Researching Postcapitalist Possibilities

Tag: Scholarship

  • PhD Scholarship awarded – introducing Swarnima Kriti

    PhD Scholarship awarded – introducing Swarnima Kriti

    Great news! We are now able to confirm the PhD scholarship in Transitioning to caring economies has been awarded to Swarnima Kriti.

    Swarnima is an action researcher in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh. She has both lived and worked in a small Indigenous village with a group of young women interested in questions of gender, development and ecology. Together, Swarnima and the other young women have set up a cooperative called Chinhari: The Young India (www.chinhari.co.in). Swarnima has completed an MPhil in Development Practice, and published some articles. Her latest published article is “Hegel and India” at The GCAS Review. 

    Swarnima will join the caring economies project and be based at Massey Palmerston North, while living in Porirua and back in Chhattisgarh for parts of the PhD project. Her project includes enabling a creative and constructive exchange of learning between communities doing community-based economic innovation in India and New Zealand. Our research partners in Porirua are Te Hiko centre for economic innovation. I asked Swarnima a couple of questions in the lead-up to her big shift to Aotearoa New Zealand.

    What attracted you to the Transitioning to caring economies project? 

    The Transitioning to caring economies project attracted me because of two reasons. One, it gave me the opportunity to learn about collective economic subjects, their actions and institutions. And two, it focused on “writing rights” i.e. writing about efforts communities put into finding sustainable ways of life than  “writing wrongs”. These learnings become important for action researchers like me to create a confluence of alternatives nurturing post capitalist practices.

    What do you think the biggest challenges will be in completing your PhD at Massey?

    I believe my biggest challenge in completing this PhD would be my field work in New Zealand, especially building a relationship with communities there. My work in the past has been largely based on my strong relationships with the community. It may be challenging to juggle between understanding the community, living with them, creating relationships and minimizing the cultural gap. 

    We look forward to having Swarnima arrive and join us at Massey and the Community Economies Research Network NZ, beginning in November 2023!

    Swarnima is an accomplished action researcher interested in community-led economic innovation.

  • Masters scholarship awarded

    It is my great pleasure to introduce Daena Moller, who was awarded with a scholarship in the Masters in Sustainable Development Goals programme in the School of People, Environment and Planning at Massey University. She is an incredible wahine toa who leads in her communities in caring and innovative ways. As part of her scholarship, she will spend time as an intern on the Transitioning to Caring Economies Project in 2024.

    I am passionate about caring economies and doing my part to make a difference in Aotearoa – one individual and whānau at a time.

    -Daena Moller

    Kia ora koutou, ko Daena Moller tōku ingoa. He uri nō Ngāti Maniapoto, Tainui, Ngāti Rangatahi hoki. 

    I am a māmā of 6 tamariki and it is in the nurturing and raising of my whānau that I am passionate about caring economies and doing my part to make a difference in Aotearoa – one individual and whānau at a time. I am humbled to have the following opportunities to serve my iwi, community & Aotearoa:

    • In Tāmaki Makaurau I am a founding trustee of Takiwānaga ki Tāmaki Makaurau, a kaupapa Māori charitable trust created to support whānau with Takiwātanga (Autism Spectrum Disorder) in a holistic and mana-enhancing way. Through lived experience of the challenges and barriers whānau face, our purpose is to understand, support, inform and advocate for our member’s needs. We organise disability friendly activities as well that encourage the whole whānau to attend and have fun together. This group is not exclusive to Māori but open to all families who are interested in a holistic and whānau oriented approach.
    • Tāngata Turi (Māori deaf): This project listens to the voice of Māori deaf through Māori interpreters who express their urgent desire to have their aims and aspirations heard and realised. This work involves advocacy and cross-sector collaboration with tāngata turi fully involved to address the challenges and barriers they experience.
    • Ngāti Rangatahi Whanaunga Association: This project identifies and repairs housing of highest concern in Ngāti Rangtahi rohe (area) and makes improvements to bring it up to a quality livable standard. A gathering of whakapapa (genealogy) and pūrākau (stories) are captured and stored. We are establishing an iwi database and communicating with Ngāti Rangatahi whānau worldwide to keep everyone connected..
    • Te Kāhui Manukura o Kai Ora (Māori Dietitian rōpū of Aotearoa): Through this kaupapa I support Māori dietitians and dietetic students throughout Aotearoa to fulfill their aspirations. This includes building a support network and advocating for culturally safe training programmes and workplaces for Māori dietitians to thrive. In doing so, our members can better serve whānau in their communities to have good health and wellbeing through kai (food). 
    • Aotearoa Sustainable Development Goals Alliance: This organisation has been established in response to a ‘Call to Action’ to capture the national response to the sustainable development goals (SDG). I support this organisation to collaborate with the tāngata whenua, community and voluntary sector, business, academia, local and central government to promote a positive response to the SDGs in Aotearoa. This is no small task, but necessary as we all work together for a better and sustainable country to live.

    I am very grateful to be a recipient of a scholarship which has allowed me to study a Masters of Sustainable Development Goals at Massey University. This is a wonderful opportunity for me to learn and then implement into all aspects of my mahi.

    Daena is a community activist with passion for sustainability and wellbeing.
  • Recruiting a PhD student interested in transitioning to caring economies

    Recruiting a PhD student interested in transitioning to caring economies

    One of the cool things about getting some funding for this project is the ability to offer a scholarship! You can read more about my advertised scholarship here, including how to apply. I’m keen for people to bring their own passions, interests and communities to the project.

    The whole process highlighted how our economies are in dire need of transition, however. The funding was approved in 2021, and since then the PhD scholarship rates were increased (yay!), but I was not allowed to increase the scholarship rate for the one I am offering (boo!). However, I have managed to ring-fence some funding for PhD fieldwork, including international travel if appropriate, and a paid part-time research assistant job on this project. While this is still not ideal, it does mean that any part-time work the PhD student is doing will be relevant to their PhD – rather than going to work in a petrol station or supermarket or work in an unrelated course tutoring.

    I guess this also highlights the things that we can and do already do to create opportunities for care ‘in the meantime’. And how much we need to make this the norm, if PhD students are able to survive on more than two-minute noodles. If you would like to find out more about the scholarship, please get in touch via my Massey email.

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