Written by Vinny Lohan, Emerge Institute
It has been my observation that for learnings to be deeply integrated into our being and for them to seep through in our world view, it takes time. I feel that my Leadership New Zealand journey had arrived at a point by Retreat 3 (A Civil Society – Our People, Our Land) to have absorbed enough about the dynamics between Tangata Whenua and Tangata Tiriti, to be able to now see the impact of colonisation across a whole complex web of social and personal scenarios. We have been slowly and gently embedding ourselves in the living understanding of Mana Ōrite.
This Retreat was personally very challenging for me due to the nature and the extent of the horrible facts we learned about the methods of forceful colonisation of the indigenous people around the world. Being of indigenous roots myself, I felt the pain of other cultures that have suffered and continue to do so. Although I was going through this pain, my being was uplifted slowly as I tuned into a bubbling authentic desire in the room full of leaders from across our country to bring about systemic transformation of the domination that still goes on. I learned that so many of us are just not educated in the history of our lands and our people, this lack of education has led to many not realising the depth of the issues we face. This Retreat made us all realise that we exist in a fabric of interwoven relationships that need to be honoured and nurtured.
One of the key dialogues of the Retreat was uncovering what the role is of different groups of people in bringing about an equitable society, be it the immigrant and ethnic minorities, Māori, Pasifika and Pākehā. This process was very healing in its nature as we got to hear each other’s perspectives with further details of culture, gender, economic situation, family dynamics all adding to a rich and diverse interwoven understanding. This honest learning from each was possible due to the safe environment where you can voice your current understanding with the freedom to be allowed to change and evolve your views as new ideas and perspectives are shared. I personally saw people growing, though the process of confronting our inner biases is painful and many can turn away from it, many in our cohort are not shying away from this journey despite the inner challenges. This gives me hope for the future, because I am seeing first-hand that people care about each other when they get to connect and hear the stories that have shaped the people around them.
As my journey with The NZ Leadership Programme progresses, one thing is for certain: I have a grounded realisation that there is a multi-cultural desire to harmoniously co-exist and grow in this nation. The diverse group of leaders that have brought their full selves and come together on this transformative process are a testament to the possibility of a true partnership between people who celebrate the beauty of our different cultures and identities, yet at the same time see the common thread of humanity that runs through and connects us all.
Vinny Lohan is the 2021 recipient of our Leadership NZ’s Diversity Scholarship for The NZ Leadership Programme.
Did Vinny’s story resonate with you? This is one of many courageous, enriching and impactful journeys on The NZ Leadership Programme.
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