This blog series is part of ICN’s ongoing campaign to deepen and diversify public engagement practices within the international cooperation sector. It features reflections from individuals who have participated in ICN’s public engagement research and programs, offering grounded perspectives on how engagement can be transformed to better reflect equity and justice.
The posts spotlight grassroots insights and lived experiences, with a focus on advancing decolonial, anti-racist, and feminist approaches to public engagement. Contributors respond to the central question:
What role can centering communities play in advancing decolonial, anti-racist, and feminist public engagement?
In their responses, contributors draw from their experiences, knowledges, and expertise. They explore how meaningful public engagement can be reimagined through one or more of the following themes:
- Communities – Who is engaged, how, and why?
- Resources – What is needed to support equitable and meaningful participation?
- Dialogues – How can we foster inclusive, transformative conversations?
- Power – Who holds what power, and how can it be disrupted and reimagined?
- Language – What narratives are privileged, silenced and/or marginalized, how does this happen, and what are the implications?
- Critical Reflection – How can we remain accountable, question our practices and commit to ongoing learning?
This series aims to amplify diverse voices and create room for critical, community-rooted dialogue. By doing so, we hope to challenge conventional models of public engagement and open up new possibilities for just and equitable practices in international cooperation.