DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION
Delta Lambda Phi strives to create a Brotherhood experience in which diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice are constantly engaged. Delta Lambda Phi was founded on an ideal of creating a more diverse fraternal experience, and we continue to affirm that today through our deliberations, policies, beliefs, and actions. We expect and educate our members to not only uphold these ideals within our organization, but to push for those ideals in the wider world.
As two of the seven core values of Delta Lambda Phi, Diversity and Justice are reinforced and strengthened by our Brotherhood’s education and programming throughout the year. Delta Lambda Phi’s values of Diversity and Justice demand we not only foster a culture of acceptance and respect for the individuality of all people but also advocate and fight for the betterment of society in the face of discrimination and oppression. When tempered by humility, we forge a space for growth through our varied identities. Diversity means that we are strongest when multiple voices shape our community; Justice means that we are only strongest when our global community is a community for all.
Delta Lambda Phi uses these working definitions to provide mutual understanding across our Brotherhood:
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Diversity is the multiplicity of human differences. This encompasses, but is not limited to: racial identity, ethnicity, language(s), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, social class, familial or relational status, cognitive (dis)ability, physical (dis)ability, appearance or physical attributes, religious or ethical values system, national or geographic origin, documentation status, and political beliefs. We recognize diversity should be an outcome of holistic and well-executed inclusion within our organization, as it is not simply a final goal in the pursuit of equity.
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Inclusion is the act of involving and empowering all. This is realized when the intrinsic worth and self-worth of all people are acknowledged. An inclusive fraternity encourages and sustains a sense of belonging through policy and practice; it values and practices respect for the talents, beliefs, abilities, backgrounds and ways of living of its members. We also recognize that historical and current marginalization of specific identities–whether institutional or personal–necessitates additional effort to combat, as privilege shifts throughout time.
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Delta Lambda Phi’s commitment to inclusion has been developed through our lens of being a fraternal organization; organizations which are–by their nature–membership-focused, selective organizations. While Delta Lambda Phi has worked to expand the definition and requirements of membership, we maintain our selective membership intake as a way to maintain our legal standing as a fraternal organization, as a way to uphold our core identity as an organization, and as a way to ensure that those who wear our letters are truly upholding the values and principles by which we must live.
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Delta Lambda Phi endeavors to ensure that:
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Diversity and inclusion are strongly advocated for our members and supported by our the leadership structure of the Fraternity;
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Diversity and inclusion initiatives are continuously introduced into the systems, structures and culture of the Fraternity;
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Diversity and inclusion are apparent to the public, potential new members, those in the new member process, and Brothers of every age;
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Expertise and leadership is fostered on diversity and inclusion related initiatives and causes;
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Policies are examined and further developed to advance the fraternity climate of equity and inclusion; and
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Resources for infusing diversity and inclusion into various social and educational programs are provided at all levels of the organization.