Dear members and friends of ACTO:

After a few months of silence but intense work, we are back to communicating with everyone to tell you what’s new at ACTO.

Before going into the news, I would like to make a reflection with you about what I understand by diversity and inclusion after these years of so many global challenges, the global pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the collapse of American and European banks, the situation of several Latin American countries, Asia and Africa.

Anything that happens anywhere in the world affects us all. It still seems that what happens in “the first world” affects us more, but the truth is that anything that happens in the world affects us all.

ACTO is committed to generating this awareness of globalization.

The recognition of diversity and inclusion is an urgent need.

My experience in these six years that I have been actively serving ACTO has made me realize what diversity and inclusion mean. I am Spanish, the daughter of a wealthy family, a career lawyer, mother of three children to whom I have been able to give higher education. In short, I belong to a culture of privilege, and from that status, I observed the world.

Working for ACTO, and more so since I have been a member of the Board, I have realized what it is to look from different perspectives.

Before the pandemic, we had mindfulness work groups guided by ACTO members Tony Zampella and Shareefah Sabur. This work of observation, sharing, and putting myself in the shoes of others, opened my eyes. I now understand that despite our commonality and interrelatedness as humans, our daily human experience varies greatly.

This is the reflection I want to share with everyone, and I want to ask the question: How conscious are you that what you do affects you, your loved ones, and the people you don’t even know to exist?

I leave you with this question so that you can make room for it in your life.

To end this reflection, I want to share with you how fortunate we all are to share this profession of coaching that puts us on the path of commitment to self-knowledge and openness to ourselves and others.

We are in the best place to do this work. If you have something to share that enriches this ACTO community about the coaching profession and coaching trainers that enhance our diverse and inclusive vision and feeling, I encourage you to write to us.

We already have the speakers for the next conference, which will be held on June 14, 15, and 16, 2023.  We are very excited because we have had many offers of talks, and it has been challenging to stay with 16.

The final choice was based on this year’s Conference theme and our vision of diversity.

From the Membership Committee, we continue to work to attract new members who can and want to play an active role in ACTO to reach more and more people who need the vision of coaching to help them understand the world as a place of growth and everyday learning.

We will keep in touch, and I encourage you to reserve the ACTO Conference dates.

Virginia G.-Vélez
President-Elect
Conference Committee Co-Chair