Professor Jioji Ravulo: “How will you make a difference, through your difference?”
By Lefaoali’i Dr Dion Enari
When Jioji Ravulo was a case worker involved in the criminal justice system, he wanted to know why Pacific youth were overrepresented in the system, this curiosity sparked his PhD. Today, he stands as the first Pasifika Professor in Australia.
Here he talks to Lefaoali’i Dr Dion Enari about his academic journey and his vision for Pacific people.
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Malo lava le soifua, please tell us a bit about yourself, your village, family?
Ni sa bula vinaka and G’day – I’m Jioji Ravulo, my father is iTaukei Fijian from the village of Nayavuira, in Ra, which is 2.5 hours north of Suva in Fiji. My mother is Anglo Australian from Sydney, Australia.
What motivated you to be in academia and become a professor?
To be honest – I never wanted to be an academic! I initially said no to an initial 12-month lecturer role because at the time I was working as a manger of a youth accommodation service for homeless young people in western Sydney. But I eventually (but still reluctantly) said yes and quickly realised that it is a sheer privilege to contribute to the next generation of social workers – who are striving to make a difference across society. What propelled me to then become a professor was a desire to further assist in critical conversations across the discipline, and the broader Pacific region too.
How do you navigate being a Pacific person in academia?
I’ve also learnt to see that such points of difference can be meaningfully utilised in supporting my work with others. That is, don’t shy away from bringing our unique worldviews to the conversations, for others to consider, and learn from and alongside.
Where do you see our people in academia?
Currently, I see us in many different spaces and places. From different disciplines and areas – which is great. I think we can continue to thrive in education when we are empowered to bring our points of difference into the learning environment. In an initiative I created called PATHE, our moto is ‘when one achieves, we all succeed’. Once again, this reflects the collective and communal nature of our cultures, and the benefits an individual, alongside their families and wider communities gain from such educational success.
What is your advice for our people, particularly our young people?
Keep going! There is a place for you in academia – whether it be completing your undergraduate degree – to achieving a PhD! Bring your ‘Pasifikaness’ to these spaces – as western society can learn lots from doing things from our perspectives and practices. In essence, don’t shy away from being you, as you individually represent a broader collective community that is standing alongside you on your quest for educational achievement.
Is there anything else you would like to say?
Embrace your own areas of diversity, whether it be based on your gender, class, religion, spirituality, age, ability, sexuality, ethnicity etc – as these intersecting identities can help shape societies that are inclusive. By celebrating diversity in all its many shapes and sizes, we support opportunities to learn from each other, creating ways for everyone to be counted and
contribute.
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Professor Jioji Ravulo is Chair of Social Work and Policy Studies at The University of Sydney, and an Adjunct Professor at The University of the South Pacific. His areas of work include mental health, alcohol and other drugs, youth engagement, decoloniality and critical whiteness.
Lefaoali’i Dr Dion Enari is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Sport and Recreation, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences at Auckland University of Technology. He holds a PhD in Samoan culture from Bond University, Gold Coast with a Master of International Relations from Griffith University. His Lefaoali’i (high talking Chief) title is from Lepa, Samoa. His research interests include Sport Management, Sport Leadership, Mental Health, Pacific language, Indigenous Studies, and Trans-nationalism.