Community Powered Responses

It's #Reflexivepractice Friday, and I have been thinking a lot about #data recently, especially the debate on whether to include questions based on diverse SOGIESC in the Australian census. There is a lot of misinformation (e.g., believing that gender diversity and the diversity of sex characteristics are the same thing), and there is a lot about rights and health statistics, but there is so little said about power. Data is power! Information is a source of power! Information is linked to access to economic power and political power. If we are only collecting data that assumes there are only two types of sex characteristics and that everybody's gender is the same as it was assigned at birth, we are invisibilising both intersex folks and people with diverse gender histories and identities. If we are equating sex characteristics and gender, we collect information that makes false assumptions that lead to bad decisions. If we only collect data that reinforces heteronormativity, then we invisabilise and discriminate against people with diverse sexualities. We make decisions based on heteronormativity, spend money based on heteronormativity, and reinforce heteronormativity. These reflections are not just based on the current debate on the Australian census, but on the aid system as a whole with their data collection methodologies. Whose data are you collecting, and what decisions are you making based on this data?

#safeaccessibleinclusive This week, I am posting this image of a toilet door. (you can see me reflected in one of the signs) On the surface, the signs in this image look pretty good! There are no gendered figures; the Baby Change doesn't have an icon of a woman looking like she is breastfeeding it (look at previous posts for examples). The all-gender toilet is accessible for people with disabilities (including people with disabilities who have diverse gender identities), and we know the handrail is on the right-hand side. When it comes to disability inclusion, optimally, a disability-accessible toilet would have handrails on either side of the toilet, and therefore, people with limited mobility on one side could use which rail they need, or those who need two rails. There is also no ceiling hoist, but as mentioned in previous posts, they are actually quite rare. The thing about this door I wanted to focus on was the door lock. MLAK stands for Master Locksmith Access Key and is a unique locking system developed for use in many accessible bathrooms, Liberty swings (wheelchair swings), some water wheelchairs, and Changing Places bathroom facilities. People who have a disability or have written authority from a doctor are eligible for a MLAK key. Many disability organisations can also apply for an MLAK key to assist with outings for their clients. The MLAK key was developed to help increase the availability of accessible, clean and functioning public facilities for people with disability. If you need an MLAK key to access this toilet, it means that people with diverse genders who fit into a gender binary or feel safe accessing a binary Male/Female toilet can't access this one without the MLAK key. The same goes for parents and caregivers who want to use this bathroom for baby change facilities. There has actually been quite a lot of discussion in places like Australia about trans and gender-diverse folks using disability toilets. There are folks to understandably insist that people without a disability should not be **required** to use disabled toilets or facilities because they have no other options. It is also a good use of space and resources to develop toilets that include the widest range of people and their needs. What makes this toilet exclusive is the MLAK, which allows only people with disabilities with an MLAK key to access it. I absolutely understand the issue with cleanliness, but that is more of a responsibility of community social/norms and the toilets (council?) owners to clean them. In this case, the rule of exclusion without a registered disability to access a MLAK key is not a good example of #safeaccessibleinclusive. In fact, many people with disabilities don't have or know about an MLAK key, and some folks with disabilities disagree with the concept itself. Great work on the signs, but the MLAK key brings down the rating. 2 1/2 stars.

This month is our fourth and final participatory art workshop, Body Mapping. Body mapping is useful for practitioners and researchers who want to: - Examine and appreciate how emotions, cultural norms or practices relate to (specific parts of) physical bodies or are embodied; Explore topics that people find difficult to express verbally; Build trust in groups. It is especially useful for participatory community development with WASH, SRHR, SGBV, and health. A module on using a trauma-informed approach will accompany this workshop. When: 21st September 2024 Where: Naarm Melbourne Time: 10.00 am to 4.00 pm Cost: $250.00 + GST/BF Get your tickets below! https://lnkd.in/gYBrKppw

Yesterday, I hosted the August Bright Sparks workshop on Anti-Oppressive Reflective Practice, and I suggested that one needs to take a blended heterodox social justice perspective rather than claiming any single social justice-orientated model as the complete truth or the ‘one  method, model, or framework suitable for working in majority-world communities. I suggested a heterodox approach involving and incorporating the strengths of various critical approaches creates the greatest vibrancy and potential to deliver emancipatory theory and practice. Today's #Reflexivepractice question is, "What worldview and approaches are you practising implicitly or explicitly? #GEDSI #socialinclusion #internationaldevelopment #communitydevelopment #aid

For those following along - my weekly Thursday #safeaccessibleinclusive bathroom critique

It's Friday, #reflexivepractice day, and today, I am continuing the theme of climate change. While it is wonderful that there is an increasing focus on climate change and climate justice, there is also a rising amount of greenwashing. Is your organisation focused on climate justice, or is it part of the greenwashing culture? Is climate justice a part of your organisational culture or an add-on at the end of the project design? Does your organisation implement environmental safeguarding assessments within projects? I hope these self-reflexive questions help you think about your current and future development practices.

It's World Humanitarian Day, and a question to ask is, who does the humanitarian sector support and serve? I have had the honour of working on the inclusion of people with diverse Sexual Orientations, Gender Identities and Expressions (SOGIE) in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and humanitarian response. Two primary pieces of work are; Down By The River: Addressing the Rights, Needs and Strengths of Fijian Sexual and Gender Minorities in Disaster Risk Reduction and Humanitarian Response https://lnkd.in/gB_BGC7a and the follow on research Rainbow Resilience - Leaving No Fijian Behind: Giving soli for more inclusive climate and disaster response https://lnkd.in/gnq4QhBC Both pieces of research and reports were when I was with Edge Effect, which has more work on the inclusion of people with diverse SOGIE in humanitarian contexts. If you have not read these reports, now is the time! #SOGIESC #LGBTIQ+ #humanitarian #disasterriskreduction #DRR

At least half of all new DFAT bilateral and regional investments valued at more than $3 million will now have a climate change objective, reaching 80% of all investments by 2028-29. This means that projects, programmes, and organisations should have a policy outlining their position on climate change, what it means to them, and the types of actions they should take. This begs the question(s): what do you mean by climate change? What objectives do you consider important when working in developing communities that often don't have access to the resources and technologies they have and often use unrenewable energy sources to develop? How are we being accountable for our national and organisational climate policies? Are we developing the climate change objectives alongside the communities we are working with? or are we enforcing our policies and objectives on those without the privileges and resources we have? There's lots to reflect on there! #GEDSI #communitydevelopment #internationaldevelopment #climatechange #climatejustice #locallyled

I have been thinking a lot about climate justice, and this article came up in my morning The Guardian page. 10 ways the changing climate is creating a health emergency... https://lnkd.in/e33e-SjD

I am pretty excited to share this Body Mapping workshop coming up in September? I love using Participatory Arts methods to work with under-represented communities, as they are so inclusive. Join me in learning about Body Mapping! When: Saturday 21st September 2024 Time: 10.00am to 4.00pm AEDT Where: Melbourne City  Cost: $250.00 / $212.50 + BF