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Emile's avatar

Thank you so much for naming and clarifying for us all to learn! <3 I find it so nourishing to lean into the connections between everything you share here. As a settler descendent in Africa, I will focus on what I know to be mine:

It grants me more dedication, focus and meaning when I understand that learning humility, unlearning domination and returning what was stolen is part of Spiritual Health. That Spiritual Health, for me, precedes all other forms of wholeness and well-being.

It reminds me of a wisdom I found in Tyson Yunkaporta's 'Sand Talk': When a community member is found guilty of misdemeanour (something that harmed the collective) there is always an opportunity back into right relationship, and that when a person has gone through that process, they hold the wisdom of how to repair.

Being able to acknowledge harm, to say sorry, to repair, to give back what was taken... these are skills that enrich my life every day in so many ways. And it makes me better able to participate fully in my community. A blessing.

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Michele Price's avatar

This part right here >>> Being able to acknowledge harm, to say sorry, to repair, to give back what was taken.

Thank you for contributing the conversation. One many people are afraid to acknowledge mush less address.

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Emile's avatar

I have been reflecting on this conversation quite a bit over the past few days, and I want to highlight how the language of competition has snuck in here. It has been interesting to navigate how much my ego likes being praised as one of the "exceptions" among yt folk when I simply name what I have learned, but really, I do not want the praise and I do not want to imply that those who are struggling to acknowledge and address the reality are simply afraid.

Unlearning supremacy and a colonial mindset that was invented and perpetuated by one's own people asks for holding deep deep grief, too. And most people in the western world lack the community support to even start facing that. The amount of people I've talked to who cannot access their own tears breaks my heart. And when a body does not allow itself to cry, where does one start then?

I raise this with love and a deep sense of urgency for a breakthrough that I don't even exactly know how to name, but I do know it asks for true, deep non-judgement and compassion. <3

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Michele Price's avatar

Yes, I saw this week how people who claim to be in the space of DEI and unlearning supremacy refused to accept a correction made, then misidentified someone not recognizing their lateral harm or violence.

There are too many leading in a space who have not done healing work and I believe that will really be showing up now at this stage and phase of things.

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Emile's avatar

xxx

I understand. Thank you, and I am sorry. <3

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Michele Price's avatar

We have a whole other level of the work that is going to be seen and understood now. Having experience in healing and integration matters. Thank you for showing up and bringing your full self.

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