Affirmative Action: Implementing AA Principles in Program

Introduction

In 1978, The AFSC Board adopted the Affirmative Action Plan to call AFSC to action to challenge historical patterns of discrimination against four target groups. By establishing procedures to increase the involvement of people with disabilities, gay, lesbian and bisexual people, women and third world people in AFSC, the Board acted upon long-standing Quaker principles of equality, social justice and peace. They committed the organization to a long-term process to broaden its staff and committee membership and expand its work to reflect these broader interests. The Nationwide Affirmative Action Committee has led educational and monitoring efforts to track AFSC's progress in implementing the Plan while continuing to explore means to assist AFSC to grow in its understanding and support of diverse multicultural communities.

The AFSC Affirmative Action plan is designed to further the development of AFSC as a multicultural organization. The plan calls for involving and integrating people into the organization from four target groups: third world people, women, people with disabilities, and gay, lesbian, and bisexual people (GLB). The mechanics of the affirmative action plan are only one part of what needs to happen to create a community that is multicultural in all aspects of its work and functioning. The Plan is a means of addressing issues of racism, sexism, homophobia/heterosexism and ablism that are endemic in our society. The goal of the AA plan is to join in the struggle to guarantee equality, social justice and peace for people discriminated against because of race, gender, sexual orientation and disabilities. This is not to say that other injustices do not exist, but by focusing on these target groups and finding ways to promote full integration and involvement in the organization, we can work towards addressing all issues of difference and injustice.

This guide represents a next stage in AFSC's work to:

• build upon the Board's earlier action and intent
• incorporate AA principles in the life of its program activities
• contribute to our collective learning/understanding about the need to build on the work with target groups to a broader vision of diverse multicultural communities where members appreciate the interconnection of their struggles and the need to work together to advance our fundamental and historic Quaker principles - equality, social justice and peace.

Program work is a critical area for involvement of target groups, because if we do not take a comprehensive approach in our programs and organizing, it affects the level of diversity among volunteers, staff, and committee members, the content as well as the process of our program work and the way the organization is viewed by other organizations, activists and communities. Those designing and carrying out programs need to be aware of the whole spectrum of peoples in all the targeted groups and to involve as broad a range of people as possible. In program work, the way in which people are integrated is as important as the content of the programs. The increased awareness and sensitization across issue lines that results from work done with a multicultural lens is vital to our movement for peace and justice. This is not to mandate inclusion of all groups in all programs, but rather to encourage open and creative methods of designing and carrying out programs. Crucial to success in implementing the program portion of the plan is active learning about and understanding of social, economic and political conditions that affect communities represented by the target groups.

The AFSC Affirmative Action plan requires that AFSC diversify its approach to program through the inclusion of target group members in:

1. the development and priority setting decisions of program
2. the operation of program
3. devolvement and termination of programs

Ideally, through the process of inclusion of target group members in all of these areas, programs will be developed and implemented which are appropriate to the needs of the community in terms of both content and their cultural context.

Program Development

The program development process is very dependent on the questions of who is involved in the planning stages and how are they involved. The people involved, bringing their own individual and cultural experiences and perspectives, will ultimately determine what it is that is being planned, how it will be implemented and to whom it is targeted.

a. Who is involved?
If we are trying to develop a program to reach a certain population or to meet a certain need, we clearly need to involve people from that population or who have that need. Monitoring is one way that this happens. By monitoring our numbers in terms of quantifying who is on our committees from various target groups and by ensuring that work does not begin until we have sufficient numbers, we can start to ensure involvement. Some key questions to ask are:

• What are our affirmative action goals, i.e. how many people from target groups do we need before we move forward?
• Have we met our goals?
• Does the program demand greater participation than our goals call for?
• Are our goals being met in all areas of work, i.e. committee, volunteers, staff?
• Are we involving enough people in enough different ways?

b. The process of involving people from target groups
It is critical to involve people in programs who live in or have experience in various aspects of a particular community. It is also important to develop an understanding of some of the dynamics that already exist between people and organizations in a particular community or movement before starting to work there. Being specific with people about what you want from them and why is important. Tokenizing people is the critical pitfall to avoid here. Let people know that you want them involved because they bring something specific to the work, i.e. some particular experience, piece of knowledge, relationships. People do not want to be asked to be involved in something just because they are Third World or have a disability, they generally want to be asked because they have something to offer. Their membership in a target group will hopefully provide them with a perspective important to the work. Some key questions to ask here are:

• What are the involvements of our committee members outside of AFSC work? Do they have some experience that is relevant to their work with AFSC?
• Why are we asking each individual to be involved?
• Is our outreach broad enough within the target groups, i.e. do we have target group members representing diversity within that target group?
• What are the movements relevant to each target group and what organizations work with those movements?
• Have we found different ways for people to be involved?
• Are people from target groups actually participating or are they involved in name only?
• How have we involved the community at large in our process?

