Watch VSO ICS returned volunteer Takyiwa Danso's impassioned speech about achieving a diverse society we can be proud of, produced as part of Almeida Theatre's Figures of Speech project.
I was inspired to write this speech after a lengthy conversation with a friend discussing our experiences as youth representatives in different political and non-political spaces.
Sometimes we don’t feel we belong.
As we shared our stories, we realised we’d experienced the same challenges and frustrations of being the token voice.
We were tired of being 'that' person responsible for representing a part of their identity. I wrote this speech to show why real diversity isn’t just ticking a box.
A diverse workforce is crucial in building a strong team. People's different backgrounds and experiences encourage new perspectives to be shared.
In my experience volunteering and working within international development in the UK, I've been lucky enough to encounter many different types of people and organisations serving the different needs of marginalised groups.
But more needs to be done to ensure these marginalised people are actually in the room. To guarantee that they’re participating in life-changing conversations that affect them.
I hope you enjoy the video.
Takyiwa
