Mental Mahi

Social impact isn’t all about the physical mahi…

An integral part of our why at the Social Impact Studio is digging deeper, asking better questions, and creating space for transformational learning. Mental Mahi is a space for us to critically reflect on the personal and systemic systems and narratives that uphold and perpetuate social and environmental injustices.

Embodying this space as a team.

Real change takes bravery and a willingness to be uncomfortable, to sit with parts of yourself you’d rather ignore, to acknowledge your own biases, and to support the people around you in their learning.

Anti-racism, white supremacy, priviledge, how to be an active ally… Do these words make you feel confused, uncomfy, or stand off-ish? Let’s work through it together.

UniCrew & White Supremacy

In Sem 1 2022, we as the UniCrew team will be working through Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad, to unpack our own privileges, and learn how to facilitate these conversations for others. Then, in semester two, we hope to open up the same journey to students of the UoO community. 

Follow our learning journey, share in our reflections and key moments through our blog HERE.

Meet our Mental Mahi Leads

Ranisha.

Ramram, my name is Ranisha Chand, and I am a third-year student completing my Politics degree. I have been part of the Unscrew since 2021, so I had the privilege to witness mind fork events around white saviourship and privilege.

I hail from Fiji, and due to my accent, colour, language and religion, I found it hard to fit in some structures in Aoteroa. I feel like dismantling racism and discrimination has been a part of me before I knew but coming to the social impact studio, I had the incredible opportunity to contribute to some of the conversation specific conversations on racism. 

I think ‘Learning to think in the strangers language’ by Konai Helu Thaman has motivated me to read this book. Working through Layla Saad’s book, I wish to educate myself with some terminologies of how to narrate my experiences with more clarity than just emotions. I also hope to reflect on my own biases in this journey too. I think being kind nowadays is underrated, so I want to well-equip myself with competency so I can be as compassionate and generous when dismantling some of the racist issues that are hard for people to reflect on.

Sophie.

Kia ora everyone, I’m Sophie Hicks (aka shicks), and I’m a fourth-year student finishing up my honours in psych this year.

My anti-racism journey took a different turn in 2020, when I was doing my undergrad over in the states. At the time of the George Floyd protests, I had a huge privilege check. I realised that yes, I wasn't/not an overtly racist person, but I was a bystander to many systems that are. I realised that I was an ally, but not an active ally. I petitioned my college to establish a compulsory anti-racism course/paper, which is currently in the works, and in the meantime, I put together a multi-departmental anti-racism lecture series. 

This is my first year with UniCrew, but I’m looking forward to working through Me and White Supremacy, because I know that I come from a privileged background, and want to dismantle any unconscious biases I have. I also want to learn how to help others do the same, no matter where they are on their journey.