I was recently forwarded a very interesting New York Times article that outlines how President Nicolas Sarkozy is taking steps to fulfill one of his campaign promises to increase diversity in France.
Fed up with the slow advancement of diversity in the country, the president — who happens to be the son of a Hungarian immigrant — recently vowed to take matters into his own hands by introducing a series of measures to increase the number of ethnic minorities in various areas in France, including on television, in political parties and elite schools.
For instance, he is trying to persuade large companies to accept anonymous resumes in order to prevent inadvertent discrimination during the hiring process.
He also suggested expanding the powers of a group known as the High Authority Against Discrimination, authorizing it to conduct surprise inspections at various workplaces.
Further, in a move that has been traditionally unheard of in France, Sarkozy said scientists may begin to collect statistics on ethnicity in the country to help researchers detect roadblocks and measure progress.
What do you make of these bold initiatives? Will they advance ethnic diversity in various forums such as the workplace? What potential roadblocks do you see?
