How to be an effective ally to all.

We all want to feel safe, comfortable, and welcome within our various communities, and lots of us want to do our bit to create or maintain an inclusive community for all.

Now, if you're already on this page, you are probably somewhat aware that it takes work to ensure we are contributing to the inclusivity of the spaces and communities we are involved with. This short guide will hopefully help you consider what you can do to be an effective and active ally by considering your own knowledge and actions, and what to do when concerned about the behaviours of others.

Learning the basics.

This might sound obvious, but in order to address and challenge discrimination within our actions and the actions of others, we first need to be able to identify when it is happening. Educating yourself about key concepts such as bias, discrimination and microaggressions, intersectionality and privilege is a good start, and will give you the tools you need to gain a deeper understanding of the lived experiences of others. 

The Be the Change online training is a good place to start!

Looking inwardly.

We all have biases which can impact the judgements and assumptions we make about other people. Regardless of our intentions, without taking active work to challenge these unconscious biases, we allow them to affect how we interact with people, potentially leading to discriminatory behaviour and microaggressions. 

How we can identify and address our biases:

• Reflect on our own lived experience. By thinking about our identities, circumstances, and upbringings, we can reflect on how these things have impacted our opportunities and experiences. Understanding the concepts of privilege and intersectionality can help guide this process, and identify where we might have gaps in our knowledge. 
• Investigate your thought processes. Our perceptions of people can be skewed by harmful stereotypes or unfair assumptions without us realising. When you interact with other people, do you find yourself making assumptions, for example, on how they will behave or their interests, based on things like their appearance. 

Being an active ally. 

Okay, so we are fairly confident that we'd recognise discriminatory behaviour, but let's now think about how can we put what we've learned into action.

• Changing behaviours and actions. If you have learned more about different kinds of discrimination and oppressions and have had an honest think about your own thought processes, it is likely that you have come across some unconscious biases you hold. It is very normal for this realisation to feel upsetting or uncomfortable, but challenging our own beliefs is an essential step to becoming a more effective ally. It can take some time to unlearn our unconscious biases, so it is worth having a think about how you can identify when they're creeping into your decision-making, and some strategies for mitigating their impact. 
• Share knowledge. Send over that book/film/TikTok which helped you reflect on some of your biases to your friends and flatmates. 
• Be accountable. If someone tells you that you've said or done something discriminatory, try not to act defensively. We all make mistakes, but its important to acknowledge the impact our actions have on others, regardless of our intentions. If someone has taken the time and energy to tell you that you've said or done something discriminatory, it is important to listen and respond with compassion, even if you don't understand why it has affected them in the way it has. 
• Address problematic behaviour. If you notice something discriminatory, try to intervene where safe to do so. Even if you're nervous about not saying completely the right thing, it is important to not automatically assume the person most affected by the comment or action is the best person to address it. You can find some specific strategies in the Be the Change training. 

If you experience or witness an incident of harassment or discrimination, you can use the Support and Report tool - you are able to report something anonymously, on behalf of someone else, or with your contact details. You can also get in contact with ResLife directly, where you can get support with conflict resolution, mediation, and any other accommodation issues.