At inHive we always like to share what we’re reading. It’s usually articles or reports, but this month we’ve all read ‘Decolonizing Wealth’ by Edgar Villanueva, a book that explores power dynamics within the not-for-profit sector. Our Project Lead, Prerna Aswani, shares her take-aways.
Reading Decolonizing Wealth, a book on face value about philanthropy and finance, was a surprisingly personal experience. Villanueva contends that colonialism is not just a thing of the past but continues through the power dynamics within our social, financial, political and economic institutions. This book has encouraged me to reflect on my own experience, what can be done about the challenges he highlights, and how we at inHive are working to be part of positive change.
- My personal experience
What resonated with me is Villanueva’s argument on limitations of diversity measures employed at an organisational level. He speaks of money in the non-profit sector being primarily controlled by a few, with those groups who need the greatest support not being represented in the decision-making process. Where indigenous people and people of colour are given a seat at the table, he highlights that often their contributions stifled if they do not align with the status quo.
As a person of colour, born, raised and educated in the West, Villanueva’s words really hit home. Growing up, I remember the intense feeling of not fitting in with my peers at school, feeling the pressure to conform to an accent, pop culture, food and literature in order to shed my ‘otherness’. Whilst my school celebrated multi-culturalism at events like ‘International Day’, there were forms of social exclusion that suppressed diverse cultural practices in the day-to-day. Processing Villanueva’s argument through my own lived experience has highlighted how expectations to conform to a ‘norm’ start from early on and can even be present in our professional surroundings.
- Why listening is not only important, but vital
In Villanueva’s words, we need to ‘listen in colour’ to embrace diversity fully. He describes this as being open, empathetic and listening holistically; making ‘space for the feelings and wisdom of the speaker’ and all their forms of communication, including what is communicated in ways that do not include words.
He explains that actively and fully listening enables philanthropists to trust grantees and provide greater autonomy to them. This is crucial in a sector that is currently bounded by impact metrics that don’t always fit, where grantees are expected to show outcomes in short reporting periods even though the challenges they are working to dismantle are complex, interdependent, and have been decades in the making. Better solutions can emerge if we prioritise relationships, networks, and invest more in listening, relating and understanding each other.
At inHive, we are increasingly conscious of what ‘listening in colour’ means to us when representing the communities of young people we serve. This is why we work in partnership with local organisations to ensure that our work reflects the voice, needs and context of those we support. Network building is a gradual but rewarding process that taps in to an incredibly underutilised resource – former students (‘alumni’). It also acknowledges that resources do exist within local contexts. Development is not necessarily about bringing in ‘foreign’ solutions but making the most of your ‘hive’: the people and resources around you.
At inHive, we will not lead in predefining the impact of these networks. Rather, we empower young people to take the lead in defining what change they wish to see. Our role is to support them to put in place the frameworks to drive forward the change that they and their communities want to see in their schools.
- The process of change
Villanueva comments on the perception of charity, and how it is clouded by ‘others’/ minorities needing to be ‘saved’. He highlights a power dynamic between grant-giving and grant-receiving organisations and makes the case that the sector needs to reflect and come together to recognise the impact of our collective history on how we operate today. This, I argue, is crucial: only when we see our sector as not ‘saving’, but rather as existing out of duty to repair damages of the colonial past, will we truly listen, take stock, and include the voices of those less listened to. Thinking and acting in this way can be powerful.
Through our partnership model at inHive, we try to put these ideas into practice: working remotely from London of course presents its challenges, and we are consciously reflecting on this throughout partner and alumni consultations. Our project designs are a collaborative effort with local partners and focus groups of the young people who will be part of the network, so that our work can truly serve their needs.
We’d love to hear from you if you liked this – please get in touch at info@inhiveglobal.org.
If you’d like to see other reviews of this book, click on the Good Reads link below –
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/38245185-decolonizing-wealth