decoloniality and intersectionality
Climate Action Network - Europe
welcome to the resource page on decoloniality and intersectionality!
Here you will find easy to use resources and activities to get you started on applying decolonial and intersectional lenses to your work. Before you get started, please take this quick survey. After the training is complete, you’ll take the survey again so you can celebrate your progress!
getting started with decoloniality.
Here’s an episode of Living Decoloniality with Carla Vitantonio!
Decolonisation focuses on exposing past colonial and present neocolonial practices and assumptions and seeking to undo them and repair the harm they have caused. A key element of decolonisation is decentering Whiteness and the “developed” north as norms. Colonisation and neocolonialism take many forms, and so decolonisation must as well.
“ Intersectionality is a lens through which you can see where power comes and collides, where it interlocks and intersects. It’s not simply that there’s a race problem here, a gender problem here, and a class or LBGTQ problem there. Many times that framework erases what happens to people who are subject to all of these things.”
getting started with intersectionality.
Here’s an episode on Intersectionality and Allyship with Minda Harts!
Key Terms
Decolonise
The active and intentional process of unlearning values, beliefs and conceptions that have caused physical, emotional or mental harm to people through colonization. It requires a recognition of systems of oppression.
Ally
Someone who supports a group other than one’s own (in terms of multiple identities such as race, gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, etc.). An ally acknowledges oppression and actively commits to reducing their own complicity, investing in strengthening their own knowledge and awareness of oppression.
Bias
A form of prejudice that results from our need to quickly classify individuals into categories.
Cultural Appropriation
The non-consensual/misappropriate use of cultural elements for commodification or profit purposes – including symbols, art, language, customs, etc. – often without understanding, acknowledgment or respect for its value in the context of its original culture.
Diversity
Socially, it refers to the wide range of identities. It broadly includes race, ethnicity, gender, age, national origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, education, marital status, language, veteran status, physical appearance, etc. It also involves different ideas, perspectives and values.
Equity
The fair treatment, access, opportunity and advancement for all people, while at the same time striving to identify and eliminate barriers that prevent the full participation of some groups. The principle of equity acknowledges that there are historically underserved and underrepresented populations and that fairness regarding these unbalanced conditions is necessary to provide equal opportunities to all groups.
White Supremacy
A power system structured and maintained by persons who classify themselves as White, whether consciously or subconsciously determined; and who feel superior to those of other racial/ethnic identities.
System of Oppression
Conscious and unconscious, non-random and organized harassment, discrimination, exploitation, discrimination, prejudice and other forms of unequal treatment that impact different groups. Sometimes is used to refer to systemic racism.
Social Justice
Social justice constitutes a form of activism, based on principles of equity and inclusion that encompasses a vision of society in which the distribution of resources is equitable and all members are physically and psychologically safe and secure. Social justice involves social actors who have a sense of their own agency as well as a sense of social responsibility toward and with others.
BIPoC
An acronym used to refer to black, Indigenous and people of color. It is based on the recognition of collective experiences of systemic racism. As with any other identity term, it is up to individuals to use this term as an identifier.
Intersectionality
The interaction and cumulative effects of multiple forms of discrimination affecting the daily lives of individuals, particularly women of colour. The term also refers more broadly to an intellectual framework for understanding how various aspects of individual identity interact to create unique experiences of privilege or oppression.
Tokenism
Performative presence without meaningful participation. For example, a superficial invitation for the participation of members of a certain socially oppressed group, who are expected to speak for the whole group without giving this person a real opportunity to speak for her/himself.
Privlege
Exclusive access or access to material and immaterial resources based on the membership to a dominant social group.
Emmanuela Shinta!
Emmanuela Shinta is a Dayak leader, activist, environmentalist, filmmaker and writer with a reputation for leading and empowering young indigenous people. Her expertise is youth environmental activism and indigenous digital storytelling. She has trained over 180 indigenous young filmmakers and mobilised the youth movement to tackle forest fires in Kalimantan with over 200 young green leaders. During the past eight years she has produced over 20 indigenous films. She is the founder of the Ranu Welum Foundation, the International Indigenous Film Festival Network and the Alive Global Ministry. She is a member of board directors of Indigenous Education Foundation. Written in English, her memoir, Me, Modernism, and My Indigenous Roots, tells about her life as an indigenous woman in the midst of industrialisation and environmental destruction and details her journey to activism.
Activities
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Decision-Making
Ask the following reflection questions after your meetings!
What voices were excluded from this discussion? How might this decision impact our partners? What sources of information did we draw from to make this decision?
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Sharing Your Passion
Passion meetings are a powerful space to share! Include these as regular prompts:
How does this [project, learning, etc.] help CAN Europe move toward greater equity and inclusion? How did this [project, learning, etc.] help you to challenge your assumptions?
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Intersectional Thinking
In reflecting on a current project or initiative, consider the diverse backgrounds and experiences of stakeholders. How might different aspects of their identities—such as gender, race, socioeconomic status, and geographical location—intersect to affect their specific needs and challenges?
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Practical Action
Write down one current practice at CAN-E and note how it might change if approached from a decolonial perspective. Share it with your team!
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Equity Pause
Put Equity on the Agenda!
What voices or perspectives have be or may be excluded? How are or might we reinforce inequalties? How can we move towards more and or improved equity and inclusion? How can we challenge our assumptions and biases?
