Principles for Inclusion

The following principles for inclusion provide a framework for the training processes of The National Conference for Community and Justice of Metropolitan St. Louis:

People are not born with prejudice.

Prejudice and bias are learned.

Devaluation and disempowerment are pre-conditions for teaching prejudice and creating and sustaining oppression.

Prejudice is learned and can be unlearned.

Privilege, recognized or not, is a social and economic benefit.

All people have prejudices, but not all people can enforce their prejudice through institutions and systems of power.

Discrimination is a real problem.

Guilt immobilizes. Our work is about issues, not blaming.

People need a safe place to work on these issues. We will work to build a constructive environment in which people can address difficult issues.

Diversity/difference is "a given" of our humanity; unity is possible only through valuing diversity and working for equity among all people.