘private tender’ and education, can provide insights into how equitably opportunities are distributed across different groups in society.

 

  1. Fair Representation: Measuring representation, such as the number of women or people of colour in leadership positions, can provide insights into how equitably different groups are represented in different areas of society.

 

  1. Impact on Neurodivergent and Disabled People identifying as African or from African ancestry communities: Measuring the impact of Non ‘by and for’ inclusive policies or legislations or systems on our community, will highlight gaps, raise awareness, enable learning, and provide deeper insights into how equitably our community is being accounted for and not being accounted for.

 

In both models, the degree of fairness can be measured by assessing how equally or equitably resources, opportunities, and representation are distributed across different groups within as well as outside our communities, the disability justice movement and civil society.

 

However, the equity model also considers the unique needs and circumstances of different groups and even within communities.

 

“In our view, this suggests it promotes a fairer fairness and minimises exposure to disparities.”

 

For example, if funders were to offer the same grant amount to all communities regardless of their needs, wants, responsibilities or experience, this would be an example of equality.

 

However, this approach could lead to inefficiencies, unfairness, and exploitation if some Neurodivergent and Disabled members of the community are doing more work or have more experience than others but are not being compensated accordingly.

 

Another branch of community concern would be that those being compensated compare disproportionately unfavourable to others in the same setting undertaking the same duties.

 

On the other hand, if the movement deploys the use of equity as a framework proposed in spaces where it is not, it could help drive the success of the movement and others after. This could involve offering larger grants for longer term periods to our communities with ‘by and for’ experience. It could resource ‘by and for’ capacity building and grantor status support to organisations, groups and networks within our London communities who may need it.

 

By doing so, our London communities ‘by and for’ will have fair access and inclusion to grant-making and grant-making systems of change or commissioning decision-makers that contribute to developing systems that authentically improve the quality of fairness and reduce the risk of exploitation; epistemological extractivist, bias and internalisations.

 

In summary, while both equality and equity are important concepts, using equity as a framework for equality can be more effective in reducing the risk of exploitation. By considering the individual needs and circumstances of each person, we can create a more just and equitable society.

 

However, conscientious of our holocaust and genocide, persecutions, decolonised history, lived experiences of discriminatory corruption, and enforced tolerance of Anti-African Racial Hierarchies and Anti-African Racial Profiling in systems for equitable change. This framework and standard is often more expensive, demanding, and complex to deliver in the real world and often tokenistic when applied to us unless co-delivered with us for us or by us for us.

 

Way Forward

 

By using a range of methods, we improve our communication, reasoning, comprehensive understanding, and appreciation of the degree of fairness offered in both models. We identify areas where action is needed to promote greater fairness.

 

When it comes to the risk of exploitation, using equity as a framework for equality can be more effective than using equality alone. This is because equality can sometimes lead to unintended consequences, such as perpetuating existing inequalities or ignoring the unique needs of certain individuals or groups.

Ubunto, Equality, Equity, The Disability Justice System and What is Lost In Translation?

 

Decolonise:

 

Ubuntu is a philosophy that originated in Africa and is based on the idea of interconnectedness and community.

It is a way of life that emphasizes the importance of treating others with respect, compassion, and fairness.

 

In the Ubuntu system, fairness is measured by how well individuals and communities are able to work together to achieve common goals. We explore how the Ubuntu system measures fairness and why it is an important concept in today's justice movements.

 

What does Ubunto mean to you?

 

The Ubuntu system is based on the idea that everyone has a role to play in communities and that each person's contribution is valuable.

 

In the Ubuntu system, fairness is not just about treating everyone equally or equitably, but about recognising and valuing the unique contributions that each person brings to the table.

 

How do we measure fairness in justice systems and movements?

 

One of the key ways that the Ubuntu system measures fairness is through the concept of "ubuntuism."

 

This is the idea that everyone and everything (‘living environment’) is interconnected and that each person's actions and lack of actions have an impact on the community as a whole.

 

In our community's Ubuntu system, fairness is measured by how well individuals, as well as the collective, are able to live up to this ideal of ubuntuism.

 

This means that individuals are expected to act in ways that benefit the community as a whole, rather than just themselves or their ethnicity in all environments.

 

Another way that we aim to apply the Ubuntu system is by measuring fairness through the concept of "ubuntu justice."

 

This is the idea that justice is not just about punishing wrongdoers, but about restoring relationships and repairing harm, for example, forgiveness for the ongoing African Holocaust.

 

In our community’s application of the system, fairness is measured by how well individuals and communities are able to come together and work together to nurture the environment, each other, resolve conflicts and restore relationships.

 

This means that individuals and organisations are expected to take responsibility for their actions and to work towards reconciliation and healing.

