Tips on facilitating co-creation sessions
When faciliating between traumatized Palestinians with lived experiences in Gaza and non-Palestinians, we may want to adopt a
deliberate, trauma-informed approach that centers equity, cultural humility, and empowerment.
Below is a structured strategy to address power imbalances and foster meaningful collaboration:
1. Pre-Session Preparation: Building Trust and Safety
- Trauma-Informed Facilitation:
- Train facilitators in trauma-informed practices to recognize triggers, ensure psychological safety, and avoid retraumatization.
- Include Palestinian co-facilitators or cultural liaisons to bridge trust gaps.
- Compensation and Recognition: Compensate Palestinian participants equitably for their time and expertise. Acknowledge their contributions publicly and in documentation.
- Logistical Support: Ensure reliable virtual access (e.g., stable internet, electricity backups) for Gazan participants. Provide technical assistance and flexible timing to accommodate unstable conditions.
2. Session Design: Centering Palestinian Voices
- Leadership Roles: Involve Palestinians in designing the agenda and co-leading sessions. Use a "nothing about us without us" framework to ensure decision-making power is shared.
- Cultural and Linguistic Sensitivity: Use bilingual facilitators and materials. Validate storytelling, art, and non-verbal expression as legitimate forms of knowledge-sharing.
- Structured Equity: Implement round-robin sharing, timed speaking slots, or a "talking piece" to prevent dominance by non-Palestinian voices. Prioritize Palestinian narratives in discussions.
3. Creating a Safe Emotional Environment
- Optional Sharing: Begin with optional check-ins, allowing participants to share experiences without pressure. Avoid forcing disclosure of trauma.
- Mental Health Support: Have counselors or trauma specialists on standby. Offer private breakout rooms for decompression.
- Acknowledge Power Dynamics: Explicitly address historical and systemic inequalities at the outset. Encourage non-Palestinians to practice active listening and humility.
4. Inclusive Co-Creation Methods
- Multiple Avenues for Input: Use mixed methods (e.g., written feedback, art, small-group discussions) to accommodate diverse communication styles.
- Strengths-Based Framing: Highlight Palestinians' expertise in survival, resilience, and community-building. Frame their lived experiences as critical assets to the process.
- Collaborative Tools: Leverage visual mapping, participatory design, or digital platforms that democratize input (e.g., Miro boards, shared documents).
5. Post-Session Accountability
- Tangible Outcomes: Ensure Palestinian input directly shapes decisions, policies, or projects. Publish clear commitments and timelines for implementation.
- Ongoing Engagement: Create mechanisms for continued Palestinian involvement (e.g., advisory boards, feedback loops). Avoid extractive "one-off" engagements.
- Transparency and Feedback: Share session outcomes with all participants and solicit feedback on the process. Adjust future sessions based on Palestinian evaluations.
6. Addressing Structural Challenges
- Advocacy for Access: Partner with NGOs to pressure for humanitarian access, enabling safer participation (e.g., secure spaces, resources for Gazans).
- Cultural Humility Training: Require non-Palestinian participants to undergo training on Gaza’s historical context, systemic oppression, and their own privileges.
Example Framework for a Session
- Opening Ritual: Moment of silence or grounding exercise led by a Palestinian participant.
- Agenda Review: Co-presented by Palestinian and non-Palestinian facilitators.
- Small-Group Dialogues: Mixed groups with prompts focused on Gaza-specific challenges and solutions.
- Creative Expression: Art or storytelling stations to capture experiences non-verbally.
- Synthesis and Commitments: Document shared priorities and assign accountability for next steps.
Key Considerations
- Avoid Savior Complexes: Non-Palestinians should support, not lead.
- Validate Emotional Labor: Recognize the toll of sharing traumatic experiences and provide ongoing support.
- Leverage Allies: Encourage non-Palestinians to amplify Palestinian voices and challenge inequitable dynamics in real time.
By prioritizing safety, equity, and systemic accountability, co-creation sessions can transform power imbalances into opportunities for solidarity and justice.
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