Culturally Inclusive Language – Louise O’Reilly

So Crisp Podcast

The status quo is something Louise O’Reilly refuses to swallow.

Providing online courses to stimulate harmonious & inclusive change in the world where every global citizen can say I’m #FreeToBeMe is the big goal. For now, she is focusing on cultural inclusiveness of Aboriginal people here in Australia.

Louise O’Reilly is a Warrwa-Noongar Aboriginal woman based in Boorloo (Perth, Western Australia). Through her experiences with identity and self-discovery, she realised society wasn’t always accepting of her, her community or her culture. A lot of her work is focused on human rights and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Very early on, Louise fell in love with words and the emotions that can create within people. The more she learned about words and language, the more she understood about the power they possessed. They could be used to bring peace and unity or they could be used to create harm and hatred. They can create inclusion or segregation.

For too long she saw words and language being used as weapons turning people against people. Louise can see the subliminal messages between the spaces of the words. She can see the conditioning it’s having on your mind.  And she wants to teach you how to see it too.

The Crisp Takeaways

* Yum *

18.30

“I was trying to think of a word because I’ve really struggled with empowerment.

It’s a whole thing of; I need to give something to you for you to be better or for you to have power. And that’s absolutely not it. We all have our own power our own Dominion in our universe. And it’s just about allowing ourselves to release it and own it.”

21.33

“(I’m working towards) understanding and honouring culture, but also inclusion. Now we talk about diversity and inclusion. We, in a lot of spaces in Australia, we do have diversity, but diversity does not mean inclusion and I’m kind of really focusing on the inclusion…”

27.38

“I think, if you if you break everything down, the most important thing to remember is that we’re humans and people equally first. And to really understand that when we are writing… I think that really opens up a space for compassion where you can identify yourself with everyone else. And also I would say to really know what your identities are. So in the intersectionality of all ‘isms’, basically, where do you fit into all of those spectrums? Because what I found is that you have people who …belong to marginalised groups, and I’m saying marginalised and not minority groups because there are marginalised groups who are not the minority. So it’s marginalised groups. You know, you’re looking at things like sex and gender and race and class and financial status, and disability and and all those things – where do you actually sit on all those spectrums?

…It’s like there’s there’s this disconnect of belonging to it within the spectrum. There are people who are quite privileged or belong to a dominant culture. And then… there is another whole spectrum where all marginalised people fit. So, I think when we can really identify where we sit, as individuals in each of those spectrums, we can really start to build understanding and compassion and empathy with or for the the people we are writing for or about. And also what that does is allows you to identify where you have influence, where you have impact. And then when you know where you sit in it all, in the whole grand scheme of it.

When you understand what you stand for, what you want to be creating in the world, you can then start to use your influence and your platforms in a way that uplifts the messages you want to be shared, that lifts the values that you want to be sharing.”

Outside of her two businesses, Ascension Personal Development Academy and louiseoreilly.com.au, Louise is a freelance writer for Amnesty International Australia, a radio host for an Aboriginal women’s self-powerment program called Yorgas Yarning (women talking), and a committee member for the Danjoo Koorliny (Walking Together) Aboriginal-led 10 year visionary reconciliation/conciliation plan for Boorloo (Perth) which is hosted by the University of Western Australia’s Social Impact Unit and lead by four community Elders Noel Nannup, Richard Walley, Colleen Hayward, and Carol Inness.

Join Louise’s Introduction to Culturally Inclusive Language Course here. Use the code: SOCRISP25 for 25% off the course price.

If you are a business looking for advice on inclusion or diversity, Louise offers consulting services.

If you want to read more about Aboriginal culture, Louise’s story and perspective as an Aboriginal woman, or human rights you can subscribe to Louise’s blog here.