Why We Need to Be Inclusive and Culturally Competent
Everyday, it’s easy to pick an example of a stereotype being perpetuated; we seem to continually forget the lessons of history and repeat discriminatory behavior—and rationalize to ourselves why it’s okay. Today it’s Muslims and homosexuals, yesterday (in historical terms) it was blacks and Jews, the day before interracial couples and Protestants, you get the drift…
At our girls-only and boys-only camps, we exist for children as they are so they imagine the women and men they can become. To do that, we help them celebrate and appreciate their own identity while doing the same for others. “Kupugani” means “to raise oneself up.” That’s exactly what we do. Campers of varied backgrounds live, play, and work together–the best teachers of instilling bonds of friendship and trust. We provide a safe atmosphere where they celebrate and appreciate themselves, while celebrating and appreciating others. We give them the tools to maximize their potential.
That inclusive, supportive mission and care applies especially when our campers make heartfelt, sensitive disclosures. That critical time is when we must show support, empathy and understanding; anything else can have a negative impact on the child. Especially when a child might be experiencing hard questions, confusion, or knowledge of a difficult situation and has chosen to disclose something very personal, this is a big deal. Especially when many young people do not talk with their parents about difficult topics at all, a supportive trusted adult is a critical resource.
Young people who do not get sufficient support when going through difficult times are much more likely to engage in unsafe behaviors, be depressed, or attempt suicide. We certainly do not want to be a community or organization that contributes to that kind of negative spiral with anyone, much less any of our valued campers.
At Kupugani, a big component of helping to provide a safe environment for all is our striving to be a community and organization that works toward cultural competence. Camp friendships are based on honesty and a deep sense of caring. As a result, campers and staff alike develop the most meaningful relationships–ones that last a lifetime. You learn the true meaning of community while at camp. You feel connected with others and gain respect for each person. We celebrate the uniqueness that each individual brings to camp but also recognize the common ground that we all share. By providing caring, support, and guidance, we maintain an atmosphere that enhances supportive relationships. We also ensure that every camper enjoys the opportunity to belong by providing training for cultural competence, sensitivity to inclusion, programming that enhances cultural understanding and interaction, and recruitment practices that result in diverse staff and campers.
To be culturally competent individuals and organization, we must celebrate and appreciate difference of all kinds, not just those that might make certain folks more comfortable. If we’re not providing an environment that’s open to all, we are not truly open to anybody. As a progressive camp community, we don’t want to be somewhere where that is okay.