Cultural Connections

MAHUBE-OTWA has a robust, four-pronged Decolonization - Equity - Diversity - Inclusion (DEDI) strategy rooted in cultural humility - being humble about our own culture and the culture of others while being open to new ways of doing things and understanding that each person is impacted differently by historical and current events:

• Decolonization

  (“Multiple Ways of Knowing”) – shifts organizational practice from a regulative mindset to regulations being the foundation of innovation and moving the focus to effective collaboration, integration, and generative mental models. We focus on client strengths and assets with an abundance mindset, seek to reduce hierarchy in our organizational structure, increase focus on wellness/healing, and bring a Whole Family, Whole Agency, Whole Community approach to the work.

• Equity

  (“Outcomes Count”) – strives to address systemic inequity through advocacy for systems change, examining how agency finances are expended, and evaluating outcomes across difference. 

• Diversity  

  (“Count the People”) – ensures diverse voices are at the table from the planning stages to implementation and evaluation. In the past few years, MAHUBE-OTWA has increased the racial diversity of its Board from 11% to 33% racially diverse; increased the numbers of diverse directors, managers, coordinators; conducted focus groups and surveys with diverse clients; and added representation of diverse backgrounds to advisory committees. 

• Inclusion 

  (“The People Count”) – endeavors to address implicit bias to ensure diverse perspectives are carefully listened to and incorporated. Strategies to evaluate and improve inclusion: having three Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) Qualified Administrators on staff and making the IDI available to staff and organizational partners; using the Diamond Inclusiveness Assessment to assess policies, practices, and perceptions for inclusion, including utilizing focus groups, satisfaction surveys, and other input for continuous quality improvement.