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Critical Analysis
Critically examine how colonial legacies might still be influencing your work. How can you actively work to dismantle these colonial dynamics, ensuring that you’re addressing the underlying structures of power and oppression.
Intersectionality and Decoloniality in my role?!
Sometimes, it’s difficult to imagine how all of this fits into our daily lives. Click on your role to see how you might apply decolonial and intersectional thinking!
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Ensure that budgeting and financial planning processes support equitable and sustainable initiatives, focusing on redistributing resources to empower historically marginalised communities. This could include prioritising projects that address the impacts of climate change on these communities, implementing equitable funding mechanisms that provide more accessibility and fewer barriers for grassroots organisations, and regularly reviewing financial practices to ensure they align with decolonial and equitable principles.
background.
CAN Europe's new advocacy campaign targets the resilience of coastal communities. How can different roles approach this through a decolonial and intersectional lens?
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Ensure procurement policies favour suppliers and partners from historically marginalised communities, promoting economic equity. Additionally, you can work to make the workspace more inclusive by adapting communication and meeting practices to respect and integrate diverse cultural perspectives, thus dismantling colonial-era power dynamics within the team structure.
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Actively seek to diversify the network, ensuring representation from a wide range of identities and experiences, particularly those historically underrepresented or marginalised in climate action discussions. Foster partnerships that prioritise and amplify local, indigenous knowledge and leadership in environmental solutions, thereby challenging and dismantling colonial power structures.
policy analyst
Task: You need to conduct in-depth research into how climate policies affect coastal communities.
How can you approach this task?
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Ensure messages highlight and respect the voices and experiences of historically marginalised communities, ensuring their perspectives are front and centre in climate narratives. This can be done by sense-checking with communities and individuals. It also means critically analysing the language and imagery used to avoid perpetuating colonial stereotypes and instead promote a narrative of agency.
fundraising
Task: You need to secure support for the campaign and are developing a joint funding application.
How can you approach this task?
practice with this scenario
communications
Task: You need to develop a narrative around the campaign and communications assets for various teams.
How can you approach this task?
operations
Task: You are helping arrange a hybrid meeting.
How can you approach this task?
finance
Task: You need to create a budget for the new advocacy campaign.
How can you approach this task?
human resources
Task: You need to recruit three new roles for the campaign.
How can you approach this task?
network development
Task: You want to connect with new partners to advance this campaign.
How can you approach this task?
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Assess organisational structures, strategies, and culture to ensure they dismantle rather than perpetuate colonial legacies and power imbalances. This means prioritising the recruitment and promotion of individuals from historically marginalised communities into leadership roles, fostering an inclusive workplace culture that values diverse perspectives, and ensuring that decision-making processes and strategic directions are informed by and beneficial to those most affected by climate change and historical marginalisation.
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Thoroughly examine how current climate policies might perpetuate colonial legacies and inequalities. Advocate for policies that address environmental issues and historical injustices by prioritising the needs and voices of historically marginalised communities.
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Recruitment strategies should focus on attracting individuals from a range of backgrounds, particularly those with lived experiences. Employ outreach methods that reach a broad spectrum of potential candidates, and ensuring that the selection process addresses biases.
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Engage with potential donors, sponsors, and partners who share a commitment to addressing historical injustices and systemic inequalities. Develop compelling narratives that seek to address the unique challenges faced by communities marginalised by historical aid structural inequities.
optional reading
Tackling twenty of the most enduring conversation-stoppers, No Offence, But... equips readers with the knowledge, tools and context to respond with confidence. Alongside other trailblazing writers, educators and advocates, acclaimed campaigner Gina Martin helps us to unpick these phrases, understand why they are harmful and feel empowered enough to change the conversation.
Anarcho-Indigenism is a dialogue between anarchism and indigenous politics. In their interviews, contributors Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Véronique Hébert, Gord Hill, Freda Huson, J. Kēhaulani Kauanui, Clifton Ariwakehte Nicholas and Toghestiy reveal what indigenous thought and traditions and anarchism have in common, without denying the scars left by colonialism even within this anti-authoritarian movement. They ultimately offer a vision of the world that combines anti-colonialism, feminism, ecology, anti-capitalism and anti-statism.
ME, MODERNISM & MY INDIGENOUS ROOTS is a perspective of an indigenous Dayak woman to life in the midst of environmental destruction and industrialization in her homeland, Kalimantan. This book is about connection to the ancestors, indigenous activism, journey into self discovery and finding your place in this world.
Ragin and Fiss bring an intersectional approach to the evidence, analysing the different ways that advantages and disadvantages combine in their impact on life chances. Moving beyond controversy and fixed policy positions, the authors propose sophisticated new methods of analysis to underscore the importance of attending to configurations of race, gender, family background, educational achievement, and related conditions when addressing social inequality.
The New Age of Empire takes us back to the beginning of the European Empires, outlining the deliberate terror and suffering wrought during every stage of the expansion, and destroys the self-congratulatory myth that the West was founded on the three great revolutions of science, industry and politics. Instead, genocide, slavery and colonialism are the key foundation stones upon which the West was built, and we are still living under this system today: America is now at the helm, perpetuating global inequality through business, government, and institutions like the UN, the IMF, the World Bank and the WTO.
The West is rich because the Rest is poor.
