Anima Leadership believes in a compassionate approach to racial justice: that means making issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion more accessible and understandable to everyone. Join us on the Anima Blog as we journey with you from diversity basics to advanced belonging framed around pop culture, current events, and more.
Join Anima Leadership co-founder Shakil Choudhury in a discussion on challenging authoritarianism and the erosion of democratic institutuons.
How do we build the mass movements required to challenge this moment of democratic destruction by the forces represented by underlying Trump and other authoritarians—hyper-capitalism, white supremacy, misogyny, climate denial and other interlinking social injustices?
While there is no single solution to such enormous, multi-generational problems, a collaboration of North American activists co-led by Anima CVO Shakil Choudhury and author and elder Dr. Loretta Ross, have been reflecting honestly on our experiences of social activism over the last year, identifying both our strengths and weaknesses—of what has worked well to engage people as well as roadblocks that have limited our ability to “expand the tent” including cultures of callouts, cancelling, purity politics and perfectionism. Our belief is that pro-democracy forces cannot be marshalled into movements with real power unless progressives learn to “call in” the “persuadables”, that large mass of people who are open to justice ideals but feel silenced or repelled by some harsh, shame-and-blame practices that are too commonly practiced within activism.
The result is Just Compassion, a framework and set of practices to achieve social justice and human rights goals, using an ethos of love, fairness and forgiveness to get us there.
This special Anima Cafe shares our work to date, introducing the 8 principles of Just Compassion as well as a related practices social change makers can utilize whether they work in progressive organizations, justice initiatives or movement spaces. Please listen to this important session that provides a long-term strategy on achieving justice goals!
Join Anima Leadership co-founder Shakil Choudhury in a discussion on managing work teams in divisive times.
In an era unlike any other in the last half-century, organizational leaders are having to navigate incredible challenges brought about by the politically polarized climate. The onslaught of constant, unpredictable change—whether the targeting of immigration, the LGBTQ community, etc.— is causing sky-rocketing anxiety, confusion and fear across workplaces, eroding both capacity and trust on teams. This session will equip leaders with key skills and knowledge to care for employees and address their concerns in order for the work of your organization to continue. Combining principles of resilience and inclusion, this cafe supports leaders by helping them:
Enhance their tolerance for uncertainty.
Understand how psychological safety and resilience are linked;
Develop polarity management skills to deal with divisive issues.
Join Anima Leadership co-founder Annahid Dashtgard in a discussion on defining our scope of influence.
We are in a time where the pace of change is unprecedented and it’s hard to tune out the news because we’re inundated with everything all the time. How do we decide what to focus on, what our scope of influence is and work within the parameters our own nervous system can handle? Join Anima CEO and author Annahid Dashtgard as she walks us through how we can define our energy, work, informational and advocacy limits to maximize our impact and sustain ourselves over the long term.
Join Anima Leadership co-founder Shakil Choudhury in a immersive discussion on breaking down polarization in the workplace.
Conflict by its very nature emotionally divides, forcing us to “choose” sides…but then who looks after the Whole? Yet being “neutral” is not the answer as this only maintains the unjust status quo when we seek to fix systems that carry the stains of racism and sexism. In this free online Anima Cafe, we explore developing polarity management skills to move beyond either/or thinking. Anima co-founder, Shakil Choudhury, explores what it means to be a “de-polarized” leader, essential for the workplace which continues to be influenced by the political divisiveness from broader society.
Join Anima Leadership co-founder Shakil Choudhury in a immersive discussion on framing conversations around difficult topics.
While the psychological safety of employees is essential, a workplace is not a therapeutic space…and learning to hold the tension between personal-professional is a key leadership capacity.
This free podcast will explore the reasons why psychological safety is a critical factor for both well-being as well as performance, and strategies for leaders to nurture it on their teams. We also discuss its very real limits, as many leaders—especially in the not-for-profit context— inadvertently get their teams “stuck” in emotional quagmires because of an inability to draw healthy professional boundaries. Shakil Choudhury, will explore this critical but deeply misunderstood topic. This the first podcast in a fall Anima series entitled Tools for Compassion & Justice Leadership.