 

 

Ubuntu Economics

 

One example of how the Ubuntu system measures fairness can be seen in the concept of "ubuntu economics."

 

This is the idea that economic activity should be based on the principles of ubuntuism, rather than on individualism and competition (the invisible black backhand of Western capitalism).

 

In the Ubuntu system, fairness is measured by how well economic activity benefits the community as a whole, rather than just a few individuals. This means that economic activity should be focused on meeting the needs of the community, rather than on maximising profits or growing reserves.

 

Is it greedy to save for tomorrow when children are starving today?

 

Ubuntu Education

 

Another example of how the Ubuntu system measures fairness can be seen in the concept of "ubuntu education."

 

This is the idea that education within the movement should be focused on developing the whole person, rather than just their disability, or academic or professional achievements.

 

In our movement, fairness is measured by how well we educate ourselves and others within the movement on matters that concern or affect us to participate and contribute to London’s Disability Justice Movement fully and fairly.

 

This means that education and training for those delivering disability services and provisions to our communities should be focused on developing their skills (unlearning) and embracing by and for knowledge contributions relevant to the needs of our community foremost.

 

Accessibility, Inclusion and Diversity

 

In our view, diversity, access and inclusion in the movement of all is important.

 

Trust For London amongst others has taken the initiative.

 

It suggests a different way of thinking about fairness and social justice that is based on the needs of our community as a whole, rather than just on individualism, epistemological extractivism, and tokenisms.

How do we decolonise the Disability Justice Movement?

 

Unlearning is the process of letting go of old beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours that are no longer useful or accurate.

 

It is an important part of personal growth, and development, as well as social change.

 

We explore the research and data on unlearning, examining the evidence for its effectiveness and its implications for personal and social change.

 

Is unlearning essential for social change?

 

Research has shown that unlearning old beliefs and attitudes can lead to increased self-awareness, improved relationships, and greater life satisfaction. This suggests that as unlearning can be an important tool for personal growth and development. It can be an ally to the disability justice movement.

 

Black Majority Ethnicity accepts that unlearning is essential for social change.

 

Many of the beliefs and attitudes that need to be unlearned are deeply ingrained in our society and thus the movement, perpetuating systems of oppression and inequality.

 

In our view, unlearning these beliefs and attitudes is necessary for creating a more just and equitable disability justice movement and civil society.

 

Research has shown that unlearning can lead to increased empathy, reduced prejudice, and greater social awareness, suggesting that it can be an important tool for social change.

 

However, unlearning is a complex and challenging process.

 

Unlearning requires a willingness to challenge one's own beliefs and attitudes, as well as a commitment to ongoing re-education, learning and growth. It can be difficult to unlearn deeply ingrained beliefs and attitudes, and it often requires support from others, such as Black Majority Ethnicities Approved Database of Service Providers and Professionals; therapists, coaches, or mentors.

Call To Action

 

“None Of Us Is Stronger Than All Of Us. It Takes A Village To Make a Difference”

Help Us Improve The Quality Of Accessibility, Inclusion And Diversity:

 

  1. Decolonise Truth, Fairness, Justice, and Empathy: prioritise as core values, as our community consider prerequisites for unlearning and essential to providing decolonised movement and justice for all individuals and communities. Our hub allows practitioners and advocates to come together to better understand the needs and experiences of those we serve and to provide tailored collective support, resources, and a learning environment.

 

  1. Inclusivity: Applied and Measurable Inclusivity is another important core value for our community, as we work with diverse communities and individuals. By prioritising inclusivity, we try to ensure that all individuals feel welcome and valued and that their unique needs and experiences are taken into account.

 

  1. Integrity: Integrity is a crucial core value for our community. We enjoy honesty, transparency, and ethical behaviour in all interactions and operations that impact, involve or concern us.

 

 

  1. Collaboration: Collaboration is essential to achieving our goals, as the movement works with individuals, groups, communities, and other stakeholders. By prioritising collaboration and co-production, the movement can build strong partnerships and work together to achieve shared goals.

 

  1. Respect: Respect is another important core value for us, as it is essential to building strong relationships with individuals and communities. By prioritising respect, we ensure that all individuals are treated with dignity and that their voices are heard and fairly valued.

 

  1. Innovation: Innovation is important, but particularly for decolonising education, healing, and justice. We prioritise innovation in order to find new and creative ways to support individuals and communities and to address complex social issues.

 

  1. Accountability: Accountability is essential, but particularly in education, healing, and justice. We prioritise accountability in order to hold ourselves to account and to contribute to the movement and deliver high-quality services.

 

8. Empowerment: Empowerment is a crucial core value, as we work to support individuals and communities in achieving their goals and overcoming challenges. By prioritising empowerment, the movement can help individuals and communities to build their own capacity and to take control of their own lives and futures. 

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