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Workplace Diversity in Star Trek: A Vision of the Future

Star Trek is a science fiction franchise that depicts the adventures of various starships and their crews in the 23rd and 24th centuries. The series is known for its optimistic vision of the future, where humanity has overcome its internal conflicts and joined forces with other alien civilizations to explore the galaxy and seek out new life and new civilizations.

One of the most notable aspects of Star Trek is its portrayal of workplace diversity, both on and off screen. The series has been praised for its inclusion of characters from different races, cultures, genders, and backgrounds, as well as its representation of social issues such as racism, sexism, discrimination, and prejudice. Star Trek has also inspired many people from marginalized groups to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), as well as in leadership and diplomacy.

The original Star Trek series, which aired from 1966 to 1969, featured a diverse cast of characters, including a Japanese-American helmsman (Sulu), an African-American communications officer (Uhura), a Russian navigator (Chekov), and a half-human, half-Vulcan science officer (Spock). The series also featured the first interracial kiss on American television between Uhura and Captain Kirk1. The creator of Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry, believed in an idea he termed as IDIC, or “infinite diversity in infinite combinations”, which celebrates the diversity of the universe and the potential for harmony among different beings2.

The subsequent Star Trek series continued to expand on the theme of diversity, introducing more characters from different species, such as a Klingon security officer (Worf), a Betazoid counselor (Troi), a Trill science officer (Dax), a Bajoran first officer (Kira), a holographic doctor (The Doctor), and an android second officer (Data). The series also explored the challenges and benefits of working with diverse teams, such as cultural misunderstandings, ethical dilemmas, interpersonal conflicts, and creative solutions. For example, in the episode “Darmok”, Picard and an alien captain have to overcome their language barrier by using metaphors and stories3. In the episode “The Measure of a Man”, Data has to defend his rights as a sentient being against a Starfleet scientist who wants to dismantle him4.

Star Trek also addressed the issues of diversity in society at large, such as the struggles of minority groups, the dangers of intolerance and bigotry, and the importance of respect and cooperation. For example, in the episode “Let That Be Your Last Battlefield”, Kirk and his crew encounter two aliens who are at war with each other because of their skin color. In the episode “The Outcast”, Riker falls in love with a member of a genderless species who faces persecution for identifying as female.

Star Trek provides lasting lessons on diversity that are relevant for today’s world. The series shows that diversity is not only a reality, but also a strength that can enrich our lives and our work. By embracing diversity, we can learn from each other, grow together, and achieve greater things. As Spock once said, “Infinite diversity in infinite combinations… symbolizing the elements that create truth and beauty.”

This article was written by volunteer J2DW CEO Peter V. Tretter

How AI can help promote diversity in the workplace

In today’s world, diversity and inclusion are crucial elements of any successful business. A diverse workforce brings different perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds, which can lead to increased creativity, innovation, and problem-solving abilities. However, achieving diversity and inclusion in the workplace is not always easy. That’s where artificial intelligence (AI) comes in.

AI can help organizations promote diversity in several ways. Here are some examples:

1. Removing Bias in Hiring

One of the biggest challenges when it comes to diversity in the workplace is bias in the hiring process. Many recruiters and hiring managers unknowingly harbor unconscious biases that can influence their decisions, leading to a lack of diversity in the workplace. AI can help remove this bias by providing a more objective evaluation of candidates. For example, AI can analyze resumes, cover letters, and other job application materials and identify candidates based solely on their skills, qualifications, and experience, rather than factors such as gender, ethnicity, or age.

2. Improving Employee Retention

Once a diverse workforce is established, it’s essential to keep it that way. However, studies have shown that many employees leave their jobs due to a lack of inclusion or feeling like they don’t belong. AI can help improve employee retention by monitoring employee engagement and identifying potential issues that need to be addressed. For example, AI can analyze employee surveys, social media posts, and other data to identify patterns and provide insights into how employees are feeling about their work environment.

3. Providing Personalized Training

Another way AI can help promote diversity in the workplace is by providing personalized training for employees. Everyone has different learning styles and preferences, and AI can help tailor training programs to meet the needs of each individual employee. This can help ensure that everyone receives the training they need to succeed and can help prevent employees from feeling excluded or left behind.

4. Encouraging Collaboration

Diversity can lead to increased creativity and innovation, but only if employees are willing to collaborate and share ideas. AI can help encourage collaboration by providing a platform for employees to share their ideas and opinions. For example, AI-powered collaboration tools can facilitate communication between employees and help break down barriers that may exist between different departments or teams.

