Everything, for everyone. The first time I read that phrase, I knew that despite “everything,” something was missing. My subconscious did its job: it added an “A”—one that would make me feel included—because what isn’t named doesn’t exist; like the settlements that so many people ignore, because they don’t even know what to call them.
What if that phrase were in the “feminine” form? Probably not everyone would feel included, and some people might even be bothered by it. I wish inequality and rights violations bothered us as much as grammatical errors do.
Everything for everyone.
In the world’s most unequal region, accepting language as a means of social integration means making room for those who are invisible—for what has historically been relegated to the background.
That is why TECHO developed its own Inclusive Communication Manual, a tool for writing this new chapter in Latin America.
The document provides practical tools and ethical principles for addressing discrimination and strengthening communication within and between TECHO, promoting a culture of respect and harmony, eliminating any expression or act of discrimination, and eradicating any such practices or conduct within the organization.
Overcoming poverty and inequality is a story that has always featured protagonists of all genders, ages, races, backgrounds, and beliefs, and that is how it should be told.
Fighting for equality and social justice means acting out of empathy and solidarity; it means recognizing that we all matter and have the same rights and opportunities; it means working to ensure that she, he, and everyone else can feel like they belong. Language shapes reality—let’s do it!