Middle East Festival, MESP,
Statement on Equality and Diversity

1. Race Equality: everyone is welcome in all events of the Festival regardless of the person’s race, ethnicity or nationality. The Festival encourages and supports specific diverse community groups to host events during the Festival, e.g., Moroccan, Kurdish, Iraqi, Iranian, Turkish, etc.

2. Gender Equality: women of all backgrounds are welcome at all Festival events, and the Festival aspires to a good balance of male and female speakers and facilitators throughout the Festival. The Festival also supports the development of some all-women events during the Festival.

3. Sexual Orientation Equality: everyone is welcome in all events of the Festival regardless of the person’s sexual orientation.

4. Faith/Spirituality Equality: all faith and spiritual traditions are treated in equality, and the Festival does not promote any faith/spiritual tradition over any other tradition. Everyone participates in the Festival as an individual, and people of mixed faith/spirituality, or no identifiable faith/spirituality are equally welcome to participate in all Festival events. The Festival encourages and supports specific diverse faith/spiritual community groups to host events during the Festival.

5. Access issues: the Festival aspires to make Festival events as accessible as possible. This includes issues of disabled access, having some Festival events in disadvantaged parts of the city, and having a good range of free events and relatively inexpensive events to keep the Festival accessible to people on low income, OAPS and students.

6. Diversity: the Festival positively celebrates the diversity of Scotland.

7. Political and Ethical Issues: the Festival is non-political in nature, and the Festival takes up no fixed position on political, ethical or cultural questions. The Festival provides forums for differing points of view to be shared, heard and respected, rather than promoting any one point of view over other points of view.