2022-February-24

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Starting a Movement Where Together We’ll Thrive

BY CARLENE COWARD · INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES PROGRAMME MANAGER · UNITED KINGDOM

WITH ALBERTO DEL ROSAL SANTA OLALLA, RASHMI MUDDAIAH, AND HELEN GALL

3 MINUTE READ · 4 MINUTE LISTEN

Last year, in honor of the United Nations World Day of Social Justice on February 20, Cisco’s employee-led Inclusive Communities created World Social Justice Week during February 15-19.

The event brought together hundreds of employees from around the globe to drive awareness of racial discrimination, gender equality, poverty, human rights, and more. The week was packed with special guest speakers, panel discussions, performing artists, authors, and employee testimonials.

We also established the Inclusive Future Action Office as our commitment to social justice, focused on supporting all communities through our Inclusive Future initiatives. That begins with our Cisco Social Justice Beliefs and Actions.

This year, some of our Inclusive Communities came together to lead a Social Justice Movement.

Over the next 12 months, our eleven Employee Resource Organizations (EROs) will deliver experiences focused on bringing awareness to prevalent social justice issues in each of their communities. EROs will also give back by supporting self-nominated nonprofit organizations addressing the toughest challenges their communities face.

When empowering an inclusive future for all with a Social Justice Movement, we want to include everyone: All communities of color, races and ethnicities, gender identities, military service, abilities, age, sexual orientations, social classes, faiths, nationalities, relationships, and family statuses.

Social justice doesn’t mean just one thing. It envelops full-spectrum diversity.

We asked our communities, “What does Social Justice mean to you?”

There was intersectionality across their answers: Equality for those who are marginalized, economic empowerment, fair representation, giving a voice to the unheard, being respectful to all. You’re invited to join them as they take this journey and stand together, learning from each other about how to address social injustices.

The Movement began with Connected Black Professionals (CBP)'s Social Justice Day on February 23. They took a closer look at Cisco's Social Justice Actions for HBCUs (Action 8) and Partner diversity (Action 10) and learned about pioneering racing car driver Wendell Scott and how he championed social justice in NASCAR.

CBP will hand things over to Women of Cisco in March, who will spotlight Social Justice as part of their Women of Impact flagship event.

Your attendance at any Social Justice Movement event could earn a $2 donation to the ERO’s Social Justice Fund. If you donate to a fund, you have a chance of being selected for an additional $500 donation made to the Fund!

Show your support by downloading our Social Justice Movement Ambassador badge and displaying it on your CEC profile or email signature. Use it to amplify the message outside of Cisco and let your network know you’re supporting the Social Justice Movement.

Our vision is to achieve equity and equality for everybody.

These small actions will help to make a difference, and together we’ll thrive. Every individual commitment is one step towards promoting and practicing social justice in our workplace.

Take that step and challenge yourself to lean in and learn more about our mission to power an inclusive future for all.

Join the Social Justice Movement and look out for how our communities show up throughout the year and reflect on Social Justice in different ways. Attend events, access inclusive resources, give to a Social Justice fund, volunteer to help the Social Justice Action team, and join an ERO or Network.

For more information, visit the Social Justice Movement on SharePoint.