Doin’ the Dishes

We forked with our minds, now we have to deal to the grime left behind: White Saviourship in Social Impact

In Sem 1 we asked the hard hitting question: is volunteering privileged and racist? We forked with our minds, and now we have to deal to the grime left behind: White Saviourship in Social Impact. We aren’t ones to shy away from the uncomfy dirt so we created space for students to get out their mental scrubbing brushes!

On Tuesday, 27 July, with the guidance and knowledge pool of the EPIC Joss Inton-Campbell (whose panelist skills were put on show at MindFork), we unpacked the mess of “white saviorism” and the “humanitarian gaze”. We discussed how institutional and systemic problems have left a legacy of inequity, the difference between discrimination and racism, and why active ‘good’ can still cause passive harm.

We then broke out into small cafe style groups to reflect on ourselves, our communities, and share ideas and look at ways we can dismantle and re-create.

It can often feel like engaging with social impact activities is like walking into your flat the morning after a wild party. It’s tempting to just close the door and walk away from it all, but the mess will still be there when you return later that day. You may have benefited from the party, drunk the drinks, danced to the music, or you may have been in your room trying to sleep frustrated that no one asked you if they could even have the party. Either way this is OUR home and we have to work together to acknowledge the mess is REAL and we all have a part to play in the clean up.