Diversity Day | Fear for increasing resistance to societal diversity

Especially nationwide, both diversity officers see resistance to international students, “wokism” and other developments critical of diversity. Worrying, according to project leader Akachar, because diversity policy is essential to protect disadvantaged groups, which she says are already under threat. “If you don’t take diversity policy seriously, you quickly end up with a university for the privileged. The core task of a university is precisely to make education accessible to everyone.”
 
Diversity at the UvA
In 2016, the UvA diversity survey Diversity is a verb was published, conducted under the direction of anthropologist Gloria Wekker. In it, 62 per cent of the UvA community said they expected a more diverse university. Only 13 per cent of first-year students at UvA were found to be of non-western origin, while at the same time 51 per cent of 18-year-olds in Amsterdam were of non-western origin. One of the recommendations arising from the critical report was the appointment of diversity officers at central and faculty level. They were to start overseeing more diversity among students and staff.
 
In 2019, the Executive Board (BoG) adopted the Diversity Memorandum, which laid down the objectives of the diversity policy. Keestra sees a positive development in the embrace of that policy: “Every two years, an external consultant spoke to stakeholders, policy staff and the like about that memorandum. In 2021, she usually still had to answer the question: ‘Well, why diversity in the first place?’ But in 2023, she no longer had to have that conversation. So more people at the university now have the belief that it is useful that we pay attention to diversity.”

The diversity paper set out four goals: accessibility to, collaboration with, employment of and encouragement of initiatives for people from diverse backgrounds. In recent years, therefore, the UvA - despite its secular nature - has also started to pay attention to providing space for students and staff from different religious and cultural backgrounds. “For example, there are now quiet rooms on every campus, some of which were set up with input from the diversity office,” Keestra explains. “In addition, the diversity officers have for several years organised celebrations for people of different cultures, such as Iftar, Hanukkah and Keti Koti, in order to strengthen mutual solidarity. We also encourage contact with various networks with, for example, UvA Pride and Women in Science, and target first-generation students with a migration background with a specific programme in the entrance week.”  According to Keestra, this is now contributing to a “sense of home” for students from diverse backgrounds.
 
In contrast to resistance from the right side of the political spectrum, Keestra sees that the CvB itself does recognise that, as he puts it, “the representation of the population among students and staff is very poor, lagging tremendously behind”. Research also suffers as a result, says Keestra. “Consider the classic example that medical research has lagged behind for decades because it used far fewer female subjects. So there are legion examples of failed research because of the lack of attention to minorities.' Yet Akachar notes that even within the research world, such as the university, diversity policies are often seen precisely as a ‘nice-to-have’ rather than a ‘need-to-have.’ Therefore, diversity policy may well be made one of the first casualties of budget cuts.”
 
Israel-Palestine
Added to this is the fact that with the pro-Palestinian occupations since the war in Gaza, there is also additional pressure on the diversity office. Pro-Palestine demonstrators called on the CDO to speak out in favour of a boycott of Israeli institutions. “They felt that a diversity officer concerned with diversity and community engagement should also speak out against Israel.” Keestra refused. “With geopolitics I specifically do not engage. Then by definition I alienate part of our students and staff. My function is precisely to ensure that, as a pluralistic, academic community, we can continue to understand each other in the classroom, the office and the lecture hall, regardless of our views.”

Indeed, Jewish students also address the Diversity Office. “They ask me if I can’t make sure the UvA is a safe environment for everyone,” Keestra explains. Thus, the CDO organised Campus Dialogues where students-who felt unsafe, unheard or otherwise-could share their personal feelings, and in cooperation with the confidants, the National Coordinator of Anti-Semitism was invited. Keestra: “But yes, I'm not in all those classrooms. And the emotions involved in the conflict in Gaza, so long-lasting and so intense, that also took us a bit by surprise.”
 
‘Safe spaces’
A completely safe environment within the university, without ‘triggers’ or occasional unsafe feelings, cannot be provided by the Diversity Office, says Keestra. “Of course, the university is a place where debate and differences of opinion are precisely important: things are certainly allowed to rub off in the process. But sometimes, as a lecturer or researcher, for instance, you also want to be able to discuss sensitive, personal things, for which you then sometimes create a ‘safe space’. For example, at the meeting of a Palestinian and Jewish activist with students last Wednesday, I sent an e-mail in advance with a set of rules for a safe environment.”
 
The assertion that the university as a safe space would be at odds with academic freedom and needed confrontation met with criticism from the previous CDO De Graaf. She stepped down in 2021 after criticism. “We certainly need to reflect on how we treat each other as individuals and integrate that into education,” Keestra argues, “but it is absolutely not the case that we want to transform the entire university by doing so.”

Overdue
Interestingly, the 1 October event did not feature any speakers who were highly critical of the presence of a Diversity Office. “Earlier, we discussed criticism of the Diversity Office in an event,” explains CDO Keestra. Akachar continues: “Above all, we are asking critical questions ourselves and are going to analyse the resistance to diversity policies at universities.”
 
For progression in diversity and inclusion, she is only now slowly beginning to notice. “We have only been around for a few years, the Diversity Paper has only been around since 2019. Change takes time.” And so these are exciting times, with national opposition and hefty budget cuts overhead, says Akachar. “In these difficult times, how do we still give space to that diversity and inclusion?” Because, argues Keestra, while resistance is growing and budget cuts are looming, it is precisely now that this is problematic. “This diversity policy is really long overdue innovation.”
 
The event ‘The impact of a hardening society on diversity work’ will take place on Diversity Day Tuesday 1 October at 8pm at the REC Bridge. Speakers include national coordinator Rabin Baldewsing, former Green Left politician Tofik Dibi, senior lecturer in political science Saskia Bonjour, researcher Fayaaz Joemmanbaks and CvB president Edith Hooge. You can register via this link.