Diversity within your organizations govenance level brings a level of competence, expertise necessary to carry the organization forward.

There are specific gains and advantages in bringing a fully diverse Board into the organization. Some of these benefits are the following: 

1. 1.    Diverse Boards bring added value and competence

Boards that come from diverse backgrounds such as age, ethinicity, religion, ability, educational attainment and socio-economic level have higher levels of understanding of the social realities that civic and voluntary organizations face on a day-to-day basis. They are keen to generating solutions to complex problems through creative appraisal and through their own exposure from their ethno-cultural or social environments that bring them to a variety of scenarios that will add a dimension to creative problem solving and collective decision-making process.

1. 2.    Diverse Boards expand the horizon

Organizations undergoing strategic planning or long-term organizational change management will benefit from a diverse set of Board directors. They provide the “eyes and ears” of the organization from the wider communities of practitioners and act as a strategic outreach to the expertise, experience and contacts the organization needs in order to achieve its strategic/business plan and projects. With the right combination of expertise in the Board, the organization will have the potential to ‘stretch’ itself to be flexible and viable especially during financial hardship and/or leadership/organizational crisis.

1. 3.    Diverse Boards challenge the status quo

Diverse boards bring to the table a variety of perspectives that may challenge the ‘usual’ way of doing and looking at issues. They are confident about their experiences, perspectives, and insights coming from their unique backgrounds and life/work experiences that will bring to bear in formulating new paradigms of practice and skills necessary to navigate governance and leadership issues as they arise.

1. 4.    Diverse Board is a commitment of the whole organization

The Executives and the members of the organization should endeavor to find the right mix of diversity within their Board at a given time. It takes conscientiously effort in bringing the combination of expertise, experience, and diverse backgrounds that will commplement the organizations’ capacity and ability to manage change in a sustainable way. The organization should be ready and able to embrace a diversifying set of governance leaders that are equally empowered to make change happen. This diversification can sometimes take years until its place is secured in the values and best practice of the organization.

For more information about Diversifying your Board, visit Maytree Foundations’ DiverseCity on Boards project website, click here

Reference: Maytree DiverseCity on Boards
Photo Credit: Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey

Good news to all Abbotsford residents.

 Last week of July’s news is all about the reduced crime rate of 45% in Abbotsford in the last five years. It is said that this is mainly attributed to introduction of comprehensive gang suppression strategy and the successful anti-gang education campaigns for youth and parents of Abbotsford Police Department.  Because of the 2008 and 2009 high rate of homicide statistics involving gang-related murders, Abbotsford was dubbed as the “murder capital of Canada.”  Now, it is reported that the homicide rate dropped dramatically in 2010 and has remained low.

 These efforts point to a critical area of the intervention against crime and hate- to the young people. The education campaigns of Abbotsford Police Department with the help of countless individuals and organizations have made a significant progress in combating crime and preventing future crimes. The community is clearly benefited from the absence of gangs and secret societies whose mission is to spread the mindset of hate, prejudice, anti-social lifestyle of crime and violence in our midst. Without crime and safety issues in our neighborhood,  the community prospers and everyone enjoys high quality of life.  

Not that the fight is over, but now that  these groups and their agenda are exposed and whole community are mobilized against these elements, there is stronger capacity for prevention and enforcement.  Abbotsford Police Department noted that this is a long term strategy that requires constant, concerted, and continued efforts on everyone’s part to keep our City safe and secure. 

Being proactive against hate and crime is empowering our community especiallly, the young people to actively respond appropriately to these issues.  Beyond “victimization” or just being a “bystander” they can be equipped by knowing the warning signs of gang behavior, the real agenda behind these groups, and the lifestyles they lead, and how they play out in the neighborhood, schools in particular and various pockets of the communitiy.

Don’t Buy In is an excellent resource program for youths to stand up against hate, bias, discrimination and crime. Based in Calgary, this program provides schools with skills development information and resources needed to support an environment that actively addresses issues of hate, bias, and discrimination. Presentations are offered to schools and youth groups including an interactive website for teens. Check out their website at www.dontbuyin.ca. 

For more information about gangbusting, visit:

 Abbotsford Police Department at www.abbypd.ca