Psycho-babble, “thought leadership” courses are springing up like mushrooms everywhere now - it is a massive, new industry - no exaggeration! A very dangerous and destructive one too.
The practitioners of these courses appear to train and licence each other, and there appears to be no official course, exam or standard they need to achieve or obtain in order to set up practice! They do not appear to have a professional code of conduct either, or any sort of elected body to regulate or police themselves, or any standards to be maintained! They are rather like prostitutes. "The Oldest Profession," is actually no such thing either - being totally unregulated in Britain and therefore just a dubious, risky, haphazard free-for-all, a bun fight!
Acquiring this leadership training is heavily monitored too. It is usually virtually free or heavily subsidised to ethnic people, or those belonging to other minority groups, but it is hugely expensive and virtually closed off to most ordinary, white Brits who are “vetted” before being considered and allowed to take part. So this cannot be regarded as being a “proper profession” yet it exercises the power, is rapidly gaining a certain prestige, and certainly commands and obtains the huge sums of money one would expect from a respectable, Bona fide, legitimate profession.
There also do not appear to be any rigorous studies, statistics or evidence that this training achieves improvement of any kind. Where is the evidence that Common Purpose has improved life for ordinary people at all in Britain, or anywhere else? The only improvement I can see is for the organisers' own bank balances, from the public purse.
Many of these companies or practices are actually run from private residences, country cottages or illegally from within council or government offices themselves!
Also, Common Purpose- type “diversity training” ensures that there is very real fear among staff in council housing depts. housing associations, the health service - in fact every walk of modern life actually, of being perceived and prosecuted as being “racist” or "whatever" if they do not give immigrants and other minorities priority, and virtually what they want, when they demand it.
Plus, there are now so many minority support groups - dodgy “charities,” complete with legal representation, who threaten law suits, that they are ensuring that no firm stand for genuine fairness can be taken over the numerous travesties now happening. There is also huge, questionably ethical, overspill between these support and pressure groups organisers with the diversity trainees and trainers, with much pro bono work, and much secret or private, sometimes nepotistic “mentoring” taking place. Action to halt and redress all of this is required, and SOON.
Anonymous. 2007
http://blogoehlert.typepad.com/eclippings/2008/06/omgthere-are-sp.html