Join Anima Leadership co-founder Annahid Dashtgard in a immersive discussion on framing conversations around difficult topics.
Another way of thinking about the leader role is one who tells the best, most engaging, most believable, story. If we don’t tell it, others will, and usually it’s the most negative version.
This cafe with Anima CEO Annahid Dashtgard, offers a framework for framing our messages so they get heard and get buy in, especially important in fostering trust in today’s diverse and increasingly polarized environments.
Join Anima Leadership co-founder Shakil Choudhury in a conversation on how to use a system-thinking approach to politic-proof your EDI efforts.
In an era of increasing political volatility, anti-EDI forces have been using social media and legal levers to successfully push back on progressive policies designed to advance historically excluded groups in both the US and Canada.
This cafe explores ways that leaders can politic-proof an organization’s EDI efforts by adopting a systems-thinking approach and de-compartmentalizing EDI by borrowing strategies to improve performance from other parts of the business. In doing so, leaders can limit their organization’s exposure to critics while supporting social justice goals.
Join Anima Leadership co-founder Shakil Choudhury in a conversation about navigating conflict and polarizing global events as a leader.
This cafe explores factors for organizational leaders to consider when real world events explode into the workplace whether it’s the climate crisis, the murder of George Floyd or Israel-Palestine. How and when do you decide to lean into an issue and when do you not? How do leaders balance competing factors including psychological safety of employees, organizational values and missions, finances, and the needs of stakeholders? While there are never any easy answers, this cafe helps identify key questions and issues their teams need to map out when responding to external crises and global events.
Join Anima Leadership co-founder Annahid Dashtgard in a conversation about finding purpose and joy in equity work.
What does it mean to work towards justice, inclusion, belonging and equal rights in this time where these topics are more and more polarizing?
Instead of being guided by clear analysis and data, equity efforts are increasingly being determined by whose opinion is loudest. Many of us are overwhelmed and exhausted in addition to having our own skin in the game, and unsure how best to proceed.
This session is a reminder and a reset of why it’s especially important in times such as these to stay connected to purpose and reclaim our joy.
We recommend reading the article: “Use Purpose to Transform Your Workplace,” Harvard Business Review (2022)
Join Anima Leadership co-founder Shakil Choudhury in conversation with educator, therapist, facilitator and author Dawn Menken.
If there’s one way to describe our current political landscape, it’s polarized. As both sides seem to pull further and further apart, how can we drive action across differences through inclusive leadership training? How can we create the connections and relationships we need to make change? And how can we empower bridge builders to lead us towards a more inclusive future?
Join Anima Leadership co-founder Shakil Choudhury in conversation with educator, therapist, facilitator and author Dawn Menken. Dawn has been working in the field of psychology and facilitator development for over 35 years and has written multiple books focused on improving social discourse and inspiring more meaningful civic engagement. Her latest book Facilitating a More Perfect Union: A Guide for Politicians and Leaders offers practical tips to anyone stepping into a leadership position, and has been read by politicians, government administration and other leaders from around the world.
This Café podcast is perfect for anyone looking to become a more inclusive leader, especially in situations where polarization is becoming more and more powerful. With more than 50 years of experience between them come and get ready to listen to a lively conversation about marginalization, connection, engagement and inclusion.
Develop your conflict competence, enroll in our Brave Conversations course in ourBrave Conversations course.
It seems as though there is more awareness about the need for DEI as student and staff demographics shift while gaps in learning access and opportunity become more widely known. Yet at the same time, we are in a moment in the education system as well as broader society, where we are experiencing a backlash to the recognition that some groups experience unfair barriers:
The pushback against “woke” content in educational institutions and workplaces;
The banning of books and even language supporting gay, trans and racialized stories;
The US Supreme court undoing affirmative action programs and other equity policies;
The discrediting of any equity education after the recent suicide of a Toronto principal.
