Dr. Moussa Magassa - Changemaker Profile
Dr. Moussa Magassa (he/him) is the Associate Vice-President of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) and an adjunct professor in education at Mount Royal University. In this profile, he discusses his lived experiences and the concepts of ethical responsibility, cultural understanding, and systemic change, all which drive his commitment to EDI work.
Could you tell me about yourself?
So I usually like to introduce myself in two or three different ways and that's because of my background. As a person, my name is Moussa Magassa, but this is just the truncated version of my name. In the culture where I come from, names say more than just one event. Names connect back to the past and to things that are very specific to a family and culture. That's important for me, because it situates me in where I come from and how I got to this work. Doing EDI and anti-racism work, for me, is not just a job. I was born into this work. Ethical responsibility is one of the core ways for me to see the world, because I know I'm responsible, not only for myself, but also for the 22 brothers and sisters I have, and everyone else around me.
As we say back home in Senegal and specially in South Africa “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu” - you are a person because of other people. So that’s the core of the foundation of my beliefs and action. It’s my understanding that I have an ethical responsibility as a human being towards myself and the environment and every living being.
What does it mean to be a changemaker?
To be a changemaker, is to be aware of our location and of our ethical responsibilities as a human being. It is to also understand that change starts with ourselves. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “be the change you want to see in the world.” Therefore, being a changemaker is first and foremost being a changemaker in oneself and in the world. This means to understand that the world is not only “out there.” The world is also us. So changemaking is the ethical responsibility of being part of the world. It is understanding the impact of our actions, not only on yourself, but on the human and other beings, on the environment and the global world.
Changemaking is looking beyond just the individual, it is understanding how we impact and being impacted by the global system. It is being able to critically reflect on the policies, the legislations and other social rules and processes. Changemaking is intersectional, global, unified and at the same time, it requires flexibility and collaboration with others.
What big, beautiful question drives your work?
Yes, I think every day I wake up, I say to myself: “How can I contribute to making peace and justice in this world?” And always add, because it is my responsibility, to be part of this change. Otherwise, everyday, I wake up thinking about how my actions, behaviors, and attitude can contribute to peace, justice, equity, global well-being, development and prosperity for all beings.
How do you see changemaking happening at Mount Royal University?
Since I came [to MRU], I kept telling people “I came to this place with my eyes open,” knowing that there is work to be done, and there will be challenges to do this work. There will be people for it and people against it. However, I have decided a long time ago that my responsibility will be not to discard those voices who are going to be against me or the work to be done, but to welcome all different points of view, hear them, respect them, and see how I can center these voices and experiences.
So, changemaking for me in the MRU context is about institutional change through a human lens. It is about using an intersectional equity, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism lens to approach this work. My goal is to bring about the “better being” in us. For this, I try to be mindful about where people are at. So, respecting that journey everyone has to take to get to their better self, is important for me, and that's the process of changemaking.
Was there a defining “changemaking moment” for you as an MRU staff member?
When I started at MRU, there was a lot of change happening. The defining moment for me was the way I was welcomed in, the warm embrace I received, and I am still receiving from everyone. People are curious and want to do make change and contribute to EDIA as one of the strand of this system approach to changemaking. The warmth I received from people who kept coming to me, talking to me, teaching me, sharing with me, mentoring me - that was the defining moment. The result has been the integration of my work to develop different initiatives on campus in collaboration with partners and campus community.