What’s the DEI&B?
～DEI＆B is a new term around the Diversity.～
ice to meet you all. My name is Naho Takeshita. I work as a consultant in Japan, specializing in diversity,
especially in the field of DEI&B. My colleagues include wheelchair users, people with chronic illnesses,
including vision and hearing impairments, caregivers and childcare providers, and foreign nationals...... with awide variety of situations and characteristics. As we work together, I naturally began to think about how to create a betterworking environment and society for everyone.
I feel that Diversity is not something for which there is an answer, but rather something that we need to think about together
and practice in a way that is in line with that community. You may think that "I have heard of diversity, but DEI&B is still
unfamiliar to me". DEI&B is a concept that has been advocated overseas and has only been introduced to Japan in the past
few years, so don't worry. There is no correct answer, and it is a concept that is currently growing.

DEI&B is composed of the initial letters of the words Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.
My stance is that the last one, Belonging, is particularly important.
Belonging is actually very familiar with us.
Then, let's go over it carefully one by one, since it is a bit formal.
I think you will understand why "Belonging" is important.
irst, Diversity. The word "diversity" is now often heard. If there is only one type of everything, perspectives willbecome entrenched. Society is not made up of only "me," but people of different ages, genders, nationalities, andwhat you like. The Internet has developed remarkably over the past 30 years, and with it, the limitations of timeand space are no longer comparable to those of the past. Under such circumstances, "everyone will be diverse" ≒ "diversity
will be flexibly incorporated" will be a suitable way of thinking.
It is important to note that the realization of diversity does not necessarily mean that there will be confusion or thateverything will be a jumble. If we are required to be aware of each other in order to recognize and respect each other,diversity can be considered as constituting the foundation of such recognition and respect. So now you know that it is animportant concept that forms the base! It can be said to be the basis for valuing oneself and others.
econd, Equity. Then, is it sufficient for each of the many things to "just exist"? It is a good thing that they exist
even if we are not conscious of them. However, it is important to note that our brains and minds unconsciously
categorize and exclude those who are different from us. This can be even more troublesome if you belong to themajority. It can lead to behavior that unfairly excludes the minority, creating bullying and pressure. Perhaps the majority
may even fall into a state of instability if they are not in tune with the majority.
What is necessary in a situation where diverse entities coexist is that all people, regardless of their circumstances, haveequal opportunities and rights, and are able to challenge without fear of infringement.
This is "Equity".
hird, Inclusion. Inclusion is another important factor in situations where diverse groups of people coexist.
Are all members who share the same goals informed? Are there any restrictions on participation due todifferences in position? It may be difficult to get everyone to participate.
The SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) have been talked about, and the phrase "leave no one behind" can be thoughtof as referring to inclusion. It is easy to state this, but takes a lot of ingenuity to put it into practice.
Please go to the next page. And finally, let's remind the "B". "Belonging".

raditional diversity has been moving in a new direction, gradually filling in the missing ideas, such as D&I andDE&I. And now we have finally reached the point where we are aware of DEI&B. Equity is assured, no one isleft out, and diversity is achieved....... Of course this is all very nice, but am I the only one who feels that this is a
dream somewhere far away? Some may feel that words like belonging and affiliation are seemingly the opposite of diversity,
but perhaps this means that we need to broaden our perspective a bit.
When we incorporate "belonging", for example, to community or a certain personality. Here's what happens.
elonging is simply the word which means that we construct our own identity by relating to our surroundings,triggered by some kind of attribute that indicates who we are.
The effect of belonging is to ensure psychological safety, which leads to more confident behavior orconfidential communication with others. There is a field of study called attachment theory. According to this theory, thebehaviors that people take in order to develop socially and mentally as they grow up are called attachment behaviors.
Among these behaviors, there is the idea that we form our self, including feelings, thoughts, and expectations, by repeatedly
recognizing the object of attachment as a "safe base", performing exploratory behaviors around it, and then returning to it
again. If we assume that everyone has attachments based on the experiences they hold, we can imagine that belonging can
be a catalyst for understanding others. Thus, when we are aware of an environment with belonging, a sense of solidarity iscreated and communication is activated.
It is fascinating that even when we are faced with events that we cannot handle alone, we can recover or be resilient basedon respect and esteem with others for each other.

Today, that's all. Let's keep DEI&B close to home!
For the latest information or to request your specific DEI&B consultation, please contact me from here in LinkedIn.
Best Regards,
Naho Takeshita