Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

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Why is DEIB important to the UWC Thailand community?

UWC Thailand continually works towards directly addressing DEIB in pursuit of its mission through curriculum, community integration, values and hiring. UWC makes education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. Creating an inclusive, equitable and intentionally diverse community is at the heart of the UWC experience. The UWC values, and specifically those pertaining to International and Intercultural Understanding, Celebration of Difference, Mutual Responsibility and Respect, Personal Responsibility and Integrity and A Sense of Idealism, underscore the need for UWC Thailand to address DEIB in a meaningful and substantive way.

As an organisation, we are committed to being open-minded as we learn individually and together, acknowledging and addressing past or present mistakes so that we can build an inclusive community. We also acknowledge that as we work towards this goal, we need the continuous input and collective commitment of all UWC Thailand stakeholders both past and present.

How is Diversity, Equity and Inclusion implemented at UWC Thailand?

Our community practices Diversity, Equity and Inclusion by:

Beginning with kindness and compassion to self and to others.
Striving to educate and unite, rather than to label and divide, so that as an institution we focus on maintaining a space for learning and bridge-building to occur.
Participating in honest self-reflection and critical thinking in a supportive and caring community. All stakeholders have a role to play in addressing issues of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Creating a space that holds all instances of discrimination or exclusion accountable (i.e. those based on individual characteristics and circumstances such as nationality, national or ethnic origin, race, colour, caste, religion, beliefs, language, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family status, socio-economic background, genetic characteristics or disability).
Being courageous. Being an “upstander” and taking positive action is what is needed to build an inclusive community. Rather than aiming to be “not racist” or “not sexist”, we must be anti-racist, anti-sexist, etc. as we seek to make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future.
Respecting the rights of individuals and groups to hold different thoughts, views, beliefs, values, ideas and perspectives, but not tolerating these differences being expressed in a way that intimidates, humiliates or is hostile or degrading to others.
Building a shared sense of identity and community: having a clear sense of what it means to be a UWC Thailand community member and how we can each contribute to fostering a sense of belonging.

We want all of our students to:

Serve as leaders for promoting the values of diversity and equity amongst the study body.
Listen often, especially to people who hold different viewpoints.
Stand up against injustice if they may see it.
Speak out against acts or words that go against the values laid out in this guideline.
Practice introspection in their own actions, language, and approaches to foster self-awareness.
Celebrate diversity as a part of the UWC experience.
Foster positive relationships with each other, trusted adults, and themselves.

We want all of our faculty and staff to:

Serve as role models for promoting the values of diversity and equality.
Listen often, especially to people who hold different viewpoints.
Hold each other and students accountable to the UWC mission, our values and this guideline.
Explore diverse perspectives in curricula and approaches to pedagogy, weaving the values of DEIB into their disciplines.
Foster positive relationships with each other, students, and themselves.

Students Holding Flags at UWC Thailand International School

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