It’s easy in times such as this to step back and shut up: essentially, to avoid upsetting the status quo. But if we wish education to be equally accessible to ALL students, now is the time that our efforts toward equity are needed more than ever. Here are three steps any teacher can take to tangibly support efforts toward more representative, accessible and inclusive schools.
Represent all of your students
Collect data, don’t assume. Send out a survey (or get your principal to) asking students or their guardians to share (if they choose) their culture, holidays celebrated, family members and racial/ ethnic identity…or better yet, complete an organizational audit to make sure you can collect and consider this information over the long term. With this information you can adapt curriculum, use inclusive language and represent student identities often rendered invisible.
For example: if you know you have two Muslim identifying students in the class, wish them Eid Mubarak, ask them if they would like a space to pray during Ramadan, and/ or share about the Eid holiday in class (perhaps a family member might like to come in).
Initiate conversations with colleagues
Change happens one conversation at a time, eventually accumulating in a tipping point moment. Suggest trans, Black, Muslim or other marginalized identity speakers for professional development days. Host a book discussion series with books like Deep Diversity: A Compassionate Scientific Approach to Achieving Racial Equity which break down systemic discrimination into easily understood chunks.
Use challenging moments as case studies to discuss and learn from collectively. For example, if the n-word is used by a couple of students in the school, discuss as a staff what can be done to address it within the school culture as a whole. All words and behaviour happen in context.
Normalize mistake-making
As educators, we know that any learning process has to involve practice and that making mistakes is a necessary part of the process. Think about teaching algebra to students for the first time! The same applies to learning about students and colleagues who occupy an identity we are less familiar with. We will say and do awkward things, we may put our foot in our mouths, we may misstep—we need to be accountable for ways we could have done better, and then we need to let it go. Creating inclusion should feel inclusive not like a prison we fear being locked into. Compassion is the underpinning of all sustainable change.
What do I do next?
We know that change isn’t predestined: it’s a choice. An inclusive future is one where all students—not just those who are well-off, white and culturally Christian—have equal access to belonging, learning and success (in exactly that order). But teachers don’t have to become DEI leaders on their own.
Anima Leadership has over 15 years of experience working to help schools and other educational become more diverse, inclusive and equitable—and we can help you too.
As a seasoned change-maker and non-fiction author, Annahid has worked with hundreds of organizations and leaders to create more just and equitable futures. She’s a first generation immigrant woman of colour whose inaugural book—Breaking the Ocean: A Memoir of Race, Rebellion and Reconciliation documents her journey identifying and healing from racial trauma. Her latest book Bones of Belonging: Finding Wholeness in a White World is a set of poignant, humorous and timely stories translating everyday racism to ordinary life.
Annahid has a Masters in Adult Education and has trained in various psychological modalities to understand the root of systems change in human consciousness. She has spend more than two decades consulting, educating, coaching and writing on EDI (equity, diversity and inclusion) issues across both public and private sectors.
Join Annahid Dashtgard, and Emma Lind for a conversation about the Leader Labs and some important takeaways and secrets challenges when addressing race and equity issues.
How do we avoid jumping to conclusions with each other? When is it important to listen versus hold our ground? What does it look like to step into uncomfortable conversations in order to advance equity in our organizations?
BIPOC Leader Lab creator and host Annahid Dashtgard and EDI Lab for White Leaders host Emma Lind discuss the secret challenges and strategies of addressing race and equity issues from the unique perspective of both BIPOC and white leaders. Drawing on lessons learned from the 2023 Leader Labs—one-of-a-kind cohorts bringing together equity leaders from around the world—Annahid and Emma will share impactful and applicable tips and tactics for transforming your own leadership practice.
This Café podcast is perfect for leaders of all identities looking to find a community of other leaders interested in creating a more inclusive and equitable future…with some expert support along the way. Listen now to hear how you can step into greater equity literacy—whatever your racial identity—to help bridge rather than break in these turbulent times.
Listen to this podcast to learn more about this essential reframing of equity, diversity and inclusion work and how to apply it to your own leadership development.
Our vision is to create a world where everyone matters and belongs. Sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter for JEDI resources, upcoming courses, events and more.
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