23-24 Program Theme

Stories We Inherit, Stories We Pass Down, Stories That Empower Change

Stories, and storytelling, are fundamental to our humanity. Much more than being “just” myths or adventures for children, the stories that we absorb and that we pass on tell us who we are, both individually and in community. Our stories also tell us about others: who they are in comparison to us, where and how they are situated in society, and what we can expect from them. Importantly, these stories can lead us to, and away from, a sense of belonging, compassion, understanding, and taking action for social justice. The 2023-24 Shanti Alliance theme and Hawai’i DEI Conference present the opportunity to choose and shape our stories in order to support liberation and a thriving world for everyone.

We will explore this year’s theme through:

  1. Engaging with an expert practitioner who will present and lead discussions on three occasions prior to and during the 2024 conference.

  2. Educator discussions and workshop opportunities throughout the 2023-24 academic year.

  3. Student workshops, experiential opportunities, and discussion groups throughout the 2023-24 academic year.

Guiding Questions

  • Inner Practice: Focusing on identity awareness and engaging in practices to grow the dispositions and capacities within us that enable us to do DEIB work in a balanced, healthy and sustainable way

    • What stories do we inherit, and how does this shape who we are? What stories might we pass down, consciously and subconsciously?

    • How can we recraft our stories to be effective agents of change? What narratives do we shed, hold onto, adopt, and adapt?

  • Outer Practice: Focusing on learning, adapting and applying the knowledge and skills gained through Shanti Alliance to engage in DEIB work in the school community

    • What ʻaina-based wisdom can we weave into our stories to ground, heal and guide us?

    • What wisdom and stories from our diverse communities (indigenous and settler) can we leverage for positive change?

    • What harmful stories become codified in school systems, policies, curriculum and practices, and how do we nurture and center new stories of equity, inclusion and belonging?