‘Nothing about us without us’ – addressing tokenism, conflict and exploitative practice in work with experts by experience
The same pitfalls I’ve seen in the field of participatory work over the last twenty years keep tripping us up in both new and familiar ways. I’ve seen some incredible examples of meaningful co-production. But there are sticky challenges to address in the planning and delivery of participatory services, and it’s important to address them.
Preventing burnout: Coping Strategies for Witnessing Atrocities
If we’re deeply impacted by what we’re observing in the world and moved to try to be part of the change, we must have opportunities to pause, process and get back out there in any way we can. The same is true whether we’re campaigning against systemic violence, leading a project that poses a risk of vicarious trauma or considering how we engage with and communicate about the information we’re able to access round the clock via social and traditional media. Let’s explore how we might prevent burnout, overwhelm, normalising what may once have shocked us, and feeling frozen with guilt or shame.
