In response to the worldwide #BlackLivesMatter movement DESY Director Helmut Dosch released a statement in June 2020 against racism and discrimination. As a follow up DESY launched several activities such as the PR campaign “DESY employees take a stand” by collecting statements on racism or a minute´s silence in remembrance of Georg Floyd.

DESY Zeuthen initiated a diversity forum in August 2020 on the basis of the Helmholtz Guideline on Diversity and Inclusion.

Objectives

• Discuss diversity issues at DESY Zeuthen and, in particular, to exchange ideas on how to best improve diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
• Increase diversity expertise by sharing research/tools/art and inviting experts to give talks.
• Run small activities and events based on the resources and ambition of the members
• Use this unique and shared voice to propose recommendations in support of DESY´s commitment toward diversity in the workplace.

 

Set up

• The Diversity Roundtable meets every first Tuesday of the month.  
• Communication & information management: via the mattermost “diversity roundtable” channel, set up of a mailinglist and a confluence page.
• The Roundtable is chaired by Lia Lang and Summer Blot and ideally represents the diversity of the workplace. It is an open forum for all DESY employees with interest on diversity and inclusion on DESY campus in Zeuthen.

 

What happened so far?

• Aug. 2020: Introduction of the initiative at the staff meeting by the DESY Zeuthen directorate (C. Stegmann)
• Sept. 2020: Kick-off meeting opened by the DESY Zeuthen directorate (C. Stegmann)
• Oct 2020: Input on Diversity & Inclusion (Lia Lang) and good practices
• Dec. 2020: Interactive session on conflict management
• Feb. 2021: Collection of Action Point for 2021
• Mar. 2021: Define and priorities Action Points for 2021, calculation of needed resources