How can you increase your understanding of marginalized communities?

Spending time with communities and “passing the mic” are key. Having a limited perspective or experience with any community makes one quite vulnerable to relying on stereotypes or media representations to form their narrative of who a community is. How often have we met with someone and they surprised us? Could it be because we carry preconceived notions. Spend time with the community in some capacity, listen and learn.

Simply being curious is a great place to start. Try asking, what was that like for you? Don’t try to relate or find a way to contribute. Just deeply listen. If someone is trusting you with their lived experience, that’s a honor—treat it as such.

To enhance understanding of marginalized communities, it is essential to engage directly with them, educate oneself about their cultural and historical contexts, and include their representatives in policy-making. Collaborating with local organizations, conducting thorough research, and advocating for these communities are also crucial. Continuous learning, adapting strategies, and focusing on empowerment and capacity building are key. Additionally, addressing systemic barriers to their well-being and promoting diversity and inclusion within organizations like the UN are vital steps towards meaningful understanding and support of these communities.

A facilitator’s active silence would help learning. Active silence is when the mouth is not speaking, but entire body responds. It is important for facilitator to learn, acknowledge and unlearn

For better understanding, it is important to approach marginalized communities with cultural humility, knowing that each community is distinct and molded by a complex interaction of historical, social, and economic circumstances. Understanding marginalized communities requires a multifaceted approach that takes into account various factors.

These intentional acts of engagement form the foundation and the fabric of understanding. It's a purposeful journey, steering away from superficiality and delving into the authenticity that arises when individuals truly connect. This authentic space becomes almost sacred, a meeting point where shared humanity is acknowledged and embraced. In this more grounded perspective, intentional engagement becomes a deliberate effort, it acknowledges the depth of human experience and the significance of genuine interaction. This intentional weaving process, rooted in purpose, builds the foundation for relationships grounded in trust and the collective strength embodied in solidarity.

Engagement and interaction need not always be in an activity mode like volunteering, engagement through forums and others. Our daily lives give us plenty of opportunities to meaningfully engage and interact with diverse community members. We need to acknowledge presence, make conscious efforts to engage and exchange stories in a non-patronizing manner.

To engage means to become involved through meaningful contact or connection and to pledge or commit to meaningful action. Actively listening with members of marginalized communities is the first phase. Ideally, this should build mutual trust between all participants. Once the trust is there, support may come in myriad ways: supporting and patronizing local businesses and organizations owned and operated by members of marginalized communities among them. Engage as an ally, not as a savior, keep on learning, amplify marginalized voices and share and relate their stories and experiences to raise awareness. Be an advocate, speak out against discrimination and injustice, and support policies and initiatives that promote equity and inclusion.

One of the best ways to engage marginalized communities is through Community Events and Activities. Participate in community activities, festivals, and get-togethers to get fully immersed in the local culture. Take part in events hosted by neighborhood organizations to learn about their passions, struggles, and successes.

Engaging with marginalized or underserved communities is or should be the starting point of building inclusive societies. This requires humility, curiosity and the courage to question one's assumptions and privileges. We all have much to learn from them, especially in terms of resilience and problem solving. A good starting point can be to find and connect with the organizations that represent them or have been successfully supporting them (e.g. associations of indigenous communities, NGOs, etc.).

What is important is what we call as Sindhanai in Tamil- a contemplative pedagogy. Marginalisation has layers. Often we engage at symptomatic level. The need is to unravel the layers one by one. Do a collective thinking and reflection. Just think all abuses and derogatory terms are about gender, racism, casteism or sex organs or disabilities. This mindset of privileged to coin derogatory terms in the name of vulnerable population identity is something we should reflect on. The action will follow organically.

Increasing understanding of marginalized communities through engagement and learning can be achieved by implementing and reflecting on initiatives that have demonstrated positive social impact. For example: Cultural Immersion and Partnership Programmes: Government agencies and organizations can partner with communities to create cultural immersion programs for non-indigenous service providers, enhancing understanding of the unique values, traditions, and challenges faced by indigenous communities. -Education and Outreach: Programmes such as the New Zealand Police's "Turning of the Tide" strategy showcase how building relationships with Māori and Pacific communities can lead to more effective and culturally responsive policing.

By reflecting on the issues that most impact on their lives, I was able to determine that, as a journalist, I had to act to raise awareness of these issues and put them on the public and government's agenda. For example, homelessness. In Australia, the fastest growing cohort of homeless people are women aged 50 and over. The extraordinary thing is that most of these women have professions, spent decades in the workforce, raised families - and yet when they age, they end up sleeping in their cars or in parks. There are over 200,000 older women who are homeless.