5. Ensuring Fair Performance Evaluations

Performance evaluations can be a significant source of bias in the workplace, leading to unfair treatment of certain employees. AI can help ensure fair performance evaluations by analyzing data such as employee productivity, attendance, and project completion rates. This can provide a more objective evaluation of each employee’s performance and help eliminate bias.

6. Facilitating Diversity Training

Finally, AI can help facilitate diversity training in the workplace. Many organizations offer diversity training programs to help employees understand the importance of diversity and inclusion and provide tools for promoting a more diverse workplace. AI can help facilitate this training by providing personalized training programs, tracking employee progress, and providing feedback to employees and trainers.

In conclusion, promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace is essential for any organization that wants to succeed in today’s world. AI can play a significant role in achieving this goal by removing bias in hiring, improving employee retention, providing personalized training, encouraging collaboration, ensuring fair performance evaluations, and facilitating diversity training. By leveraging the power of AI, organizations can create a more diverse and inclusive workplace that benefits everyone involved.

This article was written by ChatGPT.

We need a new website

Hello. My name is Peter and I am fundraising for Journey to Diversity Workplaces (J2DW,) a Canadian federally-chartered non-profit organization that desperately needs a new website.
J2DW was founded in 2013 and the first site came a few months later. Then after a few years, we switched to WordPress and a volunteer worked on the site.

Now to help highlight the work we are doing, we badly need a new website.

For the past 9 years, volunteers and summer students have written articles on various workplace topics such as safety, diversity, and the human condition. We even have an expert Library full of APA-formatted essays.

In the future, we expect more of this, along with our newly launched podcast, Diversity on Air.

The funds you donate will help change how this is presented and bring new audiences to our forum.

Our top articles & essays for 2022

A lot has been written by our summer students and volunteers and published by us, most in the last year.

Here we present our top 8 articles & essays.

  1. The Unemployment Crisis of Indigenous People in Canada
  2. The Pros and Cons of Hiring Older Employees vs. Younger Employees
  3. 5 Ways to Promote Inclusivity of Indigenous People in the Workplace
  4. Ethics, organizational culture and behaviours
  5. How is Systemic Racism Affecting Childcare Employees?
  6. Sensory Overload of Neurodivergent Individuals at Work
  7. Bystander intervention training in the workplace
  8. Challenges to Rural and Urban Workplace Diversity

We hope you will join us for more fantastic workplace-related articles in 2023!

Some of these articles were funded by the Government of Canada.

J2DW launches diverse podcast

For Immediate Release

Barrie, ON 8 Sept 2022 – Journey to Diversity Workplaces is proud to announce the launch of our brand-new podcast titled “Diversity on Air.” It is being hosted by University of Windsor Master’s student Divine Eke and Oshawa, Ontario resident Shassha Austin.

Winnipeg-based University of Manitoba student Haylyn Agacer is the podcast’s Producer. “Diversity on Air discusses workplace diversity. From major issues to minor ones, this podcast will help you become more knowledgeable about the dos and don’ts in creating a safe and inclusive environment.”

“We are so excited to introduce Diversity on Air to a Canadian and International audience” commented CEO Peter V. Tretter.

Diversity on Air will be available on all major platforms such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Journey to Diversity Workplaces is a non-profit organization built on improving the business and social environment by championing diversity and the workers within those workplaces. J2DW was formed in 2013 by Founder and CEO Peter V. Tretter with the goal of introducing and maintaining progressive workplace policies. Ideas like higher wages and a four-day workweek are key strategic pillars for J2DW to improve the quality of life and social footprint that businesses have on their employees and communities.

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Contact:

Peter V. Tretter
705-481-1674
My email address

J2DW Announces 2022 New Board Directors

J2DW Announces 2022 New Board Directors

 

For Immediate Release

Barrie, ON, 18 May 2022 – Journey to Diversity Workplaces, a leader in the promotion of a new progressive workplace, announces three new board directors for two-year terms.

Current board members include:

Cynthia Gordon, Past Chair, joined the Board in 2018.
Heba Roble, Privacy Commissioner, joined the Board in 2021.

New board members include:

Dr. Leland Harper, Chair, ratified 12 May 2022.
Frank Tuzi, Secretary, ratified 12 May 2022.
Muddasir Zaib, Director, ratified 12 May 2022.

Dr. Leland Harper is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Siena Heights University. His research focuses on philosophy of race, particularly issues of racial solidarity and racism. He is the editor of the Philosophy of Race series at Vernon Press and the organizer of the Great Lakes Philosophy Conference, an annual international philosophy conference. Leland grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia, and received a BA in General Studies from Kwantlen Polytechnic University, an MA in Philosophy from Toronto Metropolitan University, and a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Birmingham. In his spare time, he operates Leland Harper Consulting, a diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting firm based in Toronto, spends time with his wife and two children, and can be found cheering on the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Clippers.

