We need to decolonize the environment to better protect communities around the world!

For this reason, BE Initiative runs anti-racism training and offers diversity, equity and inclusion consulting to organizations, with a focus on groups working in the environmental and social sectors.

Our training is based on a re-learning of history and on clear identifications of patterns of racism in society. History is the first step in teaching anti-racism because we cannot understand today’s world fully grasp the level of misinformation in the history books.

Racism is also not about individual situations but systemic determinism. Human beings function as interconnected systems. We all tend to underestimate how much of our choices and perceptions are determined by our environment.

Our training allows learners to revisit what they believe about the world and to understand why racism is not something that any of us really chose intentionally. The training that we offer focuses on creating discussions amongst learners and we avoid prescribing what people should believe. Our goal is to leave the learners with more questions than answers so that they become curious about the topic and dive into their personal quest for understanding. By identifying patterns of racism, our learners will start recognizing automatism in their own behaviors.

Our training intentionally avoids using common terms and concepts that are commonplace in typical anti-racism training. For instance, we never really talk about white supremacy. However, we tell a larger story that most people have never heard. And from that point, we get people to re-examine what they have always believed about racism.

Organizational support

Our approach to BEI organizational support is to help organizations by decolonizing their thinking. We do this by training the leaders, as well as staff, to better understand how racial harm is embedded in typical business practices.

Racism is also not about individual situations but systemic determinism. Human beings function as interconnected systems. We all tend to underestimate how much of our choices and perceptions are determined by our environment.

Decolonization as a term is not well understood in society. All communities, black, white and brown need decolonizing.

There is a difference between teaching anti-racism and decolonizing minds. For instance, a Black person may not be racist against black people but because of the reality of colonized mindsets, they can end up denigrating their fellow community members as it is what society taught them to do. In that sense, decolonizing is not about race. It is mostly about unlearning the racial hierarchies and perceptions that society taught us since we were little. This starts by deconstructing ideas, and stereotypes and exposing the lies, how they were manufactured, and how they are being maintained.

To learn more about our decolonization training, contact us at ncharles@beinitiative.com.