

U.S. Department of State
International Visitor Leadership Program
Reflections on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility
OPTIMIZING INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP I
Friday, 3 December 2021
Meeting Resources
Equity v equality:
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/equity-equality-whats-the-difference-global-goals/
McKinsey 2020 report: Diversity Wins: How Inclusion Matters:
Inclusion & Belonging:
https://hbr.org/topic/inclusion-and-belonging
Microaggressions:
https://www.uua.org/files/pdf/m/microaggressions_by_derald_wing_sue_ph.d.pdf
Microagression video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjgozDwAjqg
Psychological Safety:
https://hbr.org/2021/04/what-psychological-safety-looks-like-in-a-hybrid-workplace
Insider/Outsider Dynamics:
https://www.inc.com/maya-hu-chan/the-one-reason-you-might-be-losing-your-best-people.html
Employee Resource Groups:
https://www.greatplacetowork.com/resources/blog/what-are-employee-resource-groups-ergs
Video clip: There is no justice without disability
https://www.fordfoundation.org/campaigns/there-is-no-justice-without-disability
Resources cited by Luby and Julia:
Center for Global Inclusion:
https://centreforglobalinclusion.org/
Disability:IN:
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission:
JAN (Job Accommodation Network):





Meeting Details
Please join 10 minutes early
Login: 13:50 Eastern U.S. Time
Meeting: 14:00–16:00 Eastern U.S. Time
​
Zoom link: https://meridian-org.zoom.us/j/84467258008?pwd=anhMYmZ3NVpTVDNGYW1mZlBadEZTZz09
Meeting ID: 844 6725 8008
Passcode: IVLP
​
Meeting organized by: Meridian International Center
​
Meeting Topic: Lobna “Luby” Ismail, founder and president of Connecting Cultures, and Julia Gaspar-Bates, founder and president of Intercultural Alliances, will conduct a highly interactive workshop exploring DEIA through a Global Lens. The objectives for this workshop are to 1) examine global perspectives of DEIA and engage IVLP participants to build rapport with each other; 2) explore how DEIA is defined and addressed through an American lens; and 3) identify specific actions to address DEIA as inclusive leaders within participants’ respective organizations or work.
Meet Your Speakers

Lobna “Luby” Ismail
she/her/hers
Founder and President
Connecting Cultures
Lobna “Luby” Ismail, founder and president of Connecting Cultures, has expertise on cultural competence, Arab cultures, and intercultural communication. She is committed to bridge-building and breaking down the barriers of bias based on her lived experience as an Arab American and American Muslim. Luby advocates another dimension of diversity based on her diagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis. Luby acquired an M.A. in Intercultural Relations from Lesley University and a B.A. in International Service from The American University. A sought-after speaker, she has traveled to Asia, South America, the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe. Her clients include Federal and State agencies, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and corporations including Microsoft, Walt Disney World, Foreign Service Institute, and the Institute of International Education. Luby is a member of Toastmasters International, and a Peer Mentor for Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.

Julia Gaspar-Bates
she/her/hers
Founder and President
Intercultural Alliances
Julia Gaspar-Bates is founder and president of Intercultural Alliances, LLC, a cross-cultural training and consulting firm. With more than 30 years’ experience working globally, she has designed and delivered trainings for leaders and teams on four continents in multiple languages. Julia has been immersed in intercultural environments her entire life. Born in London into a bi-cultural family and raised in the United States, she has lived in six countries as an adult and traveled to nearly 50. She incorporates a holistic approach to her work integrating mindfulness-based practices to allow her clients to deepen their self-awareness of the many factors contributing to their cultural identities, increase their knowledge, and develop skills to work in diverse environments. Julia holds an M.A. in Intercultural Relations, spent 10 years as an adjunct professor at George Washington University, and is in the process of co-writing her first book on cultural differences between the French and Americans.