As much as possible, target group members should be involved from the development stage of any such project. It is best if this can be done through having representation on the program committee. However, needs assessments and other tools may also be used if representation on the program committee is inadequate or not possible It is sometimes true that a successful, long-term relationship is developed between AFSC and target group members by seeking involvement (but not necessarily immediate committee membership) of target group members. Unless trust has been established on both sides, bringing people onto committees with little or no prior experience with AFSC may result in feelings of tokenism and a short-lived involvement with AFSC. It is also important to remember that not all members of target groups are experts on or carry particular concern for how their target group is impacted by an issue. Individual talents and skills must be assessed and balanced in developing a functioning committee where the concerns of each target group are represented.

c. Program Balance
The third piece of program development with respect to affirmative action is looking at how the program that is being developed fits into the larger picture of AFSC work in the office, region and division. All regions and divisions as a whole should have some programs that consciously involve both the issues and people from more than one of the targeted groups. Factors to consider in developing program goals, objectives and activities are the demographics of the area, the results of the annual program balance survey for the region and/or division and what other programming is being done by other organizations. Some key questions to ask here are:

• Is the program under consideration relevant to the demographics of that geographic area?
• Does this program duplicate or overlap significantly with other AFSC programming or with programming being done by other organizations?
• What opportunities does the program offer to develop support in target groups and offer something to them?
• How does the program fit into the regional/divisional goals for programs?
• How does this program affect the affirmative action balance of this unit?

Program Operation

Outreach and program building should involve systematically thinking about and looking for opportunities to learn about how the particular program issue impacts people in each of the target groups. Although choices must be made about how to focus work, staff and/or committee of each program should be able to answer the questions, "How is our program issue relevant to each of the target groups?" and "What are the interconnections between target groups and how do they and can they relate to this program?" Without this awareness, it is impossible to make fully informed choices about where to focus program work.

Ways of learning about how target groups are impacted by issues include:

1. Get to know the organizations in your local area whose constituents are target group members. Ways of doing this type of outreach include:
   1. attending their events
   2. making an appointment to meet people from organizations and to share information about the work you each are doing
   3. inviting groups and individuals to your events, to be part of your coalitions, to be members of AFSC program committees, to volunteer with AFSC, etc.
   4. monitoring electronic/broadcast media including newspaper, magazines, TV, radio, online services
2. Attending conferences and events where target groups will be represented and will be talking about their perspectives on program issues. Make it a point to seek out and attend panels or talks which give target group perspectives on program issues at the conferences you attend, and make a special effort to take opportunities to learn more about target groups with which the program currently has little or no involvement.
3. Reading books and articles about each target group, especially those that relate to the particular program issue.

After you have developed some awareness, successful outreach is greatly aided by letting others know you are aware of their issues. Ways of doing this include:

1. Routinely including facts, stories and other relevant information that highlight the realities and concerns of all target groups in written materials and oral statements. In other words, let people know that your understanding goes deeper than simply including all target groups in a laundry list.
2. Use graphics or pictures in brochures, newsletters and other materials that depict members of target groups.
3. Make sure that press releases go to specific media outlets that serve target groups.

Sometimes programs have had particular difficulty involving members of one or two target groups. In these cases, program staff and committee should seriously consider focusing on specific issues and concerns of the target group in an upcoming project and building in time to develop relationships and credibility within the target community. This is a good way to accomplish program work and outreach at the same time. There are also a number of practical issues about program activities such as the who, what and where that can change the nature of relationships and perceptions of support for target group issues.

Program Accessibility

In planning the who, what, and where of a particular program, seemingly minor issues can make all the difference between inclusion and exclusion. Making a program accessible means paying attention to a wide range of details. For example, if you are developing a program on a particular international issue, don't assume that it bears no relation to the local work of GLB or disability groups. Find out what is happening in the region of focus with respect to those issues and involve activists from those communities in the planning. Also be aware of reactions to a particular speaker in communities that may not be targeted for that event. For example, if a speaker is talking about reproductive choice issues, they should also be aware of concerns that disability rights activists may have regarding selective abortions.

