I will walk the journey,
I will walk slowly to ensure I take it in,
I take slow but deliberate steps, I take steps to be part of the journey of respect and change.
Slowly I take deliberate steps to ensure the journey is taken.
These beautiful words were sent to me by one of the participants of our "White Privilege - Let's Unpack It" forum. They capture the commitment to unpacking privilege and doing more to become anti-racist, having listened to our two courageous and informative guest speakers, Adi Lipscomb and Dorcas Maphakela.
On July 16, I facilitated our first Global Action Now (GAN) forum, “White Privilege – Let’s Unpack It.” It was wonderful to see so many of you there for what turned out to be a truly inspiring evening. Our guest speakers, Adrienne Lipscomb, a Wiradjuri woman, and Dorcas Maphakela, an Australian-South African, opened our eyes and ears to understanding White Privilege from their own lived experience. We were so fortunate to also have Adrienne’s mother, Bev, with us.

Bev is a member of the Stolen Generations, having been taken from her family as a toddler. The pain and trauma is unimaginable. Bev told my small breakout group that she believes education is the key to change - to educate our youngsters to be anti-racist. Everyone agreed and yet it also led to a discussion on how do we educate adults when they are no longer in an institutionalised system made of brick walls and set curriculum? I believe our “White Privilege - Let’s Unpack It” forums are one way to contribute.
The forum was attended by 92 enthusiastic, engaged and committed people. The learning from the forum was extraordinary.
Here is the recording for you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0BW0fNv0Iw

Some comments from participants:

Thank you Marg for the forum last night. So wonderful to raise the voices of Dorcas and Adi, and to create a platform for sharing their experiences as well as a platform for us to hold up a mirror and examine our part in a racist system. Claire P

The two wonderful speakers were inspiring and impactful in their presentation content and stories/information Lesley-Ann M

What a powerful forum. Congratulations. The stories were so compelling. I am still processing them. I was gobsmacked by the history book you read from. Remember it well. Jeanette P
Blessings and here’s to our continued learning,
Marg

Margaret Hepworth
Founder The Gandhi Experiment and Global Action Now
Lessons in Non-violent Leadership
www.margarethepworth.com
Author The Gandhi Experiment – Teaching our Teenagers how to become Global Citizens; Collaborative Debating; Clarity in Time
Sir John Monash Award for Inspirational Women’s Leadership 2016
IABCA Community Achievement Excellence Award 2019

Join us at GAN - Global Action Now on Facebook
and #Acheivethechange