Who We Are | Stories of Healing and Liberation from Colonial Systems

Today's guest is Samira Bechara. Samira's father was born in Lebanon and her mother was born in the United States. Samira was born in the Seattle area and recently moved to Lebanon, where she now resides. In this fascinating episode, Samira shares how it was to grow up in the US as a brown Lebanese girl during the time of 9/11, and how even though her family was Christian, she received racist and Islamophobic comments from people around her. She talks about how this Islamophobia was also perpetuated within her own family, and how she connects with her Christian roots as someone who is liberating herself from colonial systems. We discuss how keeping what is important and helpful within certain belief systems is as important as letting go of what no longer serves us. Samira shares what it's like living in Lebanon and some of the challenges that exist there, pointing out the disconnect between the area that is being actively demolished and the quiet community where she lives. We talk about holding compassion for people who have to live through this fragmentation and trauma, and how Samira feels passionate about contributing to a more liberated, just world through her work and the choices she makes as a human being on a daily basis. Other topics we discuss include Samira's ancestors who had mystical gifts, how certain aspects of Christianity has been co-opted by empire, building intimacy through accountability, celebrating other people's authentic selves and much more in this multidimensional conversation.

Today's guest is Melany del Carpio. Melany’s parents were both born in Lima, Peru. She was born in Castro Valley, California and currently lives in Oakley, CA, on indigenous Ohlone Lands. In this episode, we talk about how time reveals all, including how indigenous Inca structures have stood the test of time compared to Spanish ones, proving the quality and depth of their relationship to the earth and the sciences. We talk about how Catholicism, first introduced and imposed through torturous methods, still endures, yet there is still a returning to indigenous ways in Peru. Melany describes how colorism and anti-blackness still impacts the people of Peru, and her own privilege within that due to her mixed ancestry. We talk about how holding nuance and complexity is increasingly important as we reclaim our cultural roots and sit with the discomfort of how our own people still oppress others. We talk about how tactics from the same colonial playbook have influenced all of us, no matter where we’re from, and how much lateral harm still happens in our communities unless we do the deeply uncomfortable yet richly rewarding inner work to liberate ourselves from these patterns. One of the biggest takeaways for me was how similar our experiences were, as a Peruvian woman in the US and an Indian woman in the UK. How much kinship and comradery there has been between myself and Melany, as well as all of the guests so far, and how it’s time to lean into that sense of global family even further.

Today's guest is Bre, whose mother is Romani, from the Balkan Roma. She was born in Sydney, Australia. Her father’s ancestors are Scottish Highlanders. He was also born in Sydney. Bre was born in Eora Nation (Sydney) and lives there still. In this necessary and eye-opening episode, Bre shares her journey of uncovering the mystery behind her maternal family's Romani roots and how she is consciously reclaiming this important part of her heritage. We discuss the centuries of oppression that Romani people have faced, including slavery, the Romani Holocaust, forced sterilization and the societal prejudice which has often denied them access to basic healthcare, water and other human rights. The Romani left India around 1,500 years ago. As an Indian woman myself, whose family left India around a century ago and have been moving ever since, we talk about the flawed, often colonial logic behind this prejudice and how in this increasingly globalised world, there are very few of us who have not migrated. Join us for this deeply personal yet universal episode - we'd love to know what you think.

Today’s guest is Dra. CarolLaine M García. Both her parents were born in Santiago de los Caballeros in the Dominican Republic, which is where she was also born. CarolLaine currently lives in Dallas, Texas, formerly land of the Caddo and Wichita peoples. In this complex and powerful episode, CarolLaine shares her family’s story, and how many lineages flow through her, from West African, Spanish, Portuguese and Indigenous Taíno, creating a living legacy of the colonial history of her land and people. She shares how this complexity impacted her, and how she came to deeply accept and work with all of these parts of herself as well as finding balance between her scientific, academic mind and her intuitive self. To find out more about CarolLaine’s work, see here.

Today's guest is Hannah Kendaru. Hannah’s father hails from an ancestral lineage from West Java and Sulawesi, Indonesia and her mother comes from Essex, England. Hannah was born in Bandung, Indonesia and currently resides there. A gentle note - this episode contains some mentions of sexual assault. In this fascinating episode, Hannah eloquently captures the distinction between historical and intergenerational trauma, weaving her personal history between the two. As someone whose parents are Indonesian and white British, she speaks powerfully of the relationship between the colonizer and the colonized parts within herself, of truth and forgiveness, and how she learned to move through these challenges into heart-led action. We speak about the current colonial energies affecting Bali, where Hannah lived for a while, and how corrosive yet now-needed western tourism continues to be for the people of the land. Hannah's work can be found here.