A connecting perspective on colonization – Rukmini Iyer

Today, we are learning from Rukmini Iyer. Rukmini is a leadership and organisational transformation consultant and peacebuilder with over two decades of global experience. She works at the intersection of conscious leadership, peacebuilding, and systems change, weaving in ecocentric and decolonial perspectives. She is the founder of Exult! Solutions, a practice dedicated to meaningful, values-driven change, and serves on the International Board of Creators of Peace. Her facilitation integrates the SDGs and IDGs, the Work That Reconnects, and narrative and somatic practices, supporting communities, organisations, and movements worldwide. A Rotary Peace Fellow and Vital Voices Fellow, she is committed to helping people and systems make decisions that nurture wellbeing, equity, and planetary balance. Let's get started... In episode 479 of the Decide for Impact podcast, host Erno engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Rukmini Iyer, a leadership and organizational transformation consultant and peace builder. Rukmini, who has over two decades of global experience, works at the nexus of conscious leadership, peace building, and systems change with an ecocentric and decolonial perspective. Rukmini discusses her work at Exult! Solution and the International Board of Creators of Peace, emphasizing the integration of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Inner Development Goals (IDGs). The conversation delves into the necessity of decolonizing these frameworks and how modern systems often perpetuate inequity and violence. Rukmini shares insights on the historical roots of colonization, contextual differences in global frameworks, and draws comparisons with technological colonization. She also highlights her approach to making her consulting practice inclusive and accessible, and the importance of cultivating non-violent, equitable practices in both personal and corporate spheres. In this conversation with Rukmini Iyer, I learned: 00:00 Intro 02:20 Explanation of why I want to learn more about colonization and decolonization of the Inner Development Goals. 06:30 Starting with peacebuilding and her experience in this work, she concentrates on dialogue and peace education. 09:30 Gandhi probably drew his inspiration for his non-violent way of living from the Jain philosophy of ahiṃsā. 11:05 Peace-building is a lot about recalling the possibility of non-violence for Rukmini. 11:50 Violence is part of life. It is natural, but is it in the service of life? 16:05 The tendency of humans to take power over others using violence, and at the same time have the free will to choose not to exercise that tendency. 16:30 One of the earliest forms of colonization is agriculture. We decided to settle on a piece of land and to make it grow what I want it to grow. 18:25 All of human history has been about exploring our relationship with power. Power over vs power with. 20:35 Examining land ownership from a different perspective. 22:45 What we call resources, the indigenous people call relatives. 25:05 Rituals that remind us that we are in a relationship with the planet, the cosmos, the plants and animals. 30:15 We need a complement to the SDGs, which speaks to the internal aspects of our psyche. That is why inner development is of great importance to Rukmini. 34:30 Working with frameworks like the Sustainable Development Goals is a luxury. 36:25 To repair our relationship with life through inner development. 37:15 The main points of why there is colonization in the IDG framework and organisation - see links to resources below 44:20 The business model that makes her work accessible. 47:40 We have given a lot of power away to money. 48:50 Start sensing into the patterns of colonization. 51:50 An empowering connotation around colonization. 53:10 Creating localized versions of the IDG framework. 54:10 We allow ourselves to be colonized by technolog...