“Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance.”
Verna Myers – Diversity Advocate
As so many organizations have, the events of 2020 and what they echoed historically and systemically, caused us to pause and reflect on how we can do better in embracing and living Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in our organization. And as a growing bi-national organization whose mission is connecting people across borders, work that by its very nature is about diversity and inclusivity, our MAPLE Business Council leadership team felt we were overdue to address DEI.
We are sharing our DEI commitments because they are integral to our mission and the value we want to deliver to our members and partners. Moreover, as a membership-based organization, we have a large window on a wide variety of organizations and business sectors. This is both an opportunity to learn from our members and an opportunity to share our learnings with others. We can also learn from the DEI work that is happening in the United States and Canada. Not to take advantage of this unique vantage point would be a significant missed opportunity.
In 2020, we took an important step forward in addressing a gender imbalance on our leadership team. We appointed four women executives including our Board of Directors, Advisory Board and regional leadership. This is of course just one step in our DEI journey.
“Looking across a border is itself an act of inclusion.”
MAPLE DEI Statement
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are fundamental building blocks in our mission to promote economic ties between Canada and the United States. People, organizations and nations can only trade, invest and collaborate successfully together if there is an underlying respect, trust and accountability for and to one another. Looking across a border is itself an act of inclusion.
MAPLE DEI Mission
Our mission is to make Diversity, Equity and Inclusion integral to our community as evidenced by the composition, voice and actions of our leadership team, members and partners.
MAPLE DEI Vision
MAPLE Business Council recognizes diversity as an asset, and through our leadership, management, membership and partnerships, we will reflect the diversity of the cross-border communities we serve. MAPLE will be an inclusive community that is equitable and non-discriminatory in the treatment, access, opportunity and advancement for all. We want our actions to positively influence others to embrace these values too.
MAPLE DEI Values
We welcome members and staff without bias to age, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, color, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, or creed.
We commit to deliberate efforts to ensure our community is a place where every individual feels a sense of belonging and inclusion.
We welcome differences and respectfully hear different perspectives.
We celebrate the DEI that underpins our cross-border community.
We project DEI in how we present our community to others.
We are a student of DEI actively learning from our members, partners and the broader community.
We do not tolerate attitudes or actions that do not respect DEI openly or privately.
MAPLE Initiatives
Recognizing that it is about actions and not words, we are looking at all facets of our work through a DEI lens. This initially includes:
Organization
· Continuing to promote greater diversity on the MAPLE Board, Advisory Board, and operating team.
· Publishing our commitment to DEI on our website and in our network communications.
· Holding ourselves accountable to our DEI objectives in our leadership meetings
Membership
· Include DEI in onboarding discussions with new members
· Ask our members to share examples of their DEI programs, insights, and key learnings that we can share with others and learn from ourselves.
Communications
· Dedicate an issue of MOMENTUM each year to DEI including best practices from our members.
· Work with a member organization who would like to discuss their DEI best practices in episodes of MAPLE Conversations.
· Project diversity in how we present our community, membership, events and content so others can see themselves as part of the MAPLE community
· Repost content celebrating DEI as a regular component of our social media content including initiatives taken by our members and partners.
Trade & Investment
· Highlight DEI initiatives that are represented in the USMCA/CUSMA trade agreement and associated communications.
· Communicate the business case for DEI (employee retention/attraction, etc.)
Community
· Take part in community DEI celebrations with our members and partners
We look forward to sharing more perspectives on DEI in the future and for our members, partners and our team to learn, respond and grow as a result.