Frank loves spending time with his wife and 3 kids aged 6, 5 and 2 and currently lives in Ottawa. He really enjoys a great story. The topic or the format doesn’t matter as long as it is a great story. He has worked in the mortgage industry for 18 years, working his way up from a summer student to various leadership roles in mortgage underwriting. He is excited to contribute to J2DW’s growth and is eager to learn and grow along with the organization.

As a corporate lawyer, Muddasir has been involved in many large and small business transactions with Canadian, the US and European organizations. In the course of these dealings, Muddasir has worked with many other lawyers and professional advisers in providing range of legal services including business incorporations, contract drafting and other regulatory compliance matters. Muddasir holds a bachelor of law, a master of business administration and is currently pursuing LLM (Business law) from York University Toronto.

“I think it’s fantastic that we have such a diverse board with such exceptional people with the level of experience that they have.” commented Founder & CEO Peter V. Tretter

Journey to Diversity Workplaces is a non-profit organization built on improving the business and social environment by championing diversity and the workers within those workplaces. J2DW was formed in 2013 by Founder and CEO Peter V. Tretter with the goal of introducing and maintaining progressive workplace policies. Ideas like higher wages and a four-day workweek are key strategic pillars for J2DW to improve the quality of life and social footprint that businesses have on their employees and communities.

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J2DW Media Relations
705-481-1674
Email us!

J2DW Announces Zak Madell as 2022 AGM Keynote Speaker

Barrie, ON, 10 April 2022 – Journey to Diversity Workplaces is pleased to announce that Paralympian and Wheelchair Rugby medalist Zak Madell will be delivering the keynote speech at our 2022 Annual General Meeting on Thursday 12 May 2022 on Google Meet.

Zak Madell is a 3X Paralympian in the sport of wheelchair rugby. He was a member of the silver medal winning team at the 2012 Paralympics in London as well as a member of the 2016 team in Rio, and the Tokyo 2020 games.

Journey to Diversity Workplaces is a non-profit organization built on improving the business and social environment by championing diversity and the workers within those workplaces. J2DW was formed in 2013 by Founder and CEO Peter V. Tretter with the goal of introducing and maintaining progressive workplace policies. Ideas like higher wages and a four-day workweek are key strategic pillars for J2DW to improve the quality of life and social footprint that businesses have on their employees and communities.

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Contact:

Peter V. Tretter
705-481-1674
Email us!

Register

Top 5 articles of 2021!

We are fortunate to see an increase in visits to our website in 2021 with lots of help from our active volunteers! Now we present the top 5 articles visitors read on our website in 2021.

5. What is Work Culture? Where does it come from and how do we change it?

There are few topics as broad, or fundamental as culture. Most of us only recognize the dimensions of our culture when we begin to compare our way of life to that of another. Workplace culture is built of all the customs, habits, traditions, values, skills, beliefs, and knowledge of the people included in the company. (Nelson, Quick, Armstrong, Roubecas, Condie, 2021) It affects everything that happens, every action taken, and is shaped by every person that is included. Culture regulates behavior through norms and values, and in so defines the character of a company. (Nelson, 2021)

4. How to combat transphobia in the workplace

As pride month comes to an end, we take a moment to pause and re-evaluate the changes that still need to be made in our world today. Each individual should have the right to an environment where they feel free to express themselves and be accepted for who they are. Do those who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community feel safe, secure and accepted in their workplaces? The answer to this in 2021 is still an unsatisfactory no.

3. The facts about workplace harassment

One of the most common issues that employees face within the workplace is harassment. Many Canadians over the age of 15 are likely to fall victim or be a witness to workplace harassment over the course of their career.

2. Minimum Wage, Minimum Effort?

From beginning to end, challenging the status quo is the incremental path of social and societal evolution. When dust settles and senses rest on something out of place, what starts as an individual musing grows into initiative for change. From one mind, or more likely, a hearty discussion of many: a framework erects and is bolted together by sound reasoning and good intentions for the future. At last, change finds its way to the hands of a doer; a creator.

1. Vaccination etiquette in the workplace

In these unprecedented times, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought to light many questions. As the world is moving towards reopening, employees and employers are concerned about what the etiquette surrounding vaccination status will be. Whether or not the question of vaccination status can be posed, not only by customers, but also by employers as a condition for the job. Should employers be allowed to require the disclosure of their employees vaccination status as a condition of employment?

This article was mostly contributed to and edited by J2DW staff & volunteers!