Marginalization and Marginality are two very important components to design the way in which the community is integrated into the attention of the issue. Reflecting in isolation represents a risk and can contribute to the failure of the solution. Community work guiding the community reflection is a way to increase the chances of success it′s a matter of Coaching the comunity to change

At Benefits2, we believe in an ongoing journey to understand and uplift marginalized communities. It's more than a one-time effort; it's a commitment to continuous learning and positive impact. Our approach: We embed our commitment in our values, set, track, and review goals, stay informed, build relationships, and follow a structured approach. This ensures we make a genuine and lasting difference, continuously reviewing, monitoring, and progressing in our engagement with marginalized communities. Join us: As we renew our commitment, we invite others to be part of this journey. Together, let's contribute to a world that's more inclusive and supportive for everyone. ???????????? #Benefits2Impact

?? Adapting & Innovating for Marginalized Communities ?? Effective work with marginalized communities demands adaptability and innovative thinking. Here's how we can enhance our approach: 1. Develop Cultural Competence- Invest in training and resources to deeply understand cultural nuances, ensuring our strategies respect and honor community identities. 2. Recognise Flexible Solutions-No one size fits all. Design adaptable programs that can be tailored to meet specific community needs. 3. Support Inclusive Innovation- Involve community members in the innovation process. Let's commit to dynamic strategies that respect diversity and drive real change. #CommunityInnovation #AdaptiveStrategies #InclusiveExcellence #SocialImpact

One effective way of innovating was to challenge the prejudice that marginalises older women by challenging the names used to describe them. Google offers over 999 words to describe an old woman, and they are uniformly pejorative. Language reflects and reinforces prejudice and discrimination and has terrible consequences. There is a direct link between this gendered ageism and the social crisis that Australian older women are now experiencing. It negatively affects their employment, housing, livelihood, and mental and physical health.

When we talk about innovation we immediately think of technology, but innovation can also occur in the way we analyze and design solutions in society, it is ultimately a new way of doing things. These new forms also require considering resistance to change in order so that adaptation is less complicated.

Marginalized communities and their members have historically seen their accomplishments, innovations, and contributions to society at large overlooked, passed over, or downright erased or forgotten. Celebration and advocacy seek to remedy past ills by bringing to the fore what had been suppressed before, and that means, supporting cultural expression through, for instance, the arts, for better cross-cultural understanding, community-building and collaboration, advocating for more equitable representation in storytelling or leadership roles, challenging discrimination, stereotypes, and biases, and support policies, legislation, funding, and programs that promote greater equity and inclusion... for a more just and equitable world for all.

Parallel to advocating on the serious issues faced by older women, I tell the stories of remarkable older women in different fields- older women who have continued to distinguish themselves in their careers and made enormous contributions to society. It is important to celebrate these women because 'if you can't see it you can't be it' is just as relevant to older women as it is to young girls.

The credit for managing to make changes that improve the situation of marginalized communities must be given to the community itself, those who intervene in this management are only facilitators of the change.

Understanding marginalized communities necessitates a sustained commitment that goes beyond short-term initiatives, becoming intrinsic to your values and organizational mission. Embedding this dedication into your identity establishes a foundation for enduring engagement. To support this journey, set and track goals thoughtfully. Actively seek opportunities for learning, including staying informed about current events, cultural competence training, and continuous education on the challenges faced by marginalized groups. Meaningful collaboration and partnerships are vital; actively engage in community initiatives, build relationships with grassroots organizations, and ensure diversity in collaborations for a more nuanced understanding.

I am encouraged to commit and renew my commitment to advocating for older women for two reasons. First, growing numbers of women are falling off the social cliff as they age, so the marginalisation is escalating. Secondly, there has been a discernible shift, even in government attitudes and policies to greater awareness of the need to address this issue. It is gratifying to see this social impact.

Committing to and renewing your social impact journey plays a crucial role in adoption of programmes and engagement with members of marginalised communities. To ensure this happens, you must also communicate (and contextualise) your long term goals and plans for commitment. Making decisions on areas to commit and areas to renew should also include a consideration for whose knowledge is included and where are you making these decisions. To put it simply, it is important to invite or atleast consider all stakeholder to decision making, and consider having these discussions in a place comfortable for the community you are working for.

?? Commit, Review, Monitor: Enhancing Work With Marginalized Communities ?? To truly support marginalized communities, we need a structured approach. Here's how we can make a profound impact: 1. Commit: Pledge to understand the unique challenges and strengths within marginalized communities. Dedicate resources to long-term engagement. 2. Review: Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of policies and programs. Are they meeting the community's needs? 3. Monitor: Keep track of progress and outcomes. Use data-driven insights to inform decisions and ensure accountability. Together, through a cycle of commitment, review, and monitoring, we can deepen our impact and foster genuine progress. #CommunityEngagement #ImpactMeasurement

The ideal is to trigger a process of reflection and orientation towards change in the communities, the recognition of achievement allows the community to continue the work in a self-managed manner.

Understanding marginalised communities requires us to understand marginalisation. One has to look at power relationships, which makes one section excluded from decision making spaces in government, society, business as well as family spaces. Put in microscope the privileges that we enjoy which is the product of same marginalisations of those ‘others’. Challenge those privileges. Try to dissolve that othering.

In my experience, truly understanding marginalized communities requires much more than simply learning from secondary sources. It's important to step out of our comfort zones and commit to immersive experiences with these communities, rather than relying on biased narratives from media or other sources. Spend time directly with these communities, engage in meaningful conversations, and witness their daily realities to gain genuine insight into their lives. That way, we can broaden our perspectives and cultivate empathy, as well as respect for the diverse wisdom that emerges from their unique and often underrepresented viewpoints.

It can be as simple as this - treating others the way they'd want to be treated. For instance, imagine that I went to a camp for internally displaced persons, sadly there are a lot of these in my home country. If I don't check my privileges and biases, assuming I know how they are feeling; I could well be wrong. And so I'd choose to practice active listening and engage in meaningful and respectful dialogue, even sometimes a monologue - help them feel heard. In so doing, I'll better understand the issues and challenges, and we can collaboratively advocate for needed change.