IREX is pleased to join the Coalition for Racial & Ethnic Equity in Development (CREED) and to be one of the first signatories of the Pledge for Racial & Ethnic Equity. The pledge encompasses commitments regarding policies and systems, organizational structure, culture, accountability, and communications and transparency with the goal of building racial and ethnic equity in organizations, creating evidence-based learning, and transforming the global development sector. By signing the pledge, IREX is joining more than 30 not-for-profit and for-profit development organizations publicly committing to building diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environments.

“IREX strongly supports the principles outlined in the Racial & Ethnic Equity pledge,” said IREX President and CEO Kristin Lord. “We made this commitment because it is the right thing to do, because it will improve and deepen the impact of our work, and because it will enrich the experiences and perspectives of all who work for and with IREX. IREX strives to promote more just, prosperous, and inclusive societies through our work around the world.  Equity and inclusion is core to our mission. We must therefore do more to address racial and ethnic equity at IREX and in the global development sector.”

By signing the Racial & Ethnic Equity pledge, IREX commits to:

• strengthening its commitments and accountability for racial & ethnic equity within its policies, systems, and culture;
• creating practical and quantifiable standards for advancing racial & ethnic equity; and
• working to instill racial and ethnic equity as a core principle in the development sector.

“To be effective and create meaningful shifts, CREED’s Racial & Ethnic Equity pledge is taking a focused view to build equity by concentrating on strengthening racial and ethnic equity within United States-based organizations” said Indira Kaur Ahluwalia, Founder/Chair of CREED and CEO of KAUR Strategies. “CREED welcomes IREX to a learning community of like-minded organizations committed to integrating racial and ethnic equity into how we work.”