Counter Colonialism: Learning to Show Up as a Leader of Volunteer Engagement

Everything shifted for Tracey O’Neill, CVA, the moment First Nations Elder Uncle Rob Patton said: "Colonial systems dehumanise us all." The comment reframed 25 years of O’Neill’s practice as a Volunteer Engagement Leader and an “expert” in the sector, and brought home the stark reality that the systems we have inherited were never designed to truly centre community. In fact, O’Neill realized, they were designed to extract from it.

In this deeply personal reflection, O'Neill explores her own journey to understand how colonial thinking shapes the way we define participation, measure contribution and position organisations in relation to community. As O’Neill sits honestly with the parts she hasn't resolved – the assumptions she's still unlearning, the systems she still works within – she invites all leaders of Volunteer Engagement to look differently at what we've built over generations and to ask whose interests it has served.

Available August 28