In planning the location for an event, there are a series of questions that should be asked as to whether it is culturally accessible as well as physically accessible. For example, are you trying to attract a predominantly African-American audience, yet holding the event in a Presbyterian church with very few African-American members. Other questions include:

• Are planning meetings held in wheelchair accessible locations and is this advertised?
• Do you have signers for the deaf and is this advertised?
• Does the organization whose meeting room you may be using have a good record on issues related to target groups?
• Is the space in a neighborhood or location where people from target groups will feel comfortable going?
• Is the location accessible to public transportation?
• Is the event affordable and comfortable for a multiclass audience?

Ultimately the most important question to ask in looking at program accessibility is: Are you willing to engage in dialogue about issues that don't seem directly related to the program you are working on and are you open to the possibility that they may be related after all? There is no substitute for taking the time and effort to learn about and build connections with people from each of the target groups. The process of increasing target group participation and program relevance is a gradual one. If persons from a particular community do not attend the first AFSC event they are invited to, this must not be regarded as a sign of defeat. There is likely to be some awkwardness and discomfort associated with including new communities in our events and work. Expect to make mistakes, but that doesn't mean you should stop trying. Remember however that you can really only make a certain number of mistakes before people will give up on you and the organization.

AFSC Resources

Program staff and committees should structure time and mechanisms for sharing with their colleagues in the same geographical area and with others doing similar issue work in other parts of AFSC to discuss what has and has not worked with regard to including members of each target group in program work. Such sharing might lead not only to enhanced individual efforts but also to increased collaboration among programs with regard to networking and strategies.

Programs should call on the Nationwide Affirmative Action Committee (NAAC) and the Affirmative Action Office for consultation about specific barriers faced in outreach and program building as well as with ideas and strategies that have worked well for you and which might benefit other programs. Regional Affirmative Action committees should also be asked to play a role in assisting programs with ideas and information to aid in outreach and program building.

Using Monitoring To Improve Program

The purpose of monitoring is to support program. To be useful, monitoring requires us to compare one program to another, compare this year to last year, acknowledge patterns, and make plans based on what we find. If we look beyond each program to a unit as a whole and ultimately to AFSC as a whole, we will see common problems and comparable gaps, and we will be able to develop cooperative strategies. There are several practices that make monitoring useful.

a. Use the monitoring tools.
There is an underlying assumption in AFSC's Affirmative Action Plan that program content and practice, as well as staffing and committee composition can be measured. The means AFSC is developing for examining program content is the Program Balance Survey.

1. Look at the state of each program in your region/division/unit.
2. Look at the state of the unit as a whole.
3. The National Affirmative Action Office looks at responses from all AFSC units to get a picture of the entire AFSC.

These pictures show us our strengths as well as our shortcomings, and allow us, both as a whole and as individual units to form goals in program content. While an individual program may notice areas where improvement is needed, the entire unit can set one group of goals that neither requires every program to reach the same goals in every target group nor allows the unit to lean on one or two programs to balance the unit.

b. Compare involvement or participants across program lines.

1. Look at each role, such as volunteers, and at the percentage of people in each target group who work with AFSC in this role. then look at your unit as a whole.
2. If the participation of a particular group decreases from one year to the next, you need to look for the cause of the change. Was a program whose constituency was primarily one of the target groups laid down, and was the unit's affirmative action profile discussed when this decision was made? Did programs stop doing some program activity that was attractive to a constituency and should this activity be resumed? If not, what other culturally appropriate activities can the program do that would also enhance the program work? Did something happen in the program work that made a certain group of people uncomfortable and cause them to leave? If so, what remedies can be taken to address the problem?
3. If there was no single cause, then you need to ask broader questions and look at patterns throughout your unit. Do discussions with constituents indicate that you need a support system for people in a particular group to help people stay with AFSC once they have become involved? Is the unit approaching people in target groups as individuals only or also as fellow activists in another movement? Was work with the new constituency the idea of only one committee or staff person and why didn't it become a permanent part of the work? Does the unit need help from others in AFSC? Do they need outside help?

