On Lilies and the Value of Inclusion

Arendt Oak Speser, PhD
CEO
Foresight Science & Technology




“I saw a thousand wild lilies on the meadows of life….” – Odysseus Elytis

Let’s start with a metaphor. The Nobel Prize-winning poet, Odysseus Elytis, gives us this one: thousands of wild lilies on the meadows of life. What accounts for the richness of this image? Is it the picture of thousands of wildflowers in the mind’s eye? The feeling of being in open air, absorbing a vast field of color, with a gentle spring breeze covering the body in gooseflesh? Or do we identify with the meadows of life, knowing we have surely experienced them before, and just as surely hope to experience them again?

A metaphor works because it brings together two distinct data points to form a single, cohesive thought. In the literal meaning of the Greek etymology, it carries meaning across from one place to another. We start in a meadow of wildflowers and are transported to the richness of our lives because they, too, are full of color and sensation.

The work we do to make our lives more inclusive is a metaphoric pursuit; we challenge ourselves to understand meaning from multiple points of view, different perspectives, diverse values. When we made commitments to equity, diversity, and inclusion, we were not merely signaling to our peers and colleagues that we wanted to be perceived as more socially responsible, just, or woke. We were making commitments to a form of thinking (and being) capable of carrying meaning across cultural contexts, historical barriers, and structural inequalities.

Let’s try to be more specific. Imagine you are working on a project that involves some Indigenous IP, such as genetic material that could potentially be licensed to a pharmaceutical company. You know how sensitive these deals are, how easily it could fall apart if the right terms aren’t met or if there are unnecessary delays in the licensing process. It would be much more efficient to handle everything yourself, especially because you know how these things tend to work and feel confident that you can get this deal done on your own.

What is the value of inclusion in this scenario, specifically as it relates to the Tribal community from which the genetic material originates? Is it a moral obligation? Is it a matter of professional responsibility? You might feel strongly that both are true, but what do either of these things matter if the deal collapses in the meantime?

What if we were to ask the same question about the value of inclusion in a framework which doesn’t assume the deal itself to be the logical telos (ultimate objective, aim, or end) of this process. What if we understood the relationships to be the ultimate driver of value—not only the relationships with industry but also with the Tribal community. These relationships, despite what it might mean in the short term for the deal at hand, could develop into a lasting collaboration that could generate more opportunities in the future.

Finally, what is this alternative framework and how do we define it? Rather than asset-focused, let’s call it lily-focused. Rather than seeing a single piece of IP, let’s look at the whole meadow of wild lilies. If you lack the imagination to do so, try stepping out of your cultural context for a change.