The Social Impact Exchange: Insights and Ideas
From inside Federal Parliament to conversations with national leaders, CSI UNSW Undergraduate Leadership Fellows reflect on how social impact is shaped across Australia.
Change, from the outside, can look straightforward; driven by good ideas, evidence, and intention. But stepping inside Federal Parliament reveals something far more complex.
As part of the Centre for Social Impact UNSW Undergraduate Leadership Fellowship program, students as the next generation of social impact leaders were given the opportunity to travel to Federal Parliament to engage directly with national leaders, including David Gonski, Dr Rachel Bacon, and The Hon Dr Andrew Leigh.
2026 Undergraduate Leadership Fellows Jasmine Nhan, Rehansa Gamagedara, and Sameer Dalal, share their insights into what it takes to create social impact.
At a national level, impact is not driven by isolated initiatives, but it is shaped through policy, law, and institutional design.
Reflecting on his conversations in Parliament, Sameer points to the scale at which government decisions influence everyday outcomes.
"Conversations with Dr Andrew Leigh and Dr Rachel Bacon highlighted how impact at the government level moves beyond individual initiatives to system-wide change, particularly through economic and regulatory settings."
"This experience challenged my assumption that large scale change is often organic or incremental… impactful change at scale is not accidental but carefully designed and led."
For Jasmine, the experience revealed a different dimension of systems change, the people behind it.
"Social impact at a national level requires the contributions of large teams… it is shaped by the people working behind the change, and by the leaders who create a sense of purpose within those teams."
While systems set direction, social impact is sustained through communities.
For Rehansa, the conversations in Canberra brought into focus the role of everyday connection and what it takes to build a stronger culture of giving in Australia.
"Australia needs 'third spaces' because where there are third spaces, communities are built. Strong communities provide psychological safety, opportunities for meaningful connections, and to strengthen the democratic processes."
"As a nation we need to consider how we can come together and create places where a sense of community can be fostered, to encourage people to create networks of support by helping others, instead of prioritising convenience."
Alongside government and communities, business plays a significant role in shaping social impact.
Through their engagement with David Gonski, Sameer reflects on how social impact is embedded within corporate leadership and decision-making.
"It became clear that social impact is increasingly a key consideration for senior management, particularly through how companies measure success not just financially, but through employee wellbeing and culture."
"While ESG outcomes are often framed as external commitments, they are also driven by internal expectations from staff, alongside growing pressure from customers and shareholders."
UNSW CSI UG Fellows and David Gonski
UNSW CSI UG Fellows at Federal Parliament, Canberra
CSI UNSW UG Fellows Press Gallery Tour with Community Broadcasting Association of Australia
CSI UNSW UG Fellows Press Gallery Tour with Community Broadcasting Association of Australia
"This experience allowed me to gain new perspectives and a deeper understanding of how change can manifest across communities, organisations, and the causes they support," Jasmine Nhan, UNSW CSI UG Fellow 2026.
"As I move toward a career in law, I am interested in how legal advice can shape positive corporate decision-making, encouraging businesses to pursue investments and strategies that deliver both commercial and social value," Sameer Dalal, UNSW CSI UG Fellow 2026.
"Social impact isn't just created by those who are democratically elected or establish social enterprises; it's also created by the people who simply decide to help someone else," Rehansa Gamagedara, UNSW CSI UG Fellow 2026.
The Social Impact Exchange invites long-form reflections and agenda-setting op-eds on building a fair and sustainable future from the CSI UNSW, current students, CSI alumni, and our partners. Contributions are also open to UNSW academics.