c. Look at what is working and try to formalize it.
Many AFSC programs target one constituency which may or may not be an affirmative action group. Monitoring can show when a second constituency is developing within the primary one and when that second constituency is part of the affirmative action plan. A program focused on providing spiritual support for American Indians/Native Americans in prison may decide to shift its focus to women prisoners. A program that teaches non-violent direct action may begin regular joint work with a gay, lesbian, bisexual or AIDS/HIV group. A program on youth and the military may realize that Third World youth are the most affected by military spending and the most aggressively recruited for the armed forces. All of these things have happened in AFSC. Monitoring makes such changes obvious. The program and perhaps the affirmative action committee involved must then take steps to formalize the new relationship so that it becomes the ongoing concern and commitment of the program of the whole, rather than the personal commitment of one or two volunteers, committee or staff people.

d. Identify common needs: training, recruitment, and outreach
Monitoring also brings to light common needs across program lines or across units which then can be handled by the larger institution. Individual programs may not have the time or resources to address these needs, but the unit or AFSC as a whole can address the problem when it becomes clear that more than one program is experiencing the need.

For example, a farm labor program and a homeless program report that a significant part of their constituency has disabilities. Chosen for their organizing skills and their knowledge of agricultural labor and urban housing issues, the committee and staff find themselves lacking contacts and basic knowledge of disability movements, accessibility issues, and even good manners. This knowledge is crucial to the program work, but the because the questions are new to the organizers involved, the answers lie outside of their experience and support network.

The region's Executive and Affirmative Action committees now have the opportunity to organize resources to serve several programs at once.

e. Use the institution to meet common needs.
AFSC is an organization. Needs that arise among more than one program, problems faced by more than one person, are not individual needs and problems and ought to be addressed institutionally. A region or division can provide support that two programs might never mobilize together to obtain, even if they know they share a need, which they often don't. Someone in the institution needs to take the initiative. This is a good role for Affirmative Action committees which can work with more than one program to organize trainings, bring in resource people, and make new movement contacts. And because the solution is unit-wide, the knowledge can benefit other programs in the unit that have not been able to involve people in a given target group.

Program Devolvement and Termination

Devolvement is the process by which AFSC structures program to become independent and viable entities after a period of support which can include training, resource development and staffing. The goal of devolvement must be integral to the planning process when creating programs, not an after thought or an emergency measure. It should be realistic in its time frame. If a program is planned for ultimate devolvement, training within the community should begin at the outset and every effort should be made to guide projects toward independence in a timely manner.

Eventual devolvement of program should be incorporated into all AFSC work with the self determination of communities and programs being the foremost factor. Directly connected to a community's or program's readiness to proceed with program work is the effort AFSC places into training and resource development. The responsibility of AFSC is to work with participants to facilitate the goals and principles which are decided upon mutually at the outset of the project.

The AA Plan states that in planning and implementing programs special care should be taken to make realistic and mutually agreed upon plans for the life cycle of the program and for the time when AFSC responsibility for it will end or its commitment be reviewed. Program commitments made at the time of program design should not be altered without mutual consultation.

If target groups members are involved in the planning and implementation of programs as is the goal of the AA Plan, it can be expected that they also will be involved in termination of programs whether it is a part of the time line of the program or whether termination becomes necessary due to lack of funds or because of changing conditions. When termination is seen as part of the program design, checkpoints must be established so that the affected community is fully prepared for the program's end. When, on the other hand, a program is terminated earlier than planned for budgetary reasons, everything possible should be done to minimize disruption to the affected communities. The appropriate program committee, in consultation with the affected program staff, should discuss the impact of termination on the community and consider other agencies doing similar work with the same constituency who might take over one of the program's activities. The program committee and staff should present this discussion to the executive committee, along with a written work plan that facilitates the completion of work in progress and brings the program to a close in as orderly a manner as possible. The plan should also examine the feasibility of transferring constituents and crucial tasks to other AFSC programs or to other agencies.

The Executive Committee or national division committee should approve a workable termination plan and discuss the region's or division's program balance as it will appear after the program's termination. No program should be terminated without a comparison of the region's or division's program balance profile before the termination with the profile that will result from the termination.

Conclusion

This guide is intended to help you thread through the many and complex aspects of developing, operating and devolving programs which include and address the needs of the targeted groups in AFSC. This process of weaving a tapestry of interconnections between target groups, is a central part of living by our Quaker principles of social justice, equality and peace. If we could all develop the sensitivity and the commitment to "walk in the shoes of" and build community with the brothers and sisters who are different from ourselves, this guide would not be needed. That is our goal.

Revised by the Program subcommittee of the Nationwide Affirmative Action Committee. January, 1996.

Approved by the Nationwide Affirmative Action Committee on May 4, 1996.