The Inclusion Framework: Being Unique and Feeling Connected

In a powerful display of collaboration, young professionals from Vilans, ZonMw, VWS, and KWF gathered for a mini symposium in The Hague titled Diversity and Inclusion. Thirteen Vilans employees traveled to ZonMw’s new office in The Hague to participate in an afternoon focused on fostering inclusion and diversity within their organizations.

The event began with interactive introductions, where participants could learn about the other organizations by means of a small quiz. For example, the concept of "free space" at Vilans  appeared to be a hard question to answer for participants of the other organizations, even as the question about the meaning of Vilans (Vitality and Balance).

A keynote lecture by Prof. dr. Kusurkar, Professor of Inclusion and Motivation at VU Amsterdam, formed the centerpiece of the symposium. Drawing from her own personal journey, Prof. Kursurkar shared how her life experience deepened her commitment to diversity, equity and Inclusion.

A core takeaway from Prof. Kusurkar’s lecture was the Inclusion Framework, emphasizing the delicate balance between belongingness and uniqueness. The Inclusion Framework, which is often used in educational and organizational settings, illustrates four levels of inclusivity based on belongingness and uniqueness (see visual above):

• Inclusion: Individuals are treated as insiders and are encouraged to retain their unique characteristics. This is the ideal state, where people feel valued both as members of the group and as unique individuals.
• Assimilation: Individuals are treated as insiders only when they conform to the majority group behaviors, sacrificing uniqueness for a sense of belonging.
• Differentiation: Here, uniqueness is valued, but individuals are still seen as outsiders, which limits their sense of belonging.
• Exclusion: Individuals are treated as outsiders, with neither their uniqueness nor their belongingness recognized, leading to a complete lack of inclusion.

This framework underscored Prof. Kusurkar’s message on the importance of fostering environments where both individuality and group identity are supported, motivating people to bring out their best in inclusive workplaces.

Three Cases on Diversity and Inclusion

In the symposium’s interactive segment, participants in three case studies related to diversity and inclusion.

One case study with a role-play, developed by the Vilans Diversity & Inclusion team, presented a hypothetical scenario inspired by research findings on foreign healthcare workers' integration challenges in Dutch care organizations. This case focused specifically on Portuguese healthcare workers facing Integrational challenges while working within the Netherlands’ care organizations. Through role-play and discussion, participants explored strategies to create more inclusive environments that could help these workers overcome cultural and language barriers and other integration challenges.

The day concluded with informal networking, where participants made new connections and discussed potential collaborations. This successful event demonstrated the impactful work of the “Young Clubs” and emphasized the importance of joint efforts to foster diversity and inclusion across Dutch care organizations.