Equality and Diversity - Building a Culture of ... - Equality Authority

Taking Action for Equality
Citizenship Education ideally includes an action component, so that students not only learn about
equality but learn through active citizenship that they can make a difference, effecting change at a
local level in their school or community, at a national or global level. As students work through this
resource, there are ample opportunities for them to take action at different levels and on a range of
issues. These are described and supported in the companion resource Grounds for Action.
Why take action for Equality?
As Grounds for Action argues, there are four good reasons for students to take action in relation to
equality and diversity.
Stereotyping limits life experience and can lead to discrimination
Equality benefits everyone
Discrimination is against the law and negatively effects individuals and groups life experience
Recognising diversity makes for a richer life experience
What Kind of Actions can Students take
Taking action does not always have to mean doing something on a grand scale. Even small actions
can make a difference to the students, to their school or community or to society. Actions included in
Grounds for Action include:
Informing oneself
Engaging in debate
Informing others
Collaborating and working with others in the community
Lobbying or participating in an existing event, project or campaign
Organising an event or campaign
Grounds for Action provides guidance on structuring, evaluating and assessing an action, templates and
guides to support students, and sample steps for a menu of twenty possible actions which students
could choose from. The suggested actions cover all the grounds included in the equality/ antidiscrimination
legislation and Section 75 of the Belfast Agreement, as well as covering some general
areas related to diversity, identity and equality in general.
104 TWENTY ACTIONS AT A GLANCE