As Outreach Coordinator at FACES, I had the honor and privilege of attending Face Equality International’s (FEI) annual Face Equality Forum and the 10th annual Appearance Matters conference in Bristol, United Kingdom, in early June 2024. Face Equality International’s forum included their global alliance of NGOs and charities like FACES. The forum is held to review Face Equality Week held in May, and establish a stronger alliance to combat any and all facial discrimination happening across the world. The ultimate goal of Face Equality Forum is to improve the quality of life for those impacted by visible differences globally.
During my time in the United Kingdom, I also attended the Appearance Matters Conference, hosted by the Centre for Appearance Research University of West England. The event was hosted by Dove. Dove has long maintained true to its mission of creating a world where everyone has high self esteem. In fact, Dove was the first company to include a variety of body sizes in their campaigns, and diversified hairstyles.
Many people are motivated and inspired to create positive changes for our community after leaving the forum. Before my first FEI conference in Toronto, I had no clue about their positive impact and mission. Impressed with what I learned, I was thrilled to reconnect with familiar faces at this year’s forum and have a mind-expanding experience and thoughtful conversations throughout the conference. Face Equality International’s mission is to promote "face equality" and create a world where people with facial differences are accepted and valued as equal citizens.
What is face equality, you might ask? Trust me, I have a facial difference, and I didn’t know what it was until last year. I learned more about what defines face equality. I learned how creating a world where face equality exists fully presents unique barriers, especially regarding equal protection under the law. From a geographical and governmental perspective, there can be added challenges. Face equality is to create a world where those living with visible differences are accepted and valued as equal citizens, free from prejudice and stigma.
FEI Trustee Charlotte Venter, daughter of FEI founder James Partridge, attended the conference. I had the pleasure of meeting Charlotte and hearing the impact her father had on face equality advocacy before his death in 2020. Those who knew him shared stories, and it felt like I knew him. Additionally, there were teams of researchers, including psychologists and others, to study the branding and marketing of products and how they affect our perception of beauty. We had conversations about the complexities surrounding AI. One researcher presented an alarming report stating, "two out of five people will give up years of their life to get the ideal image.”
During my time in Bristol, listening to stories of people actively pursuing face equality was moving. While I don’t plan to have children of my own, I loved how someone presented research on how we can support women with facial differences who do wish to have biological children of their own. Listening to stories, research, and different perspectives filled me with awe as I witnessed the expertise of many people in action.
Each forum has its unique impact, offering valuable learning opportunities for all members of FEI. This year, I learned that education isn’t just in the classroom. We can learn as much from listening to others’ stories and sharing our stories of living with a craniofacial difference in hopes of creating a more equal and just world.
Comentaris