Open-mindedness: A necessary precursor to belonging

As IGB International School (IGBIS) celebrated Malaysia Day today, we were reminded how this country stands out as a great example of different cultures coming together in a largely harmonious way to coexist in a country. Nowhere in the world is perfect, and there is an incredible need to elevate the level of #equity, #inclusion and #justice here and globally, but IGBIS — and Malaysia in many ways — has a “special ingredient” that many places struggle to include to the same extent that makes that possible. That special ingredient is … open-mindedness.

We often read or hear that #diversity is a key to increasing equality or inclusion, but that’s not the whole story. In fact, diversity in and of itself can cause more problems if we bring together different perspectives without an underlying commitment to being open-minded. As one of the IB Learner Profile attributes, open-mindedness can be a key in turning diversity into belonging; a recipe that Malaysia has been building upon for the past 59 years as a nation.?

Being open-minded does not mean that you do not hold strong beliefs yourself, but that you remain open to others’ perspectives. As the IB Mission Statement states, if we want to promote intercultural understanding and respect, we must act in such a way that allows other people, with their differences, to also be right. Open-mindedness is the attribute that keeps our emotional and intellectual doors open, with a sense of humility, so that we are curious about the “other” so that we have the potential to include, rather than exclude.

Our celebration of Malaysia Day comes two weeks before our school hosts our Inclusive Schools Week from September 26 - 30, a time when we will be diving into all the wonderful, complex, sometimes frustrating, but always interesting facets of what it means to be a school that prioritizes inclusion. Today, however, we celebrate IGBIS’ and Malaysia's desire to create an environment in which everyone belongs.

My question is how can your open-mindedness help someone around you feel even more included?