The Dignity & Respect Campaign is an awareness campaign designed to join individuals, community leaders, community organizations, educational institutions, businesses, and corporations under the common notion that everyone deserves dignity and respect.
In November of 2008, The Center for Inclusion at UPMC introduced the concept of Dignity and Respect to the employees of UPMC. Employees were tasked with taking a pledge to demonstrate their commitment to treating others the way they want to be treated and providing their opinion on behaviors that represent dignity and respect in the workplace. Based on their feedback, “30 Tips of Dignity & Respect” were created, which highlight behaviors that can easily be incorporated into everyday activities.
Awareness about the campaign spread throughout the Pittsburgh community, as the Center for Inclusion partnered with community leaders on efforts around community unity, cultural competency, and multicultural awareness. On October 1, 2009, the Dignity & Respect Campaign was launched as a community initiative, with the Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh declaring October Dignity & Respect Month. The community campaign kicked off with the launch of a city-wide pledge drive, which engaged over 50 community organizations and awarded a day of service to the organization that received the most pledges. The launch also included the unveiling of the Dignity & Respect Campaign website.
To engage the community, several ideas were created to ensure that dignity and respect are at the core of what UPMC employees do every day:
The D&R Pledge and D&R Tips: Visit the Dignity & Respect Campaign website and take the pledge.
The D&R Month: Organize a launch event, promote a D&R pledge drive, and award a day of service to the organization in your community that receives the most pledges.
The D&R Journey: Champion inclusion within your organization by joining the D&R Journey. The Journey enables organizations to highlight best practices and share them with the D&R community.
D&R Campaign National or Local Sponsorship: Promote inclusion in your organization and community while associating your brand with the Dignity & Respect Campaign by becoming a national or local sponsor.
What began as a workplace initiative to promote dignity and respect at UPMC soon became a local community effort in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and has now become a national initiative dedicated to driving inclusion.
