NPO The Japan Association for Language Teaching

The DEI Committee of the Japan Association for Language Teaching began as the Diversity and Equity Practices Committee in 2019 with the support of then President Richmond Stroupe, along with JALT officers Thomas Amundrud, Wendy Gough, Michael Hollenback, Tanja McCandie, Joe Tomei, and others. It was initiated by members who recognized the need to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization and along with such a need in the English language teaching context as a whole. At the organizational level, this involved issues such as the need for childcare at conferences to enhance accessibility for parents and the patterns of representation at events to ensure that marginalized and emerging perspectives are present. Working outside of the scope of formal complaints, which are submitted to the Code of Conduct Committee, the DEI Committee collaborates with the Board of Directors (BoD) to welcome, promote, and celebrate diversity, equity, and inclusion in the organization, including but not limited to diversity in terms of ability, age, citizenship status, class, ethnicity, gender, language, national origin, nationality, neurodiversity, race, religion, sexual orientation, teaching context, and other aspects of identity.

The DEI Committee strives towards a JALT in which all current and potential members are welcomed and celebrated in all their diversities. It also aims to support the adoption of a DEI perspective in all aspects of the organization, from policy to programming. The Committee works towards an organization in which all perspectives are valued, especially perspectives that have been marginalized by systemic oppression. To foster a JALT that is increasingly diverse, equitable, and inclusive, the DEI Committee works with the BoD through education, communication, outreach, and advocacy activities within and beyond JALT. For example, we bring workshops and themed panels to the JALT International and PanSIG conferences. At these two events, we also host a table to share information about our DEI initiatives and to highlight DEI-related presentations at each conference. Our committee also collaborates with Chapters and SIGs to facilitate DEI-related workshops at smaller JALT events. We also work on resources and initiatives to foster more inclusive programming and improve accessibility, such as the DEI Presenter Guidelines and its accompanying JALT Speakers Bureau (formerly DEI Database), as well as childcare at JALT conferences.  

Contact: dei@jalt.org

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