Courageous Conversations about Race™ | Leadership Breakfast

RMIT has a commitment to advancing a workplace culture where its people are engaged and valued. This Seminar provides an opportunity to reflect on how racial equity is part of RMIT’s commitment to inclusion, serving communities and within that, its own community.

Through this special event, we will explore the questions: why is race often overlooked when we talk about racism? Why is this conversation so important in creating a healthy Australian university culture? Further, how is this conversation embedded in every aspect of organisational culture from people management, core delivery outcomes, risk management and, our own leadership profile? Why is the conversation about racial equity difficult? How do we engage – and stay engaged so that our leadership is strengthened and authentic?

This session will introduce the Courageous Conversation Framework™ which provides the tools for responding to these questions. We will explore racial equity and how a university can be truly powerful when leaders engage fully and authentically in the Courageous Conversation about Race™ Protocol. Also, how the Protocol™ can be applied to ensure transformative work can occur to be able to support the values embodied by RMIT: Inclusion, Courage, Imagination, Impact, Integrity, Passion.

The Seminar will provide a creative space for exploring how race impacts our lives and how we can deepen our own understandings and ways of engaging with this important aspect as part of the University leadership role.

• What happens when executive leaders are part of the racial equity conversation

• Leading authentically and with courage to know how to show up and stay engaged in the conversation around racial equity

• Addressing systemic barriers for Aboriginal and People of Colour as an organisational leader, and what this means more broadly

• Enhancing cultural responsiveness in your team and organisation

• The fundamentals of the Courageous Conversation™ tools

Location: The Storey Hall Lecture Theatre, 016.01.001 (in-person only)

Date: Wednesday, 22nd March

Time: 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM.

A light breakfast and refreshments will be available from 8:00AM, with the session starting promptly at 8:30AM.

Glenn Singleton

Nominated as one of the 13 top Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Consultants helping advertising companies, Glenn Singleton’s work is unique – and powerful. His influence helped Nike when they needed to respond to the market and the community.

Glenn Singleton is an author, thought-leader and strategist who has spent 30 years contributing to constructing racial equity worldwide – and developing leaders, community members and workplaces to do the same. He is the creator of Courageous Conversation™, a protocol and framework for sustained, deepened dialogue, and Beyond Diversity™ the curriculum that has taught hundreds of thousands of people how to use it.

Glenn is the Founder and CEO of Courageous Conversation™ , an agency that guides leadership development in education, government, corporation, law enforcement, and community organising. He is the award-winning author of Courageous Conversation about Race. A Field Guide for Achieving Equity in Schools which is in its third edition, also, More Courageous Conversations about Race.

Dr. Teresa De Fazio OAM

Born in Australia (immigrant parents who fled post-war chaos) Teresa grew up experiencing the challenges – and labels (first in family, female, low SES, CALD, etc) growing up ‘different’ in a country that was increasingly defining itself as multicultural against the imposed silencing of First People ownership and rights. This lived experience has been the basis for the insights and passion brought to her work in equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Teresa is the Director of Intersect Global Partners specialising in equity and inclusion training and strategy work. She was the Manager, Cultural Diversity at Victoria University and an active researcher and academic. She is also a former Commissioner of the Victorian Multicultural Commission and remains a member of the Regional Advisory Council. She is a Board Director for Zoos Victoria, and former Board Director of Multicultural Arts Victoria and Edmund Rice Community and Refugee Services. She is also a Community Ambassador for Melbourne Victory Football Club.

As a participant of the Courageous Conversation® Workshop, I understand and agree to the following:

• No part of the seminar may be recorded, copied (images etc.) by virtual or electronic means.
• Only the Courageous Conversation South Institute® Ltd (CCSPI) has the sole and exclusive right to use the Courageous Conversation® trademarks and intellectual property (Training Protocols) used in the workshop in New Zealand and Australia.
• CCSPI are pleased to allow the Participant to use the training resources provided to support their learning however, they should understand that they cannot use or share the materials without written permission from CCSPI.
• The Participant shall keep visible all CCSPI copyright notices and other such marks on the Training Protocols and documentation (eg. user manuals if applicable).
• The Participant agrees not to cause or permit the reverse creation or recompilation of this intellectual property (IP). The Participant shall not market any of this IP in any way which implies that they are the proprietary product of the Participant.

Host or Publisher RMIT Diversity and Inclusion