A seminar on ‘Inclusion and Diversity’ was held on March 12, 2016. In the beginning of the seminar, Ms. Syeda Fatima Zamila introduced two faculty members of BRAC Learning Division, who conducted the seminar. The three-hour long seminar, with a focus on inclusion through self realization, was divided into two sessions.
The seminar started with a general discussion on the definition of diversity, followed by a song by Michael Jackson to explain cultural diversity. Several video clips and songs were used to explain the concept of diversity in terms of skin color, culture, language and even in perspectives. Several activities were conducted to help the students to understand themselves better and to appreciate the differences among all people. Students were also briefed on practical problems of exclusion and the individual responsibility of accommodating everyone in a sphere.
At the end of the seminar, students were asked to write a poem titled, ‘Who Am I?’ as a part of self-realization process. The idea behind the activity was to help them understand that self realization equips people with knowledge to assist them in handling conflicts more efficiently and to expand the scope of inclusion. The seminar ended with vote of thanks to the audience and guest speakers.