Module duration: 1 to 2 hours

Module objectives

• Develop strategies for prioritizing communities in public engagement.
• Navigate differences in engagement approaches.
• Implement feedback mechanisms for continuous improvement.

Introduction:

At the heart of decolonial, anti-racist, and feminist approaches is the necessity to center communities and establish protocols for change as a constant. Understanding the importance of centering communities on determining the best language, the right kind of public engagement to implement, and conducting power analyses are powerful tools that can help center communities in the international development sector.

Creating space for feedback and ensuring that public engagement is an intentionally iterative process is also crucial to ensure that these tools effectively build equity in public engagement. Remember that this work is done in response to ingrained global systems. These systems depend on the structures that uphold them (laws, policies, institutional practices, etc.). While systems are vast and intricate, requiring a lot of power and time to change, structures can be easily modified by employing the tools outlined in these three modules. Therefore, ensuring an intentional feedback loop is critical for consistently reinforcing structures that support non-oppressive systems.

In this module, we will explore how you currently build relationships to engage with communities on a long-term basis, what navigating differences entails, and how to create space for iterative critique.