Assessment: Reflect with your collaborative partners on the following:
- Which individualism practices feel like they are really getting in the way? Which of them are most hindering collaboration rooted in solidarity and/or hindering your capacity to advance equitable systems change?
- Which solidarity practices do you think would make the biggest difference if you incorporated them into your collaboration?
- Which shifts seem more accessible in the short term? What changes feel relatively easy to act on or implement?
Action: If you are collaborating in ways rooted in Individualism, what practices will support you to begin moving towards collaboration rooted in Solidarity?
Below is a selection of resources that the Community Engagement for Equitable Systems Change collaborative has found useful in advancing solidarity in the collaborations in which we participate. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but we hope it can offer a starting point.
| Collaboration Rooted in Solidarity Practices | Resources |
| Focused on building collective power utilizing inclusive, participatory methods | Meg Whealey’s 12 Principles for Community Development: https://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot/meg-wheatleys-12-principles-for-supporting-healthy-community/ Facilitation Approaches that utilize participatory methods:Art of Hosting: https://artofhosting.org/ Liberating Structures: https://www.liberatingstructures.com/ Technology of Participation: https://www.top-training.net/w/ |
| Centers and engages those most directly and adversely impacted | Nexus Community Partners – Community Engagement Assessment Tool: https://www.nexuscp.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/CEAssessmentTool_10.14.21.pdf iap2 Spectrum of Public Participation: https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.iap2.org/resource/resmgr/communications/11x17_p2_pillars_brochure_20.pdf Building Movement Project – Solidarity Is Principles: https://solidarityis.org/our-work/tools-resources/principles-of-transformative-solidarity-practice/centering/ |
| Transparent about process and decision-making | Transparency Model https://www.wilder.org/collaboration Diamond of Participation – Dynamics of Group Decision Making: https://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot/the-diamond-of-participation/ |
| Welcomes complexity and uses iterative processes that allow for refining based on ongoing engagement and feedback | Human Systems Dynamics – Adaptive Action: https://www.hsdinstitute.org/resources/adaptive-action.html Human Systems Dynamics – Inquiry: https://www.hsdinstitute.org/resources/resources-inquiry.html Technology of Participation: https://www.top-training.net/w/ |
| Invests time to build relationships and shared understanding | Reflection Tool-Kit:https://www.equitablesystems.org/tools-and-frameworks/reflection-toolkit/ Culture Chest ActivityPublic Narrative Shared Work Model Building Movement Project – Solidarity Is Principles: https://solidarityis.org/our-work/tools-resources/principles-of-transformative-solidarity-practice/commonalities/ |
| Cultivates spaces that can navigate ambiguity, where an openness to learning and growing is present, risk-taking and discomfort are encouraged, and conflict is viewed as generative | Groan Zone: https://tammylenski.com/surviving-conflict-groan-zone/ Normalizing Conflict: https://www.courageouschangecollective.org/post/our-normalizing-conflict-toolkit Turning Towards Each Other: A Conflict Workbookhttps://communityresourcehub.org/resources/turning-towards-each-other-a-conflict-workbook/ |
| Recognizing that we need one another’s perspectives and wisdom, we are committed to understanding individual collaborative members and the communities of which they are apart and leveraging the strengths of each member | Reflection Tool-Kit: https://www.equitablesystems.org/tools-and-frameworks/reflection-toolkit/ Culture Chest ActivityPublic Narrative Shared Work Model Network Weaver Handbook – Need & Offer: https://networkweaver.com/store/ |
| Engage in intersectional analysis that names and acknowledges difference while remaining anchored in our larger shared values | Developing a Shared Analysis Video: https://www.courageouschangecollective.org/videos Two Loops Theory of Change: https://afternow.today/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/sites/14/2017/09/TwoLoops.pdf Building Movement Project – Solidarity Is Principles: https://solidarityis.org/our-work/tools-resources/principles-of-transformative-solidarity-practice/co-liberation/ |
| Creates supportive and generous environments in which trust, and grace are practiced | adrienne marie brown – We Will Not Cancel Us: https://www.akpress.org/we-will-not-cancel-us.html Brene Brown 7 Elements of Trust: https://www.limapea.co/trust/ 25 Trust Building Behaviors: https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/trust-the-new-workplace-currency/201508/25-simple-trust-building-behaviors |
Additional resources that can support you:
- Resource list on Collaboration Skill-Building