ERGA Social Justice Positioning Statement
- luisamarins19
- 9 hours ago
- 2 min read
A positioning statement from the ERGA Social Justice Committee regarding current events and recent political developments.
In November 2024, after an ERGA Council vote, the Social Justice Subcommittee became an independent committee. We are grateful for this decision. It shows that the European Reference Genome Atlas is serious about excellent science: one that is stronger when everyone can participate and succeed. As a newly formed committee, we want to honour this trust through clear goals and concrete actions. Our purpose is to recognise the many identities and lived experiences within ERGA, and in the communities we work with and live in. We want to ensure this diversity can fully join and shape ERGA’s scientific work.
We know some colleagues may wonder whether our mission is too ambitious or too complicated. We understand these concerns. Real change takes time, steady action, and caring for others. Many people feel tired or unsure of past and present challenges. We are aware that an ideal academic environment does not exist today, but we wish to work towards full inclusion. Bias, exclusion, and unhealthy workplaces have not disappeared. Yet, we believe we can improve things, step by step, and that this effort is worthwhile.
Social justice is everyone's daily experience. In recent years, some debates have become more divisive and polarised. We invite people with many viewpoints to engage with us. We hear from those who have worked on social justice before and felt that progress was slow or unnoticed. Our committee will focus on practical actions that will make genomics research across Europe more fair, open, and inclusive. We work across many aspects of diversity, including ethnicity, gender, social class, language, orientation, religion, neurodiversity, and disability. By taking an intersectional approach and taking action together, we aim to show that progress is possible. We also aim to show that shared success lifts us all.
There is real work ahead, and it will not always be easy. We do not ignore this reality. We recognise the ERGA Council's courage in making our work more visible. Efforts toward equality, equity, diversity, and inclusion bring clear benefits. It improves our relationships with our partners’ communities. It strengthens trust and collaboration among colleagues. It creates safer and healthier workplaces. Most of all, it leads to better science. These are goals worth pursuing, and we are committed to turning them into actions.
Authors: James F. Fleming, Fabrizio Ghiselli, Jennifer Leonard, Rebekah Oomen, Lada Lukic Bilela, Chiara Bortoluzzi, Christian de Guttry.
