The is an independent network at LSHTM organised and coordinated by a core group of volunteer staff, students, and alumni who make up a Steering Committee. FAIR is committed to breaking taboos around conversations about race, racism, and colonial legacies in public health education and practices.
FAIR is a more formal realisation of the ambitions of Black Lives Matter-LSHTM. While remaining essentially external, the Network is woven into the fabric of the institution, working more closely with teams, departments and leadership to push for anti-racist praxis, racial equity, historical accountability and radical transformation at the School, until a time when the work can be handed over to the wider community at LSHTM.
FAIR’s overarching goal is not to remain in operation indefinitely. It is the intention to ‘hand over’ work, in due course, to the wider School community as it matures and embeds anti-racist practice. It is FAIR’s ambition that principles of decoloniality, anti-racism, equity, and social justice will become ingrained at every level of the Institution and will be fundamental to LSHTM’s governance, culture and values.
FAIR is not:
- LSHTM’s body on anti-racism and decoloniality: FAIR is an independent network at LSHTM, and its freedom of speech is protected and valued. LSHTM and FAIR acknowledge that conflicting viewpoints can exist and be valid. There will be occasions where our opinions differ. In recognition of FAIR's positive contribution to LSHTM, its work will be protected from retaliation or attempts to prejudice learning opportunities and achievements, career prospects or employment with the institution.
- Representative of the whole LSHTM community: The FAIR Steering Committee is not representative of, and does not speak on behalf of, the entire LSHTM community. The Committee takes responsibility for all materials disseminated by the group.
- A membership club: FAIR is a network without membership. As FAIR’s objective is to work with LSHTM to transform and redefine the Institution’s culture, all LSHTM community members (staff, alumni and students) are invited to lead, discuss and support projects related to FAIR’s vision and objectives and to incorporate anti-racist principles into their teaching, learning, service provision and research practice.
Further information about FAIR ways of working, including how you can request support, will be made available on this page in due course.