How do we build a community where everyone feels they belong?

2 hours ago

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What does it take to create a community where everyone feels they belong?

For Parami University’s Inclusion Fellows, it starts with listening—making space for different experiences, difficult conversations, and reflection.

Established to promote a safer and more inclusive learning environment, the Inclusion Fellows Program helps students feel respected, heard, and valued. Fellows serve as a bridge between students and the wider university community by listening to concerns, encouraging dialogue, and raising awareness about equity and inclusion.

Since January 2025, working fellows from different cohorts have been involved in the program, including Peter Ling Mang (Class of 2027), Aung Chit Thae Ko (Class of 2028), Pwint Myat Moe (Class of 2028), and Kay Thi San (Class of 2029).

Perspectives on inclusion

For Peter Ling Mang, his interest in inclusion was shaped partly by his own experiences with language barriers, his background, and personality. He also sees inclusion as an ethical responsibility—recognizing how people can unintentionally create barriers for others and thinking about how those barriers can be addressed.

Becoming a part of running the program also made him look inward. “I found myself questioning whether I had joined the program because I had experienced exclusion myself or because I wanted to help create a more inclusive environment for others.”

For Peter, inclusion is not only about asking others to change. It also requires reflecting on our own actions and how they affect the people around us.

For Aung Chit Thae Ko, an inclusive community begins with mutual understanding. He believes that “warmth, love, care, kindness, and respect” can help people with different perspectives communicate more comfortably and build stronger relationships.

But his experience has also shown him that change takes time.

“Collecting feedback through surveys is only the first step,” Aung Chit reflected. Meaningful change also requires those concerns to lead to conversations, practical solutions, and continued engagement.

For Kay Thi San, one of the most important parts of inclusion is creating spaces where students can speak openly about their experiences, particularly when they have faced discrimination or exclusion.

Students may not always feel comfortable discussing difficult experiences publicly or with faculty and the university student support team. A safe and confidential space can give them an opportunity to share their concerns and feel heard.

Listening to act

The Inclusion Fellows have supported inclusion through dialogue, anonymous surveys, and collaboration with Student Affairs, the Student Council, advisors, and professors. Initiatives such as Break the Bias and a guest speaker session on Promoting an Inclusive Learning Environment among Majority and Minority have also helped open conversations within the community.

At the same time, turning ideas into action has not always been easy. Following the earthquake, several planned activities were paused.

Moving forward, the fellows hope to build greater awareness and trust among students, helping them better understand the roles of the Inclusion Fellows and Inclusion Committee and feel more comfortable approaching them with concerns.

Why belonging matters

For the fellows, inclusion is closely connected to learning.

Peter believes inclusivity helps students feel comfortable enough to participate and engage in their studies. Kay Thi San puts it simply: “Education should be accessible to everyone.” But access alone is not always enough. When students do not feel included or emotionally safe, it can be difficult for them to participate fully in university life.

Aung Chit believes that “inclusivity creates belonging.” When students feel that they belong, they are more likely to grow, contribute, and support the people around them.

Their perspectives point to the same idea: students can be part of a university without necessarily feeling that they belong there. Creating that sense of belonging matters.

Listen. Reflect. Think.

The fellows have a simple message for the Parami community: Listen. Reflect. Think.

Listen to the experiences and voices of the people around you. Reflect on your own actions and assumptions. Think about how you can contribute to a community where others feel respected and included.

Inclusion does not always begin with a major initiative. Sometimes, it begins with everyday actions—making space for someone who has not spoken, listening without judgment, or reconsidering an assumption about another person.

The Inclusion Fellows Program is still growing, but the fellows’ experiences show that trust, open communication, empathy, and reflection are essential to creating a more inclusive learning environment.