How can you build trust with communities impacted by historical trauma or systemic oppression?

Active listening, empathy, and validation are fundamental in developing a sense of trust. One must exhibit humility and vulnerability, ask questions with genuine curiosity, nurture self- awareness in order to build the foundation for trust among communities that are impacted by trauma and systemic oppression.

I totally agree. More often than not we approach such situations through our own world view that has been informed by western norms and values. We must be able to understand the world view of communities we are trying to help and work through this lens in order to bring about sustainable solutions. We must also understand that issues are deeply rooted and are intergenerational and must not expect quick wins. There must be sustained efforts to work with them through the process for as long as it takes!

We must approach them with compassion and humility. We must acknowledge the pain and suffering that they have experienced and validate their feelings. We should strive to learn from their experiences and be open to feedback and criticism. We should be transparent about our intentions, actions, and limitations while recognizing our biases and power dynamics. We must hold ourselves accountable for any mistakes or harm we may cause and be willing to make amends and learn from our shortcomings. Ultimately, building trust requires us to center the voices and experiences of those impacted by historical trauma or systemic oppression. We must work collaboratively with them, respect their autonomy and self-determination, and follow their lead.

Empathy and genuinely showing willingness to work support the community, but above all, having cultural humility and expressing that in your approach and engagements, that will earn you community trust. The biggest question is, when you earn community trust, what do you do with it? How might you use that to facilitate better outcomes for the population?

The team engaging with any equity deserving community should be primarily made up of members from that community. This is why it is important that the public service represents the public it serves.

Communicating with a society that has been marginalized or held back does require sensitivity. You must honor who they are; what their values are, and work within their culture to implement any changes. Communicating the changes you wish to bring to the community and how the changes align with their values is a key component. I agree with Michelle Mitchell's comments about approaching them with compassion and humility. In the end, we are all human beings, and respecting their culture is an important effort that can bring about your desired results.

Communication is key to building trust, but it has to be authentic, transparent, and consistent. You need to communicate your purpose, goals, and expectations clearly and honestly, and avoid making promises that you cannot keep. You also need to communicate in a way that is culturally appropriate, respectful, and inclusive, and that avoids jargon, acronyms, or technical terms that may confuse or alienate your audience. Moreover, you need to communicate regularly and frequently, and provide feedback and updates on your progress and challenges.

Building on what has been mentioned, I believe it's crucial to deeply evaluate whether the community should be treated as victims and to validate if they perceive themselves that way. We may indeed view them as such, and they may well be, but recovery from trauma is through their lens. Therefore, understanding their role when facing adversity and acting in harmony with it is essential for building the necessary rapport for authentic communication.

Start by seeing whose in charge and give example to help strenghten the connection with the community. Many people sre suffering frm anxiety and a state of mind of forgetting how to socialize due to the aftermath of the conflict. They newd leadership to help them facilitate the truma they experience and cooperate with each other moving forward into a new culture.

To communicate authentically with communities impacted by historical trauma or systemic oppression it's importante to learn and use inclusive language that reflects the community's cultural and linguistic backgrounds, as well as avoid using stereotypical or patronizing language that reinforces negative stereotypes.

Building trust requires acknowledging past injustices and actively working towards resolution. Those seeking to build trust must engage in transparent dialogue with communities impacted by systemic oppression, engage in active listening exercises to truly understand the grievances, and demonstrate a genuine commitment to addressing these grievances. Additionally, empowering local leaders and supporting grassroots initiatives can help foster a sense of agency and partnership, fostering a path toward healing and trust restoration.

Effective collaboration is an issue that has been ignored for quite some time. There is a common stereotype that absolutely everyone can be an effective collaborator. Yet the types of personalities are totally forgotten. There exists that type who is even more distant than an introvert. Every attempt to collaborate entails hyper anxiety for such a personality. Therefore, it is essential to build a team where you do have effective communicators, collaborators etc. When such a personality type appears in an effective team – they feel themselves supported and it opens the path for them to collaborate with other members of the team. Building up a team leads to an effective collaboration.

I teach that mistakes are not failure, they are opportunities to gather information. Being open to criticism and feedback is crucial to becoming successful.

Restoring trust is crucial. That's why every step, no matter how small, should be acknowledged as a collective achievement. The bar for what constitutes success will vary depending on the level of progress made since the incident. For this reason, we must understand very precisely where we are starting from. This is because grand goals are built on the foundation of small steps that everyone can take, without leaving anyone behind.

Always! Even a tiny milestone, even a great presentation, even a promising negotiation - all that tiny can be a foundation for a greater success. Moreover, when you celebrate small victories with your team it energizes the spirit, the will to accomplish. Success celebration is the basis for motivation. And a motivated person can achieve much despite any obstacles. And a team of motivated people is a value – that undoubtful value for a business unit as well as for a community. Besides, success celebration evokes the feeling of happiness. A happy person spreads that positivity to others. And that can go on. Celebrate your success! Always!

In my experience, it is so important to be aware of the context and not go into situations with assumptions - be aware of biases. To foster social justice and inclusion, start by educating yourself and others about the experiences of marginalized groups. Listen, learn, and challenge stereotypes.

Maintaining relationships is essential to building trust and ensuring sustainability. It's important to regularly engage with the community, and invest in long-term relationships and avoid short-term, transactional approaches. Also creating solid bridge of communication with community leaders to ensure your work aligns with the community's priorities and real needs.

It's important to remember that historical trauma and systemic oppression can manifest in different ways, including intergenerational trauma, health, educational, and economic disparities. More than anything, it's crucial to acknowledge and validate the experiences and emotions of impacted communities, rather than dismissing or minimizing them. This type of engagement requires genuine self-reflection and humility to avoid perpetuating harm.