By Ellie Haylund and Audrey Kingstrom
As HumanistsMN continues to grow and thrive, we want to ensure that we welcome and support all people, including those who are underrepresented or marginalized.
Toward that aim, the HMN Board has adopted a Statement of Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and voted to set up an advisory committee to explore ways we can be more inclusive in our programs, messaging, interpersonal relationships, volunteer activities, and community engagement.
Historically, HMN has not successfully engaged with people from marginalized populations in any meaningful way. We have heard that some people who attend our events do not feel valued, supported, or represented and hence they do not stay. This does not measure up to our humanist values and it’s vital that we address this shortcoming.
Though discussions around DEI have been happening within our organization for many years, some visitors and members have told us we need to strive more actively to provide a safe, equitable, and inclusive space.
Stating our values is only a start: they must be woven into programs and policies and demonstrated by our actions to be constructive. The DEI Committee will explore specific actions we can take to create a more inclusive community. It will review and recommend policies to the HMN Board that integrate DEI values into the basic functioning of our association. It will plan programming that gives our members opportunities to understand and explore their role in anti-racism, equity, and inclusion work.
The committee will also seek to connect with individuals from under-represented groups to learn about their experiences and how we can work together to advance humanist goals.
We believe this effort will strengthen our association and humanism itself, furthering our mission of promoting human flourishing. We owe it to our members, our community, and ourselves to ensure that HMN is a home for humanists of all identities.
If you would like to be a part of this initiative or have thoughts about how HMN can be more inclusive, please contact Audrey Kingstrom at audreyeco@icloud.com.
Ellie Haylund is president and Audrey Kingstrom program coordinator of HumanistsMN.
HMN Commits to Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
November 6, 2023
By Ellie Haylund and Audrey Kingstrom
As HumanistsMN continues to grow and thrive, we want to ensure that we welcome and support all people, including those who are underrepresented or marginalized.
Toward that aim, the HMN Board has adopted a Statement of Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and voted to set up an advisory committee to explore ways we can be more inclusive in our programs, messaging, interpersonal relationships, volunteer activities, and community engagement.
Historically, HMN has not successfully engaged with people from marginalized populations in any meaningful way. We have heard that some people who attend our events do not feel valued, supported, or represented and hence they do not stay. This does not measure up to our humanist values and it’s vital that we address this shortcoming.
Though discussions around DEI have been happening within our organization for many years, some visitors and members have told us we need to strive more actively to provide a safe, equitable, and inclusive space.
Stating our values is only a start: they must be woven into programs and policies and demonstrated by our actions to be constructive. The DEI Committee will explore specific actions we can take to create a more inclusive community. It will review and recommend policies to the HMN Board that integrate DEI values into the basic functioning of our association. It will plan programming that gives our members opportunities to understand and explore their role in anti-racism, equity, and inclusion work.
The committee will also seek to connect with individuals from under-represented groups to learn about their experiences and how we can work together to advance humanist goals.
We believe this effort will strengthen our association and humanism itself, furthering our mission of promoting human flourishing. We owe it to our members, our community, and ourselves to ensure that HMN is a home for humanists of all identities.
If you would like to be a part of this initiative or have thoughts about how HMN can be more inclusive, please contact Audrey Kingstrom at audreyeco@icloud.com.
Ellie Haylund is president and Audrey Kingstrom program coordinator of HumanistsMN.