Diversity and Inclusion at the London Olympics (new book)

New book by WAPPP fellow, Stephen Frost:

The Inclusion Imperative is the untold story of the inclusion programmes behind the scenes at the world's greatest event, the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It presents a radically different method for organisations to implement successful 'Diversity and Inclusion' and help themselves, their people and the wider world.


As Head of Diversity & Inclusion at the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Ltd., Stephen Frost was responsible for incorporating diversity and inclusion across the 200,000 workforce, volunteers and contractors, as well as in the $2 billion procurement programme and all aspects of service delivery. At WAPPP, Stephen’s research will focus on diversity and inclusiveness during the planning of the London Games which are regarded as one of the best ever. Stephen graduated from Oxford and Harvard and has a background in advertising and consulting. He is a Fulbright Scholar, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Young Global Leader with the World Economic Forum. He established the workplace team at Stonewall and led membership of their flagship Diversity Champions program for employers to over 300 members ranging from JPMorgan to the Royal Navy and Manchester City Football Club. He also developed the Workplace Equality Index, the UK's first LGBT leadership program in conjunction with Henley Management college and a diversity recruitment guide distributed to every higher educational institution in the country.

Agents of Change: Black Women Mobilizing for Land Rights in Brazil

When I say “social movement leader” who comes to mind? I immediately think of Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Ghandi and Cesar Chavez. When even your feminist blogger comes up with three men, there’s definitely an awareness problem. Keisha-Khan Y. Perry, Assistant Professor of Africana Studies at Brown University, spotlights poor black Brazilian women, who are indeed unsung social movement leaders.

Professor Keisha-Khan Y. Perry

The public image of these women in Brazil is that they lack the knowledge and political sophistication needed to organize social movements. In an extensive ethnographic study, Professor Perry documented and examined women’s participation and leadership in neighborhood associations. She demonstrates that the women are far from “passive undereducated servants.” On the contrary, they are savvy organizers and advocates plugged into the needs of their communities.  

In her forthcoming book, Black Women Against the Land Grab: The Fight for Racial Justice in Brazil, Professor Perry brings to light not only the level of political sophistication that these women possess, but also the role they play in their communities as “political theorists.” Perry argues that women are the main agents of interpreting the racial, gender, and class dynamics of urban development. These women intentionally organize as blacks, as women, and as the poor, which provides key insights on precisely how intersectionality is mobilized for social change. 

Gamboa de Baixo, Salvador, Brazil (photo by Helio Queiroz, Panoramio)

As poor all-Black neighborhoods in Brazilian cities come under threat of demolition and thousands of people face eviction – including for events like the World Cup and the Olympics – the women are leading the charge in empowering and radicalizing local communities.

So when you think of social movement leaders, think of women like Ana Cristina da Silva Caminha, who has led the grassroots movement against land expulsion in her community of Gamboa de Baixo in Salvador, Brazil. She fights not only for access to housing and clean water, but also for the preservation of her community’s soul – its bay-side location, its Afro-Brazilian spiritual practices, and its network of relationships. 


Anya Malkov is an MPP candidate at the Harvard Kennedy School, a WAPPP Cultural Bridge Fellow, and an alumna of From Harvard Square to the Oval Office.

Diversity to a Deadline: Delivering Everyone's London

The research is growing: for those of us concerned about diversity and the incorporation of traditionally excluded groups' members and voices into realms ranging from politics and boardrooms, to cubicles and community functions, there is probably a report or an experiment to which we can turn. We can examine the resilience of diverse groups, the challenges they face, and the styles of leadership that guide them best. 

Reports and experiments are valuable, but when an entity embraces a goal to integrate diversity and inclusion throughout all functional areas, what does this actually look like?

Stephen Frost, WAPPP Fellow and former Head of Diversity & Inclusion for the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, was faced with this challenge. He spoke yesterday not as an academic, but as a practitioner. Before we begin, watch this fun video for a quick recap of the history of the modern Olympic Games and how this factors into the need for an intentional focus on diversity and inclusion.

Frost approached the task before him with an important guiding principle: it doesn't just happen. Diversity and inclusion (D&I) could not be taken for granted as a given in international games, nor could it be seen as a extra little side program.  Rather, D&I needed to be a commitment integrated into all functions and decisions. The question "had to become not why would you do the program, but why wouldn't you?"

The D&I process for the London Olympic Games had three components: understand, lead, and deliver.  London's vision was to use the power of the games to inspire change. The bid to the Olympic Committee highlighted diversity - of age, ethnicity, ability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and social status. A wonderful goal, to bring the experience of the Olympics more in line with the myriad of lives gathered in the audience, serving as volunteers, or employed as staff, but how?

Leadership is the key. Frost brought in Desmond Tutu to inspire the board and agency managers. Nearly all at the upper and mid-management level signed the diversity leadership pledge. There were no quotas for hiring; instead, information was monitored and frequently shared. No department wanted to rank at the bottom of this shared list, creating an internally competitive dynamic to meet and exceed all targets. The media caught word of this process, and unfortunately mocked it with headlines like, "Will Britain Take Gold for the Most PC Olympics Ever?"

The proof, however, was in the pudding. This process was not about being politically correct.  It was about showing that a commitment to diversity and inclusion could be realized to exceed expectations in a large organization - and that these were, indeed, the people's games.  The final part of the D&I process, delivery, illustrated its success. Frost highlighted the D&I efforts in workforce, procurement (supply chain/contractors), and service delivery.  Specialized programs reached out to traditionally excluded groups for the workforce, no contract over £20,000 could be awarded unless the contractor met certain D&I standards and was approved by the Diversity Team, and the various needs of different groups were taken into account while designing details such as counter heights and entrances. 

Frost challenges practitioners to reframe their perspectives on diversity and inclusion.  While a commitment is necessary, there need not be additional programs or requirements - creating a more inclusive workplace need not be a burden.  The key is removing barriers to entry, and accepting diversity and inclusion as critical aspects of every day business.



Valerie Kane is an MPP Candidate at the Harvard Kennedy School.