Building communities in action through partnerships in Uganda
Written by Celiane Camargo Borges and Kristin Bodiford
In this paper, we will share several social constructionist principles and practices that are useful for building communities in action.
- Centering the attention on the relational and collaborative processes
- Engaging in an organic and dynamic experience
- Recognizing complexity and multiplicity
- Focusing on what is useful and generates new possibilities
Centering relational and collaborative processes
For building communities in action, we base our philosophical understanding on a social constructionist approach. According to social constructionist theory, our social world is a by-product of coordination among people in which meaning and actions are understood as constructed, as opposed to viewing meaning and action as universal entities or objective, neutral and empirical truths (Gergen, 2009).
“Language” here is seeing as an embodied process of creating meaning and realities and not as representing reality. We construct language, meaning, and enact new realities through social processes in relationship with others. With this conceptual understanding, we can use language as a resource to coordinate with each other, making meaning and enacting new realities.
We also embrace a sense of relational responsibility in which processes are responsive and sensitive to the context — constructed with everyone involved. Being attentive to the process of relating make us be responsive to the moment, embracing what is offered and being accountable for what is being created. Sheila McNamee (date) proposes this heightened state of being fully engaged and aware in the moment can be thought of as “radical presence”.
Engaging an organic and dynamic experience
From this perspective, we also understand community as a constructed place and space that is constantly in motion — unfolding and evolving. Community is not something we plan and create. It isn’t static. Rather, it’s remarkably dynamic and organically developed as we engage together. Building community in action entails co-designing spaces and processes that can evolve in the present moment of engagement. It involves both planning and letting go. It means designing for more favorable futures while also investing in the present moment, being attentive to our embodied process of connecting. The challenging aspect of this lies in the absence of a specific technique, method, or strategy that guarantees the success of it. Instead, it’s about adopting a particular stance within the process.
Recognizing complexity and multiplicity
The embodied process of connecting invites responsiveness to the present. It is characterized by curiosity, especially a curiosity that embraces differences and remains open to new perspectives, rather than forming pre-judgments or quick understanding. It’s about placing oneself into the realm of the unknown, a concept that Anderson ( date) refers to as not-knowing position. This requires slowing down, taking a pause, instead of quickly making interpretations of what is happening or what is the case. Harlene reminds us that when we think we know, “we prematurely begin making assumptions and filling in the blanks”. In this space instead, we can invite a multiplicity of voices and stories as possible resources for deeper understanding and future action (Bodiford and Camargo-Borges, 2014) It is about collectively challenging and questioning things that might seem obvious, with an aim to broaden the narrative.
Focusing on what is useful and generates new possibilities
As we build communities in action, we focus on what is useful in the context and is responsive to local realities. As we do this, it is important to situate knowledge historically and culturally.
In each moment, we can ask — “How is this useful? How will this create positive change?”. Each experience is unique — the people involved, the questions that are asked, and choices that are made — and can bring different implications. Acknowledging the values and experiences of all involved allows for an emergence of new possibilities.
Building Communities in Action with Partners in Uganda — Moving from “helping” to “caring”.
Here we offer an example of building communities in action with friends and partners in Uganda. Together with partners in Uganda, we are committed to learning as a team how to shift from traditional models of philanthropy, tapping into the wisdom and building on the strengths of local communities to solve the issues that are most important to them. The following values, informed by the local context, guides our teaming together:
Pamoja — Togetherness. Pamoja is the foundation for teaming together — working together and learning from each other in an organic and dynamic process. We are committed to teaming together in a way that the co-creation of ideas offers possibilities for change in all of us. We are hoping that we can change people’s lives and our lives together. Pamoja is a team spirit reflecting partnership and togetherness. It is not a single-minded perspective but bringing our thoughts and experiences together to build a dream.
Ubuntu — I am because you are. Ubuntu literally means a person is a person through other people. It’s an African philosophy that places emphasis on being self through others. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that we can’t exist as human beings in isolation.
Umoja — Oneness. Umoja reflects one spirit, one team, one thought, one process.
Inspired by these values we are together learning on how to build community in action.
In August, 2023 we embarked on a global learning journey, with professionals from diverse backgrounds and different corners of the world to learn and experience the collaborative community work in Uganda. Our purpose was to not only absorb this enriching experience but to also to exercise together these principles that embody our values. We designed an immersive 8-day learning adventure, fostering collective engagement and transformative growth. We harnessed our diverse expertise and cultural backgrounds to immerse ourselves in the Ugandan way of life and community work with these principles and values. This synergy has significantly boosted our collective capacity for growth.
As an illustration of how we are working with this approach, we will share one of the workshops held throughout the learning journey. This was held at the beginning of the learning journey, with the intention to “set the stage”, to align the expectations, to focus on our intention and learn from each other in order to create space for interaction to bring a sense of belonging and trust.
See how you might see the different constructionist principles in action in how we designed this workshop.
- How does this activity center a relational and collaborative process?
- How does this activity engage an organic dynamic experience?
- How does this activity recognize complexity and multiplicity?
- How does this activity focus on what is useful and generate new possibilities?
First step FRAMING
FRAMING sets the intention for the collaborative work together.
We developed an intention with our partners aligned with the values that guide our teaming together. The framing focused on our collective strengths and hopes for how we can learn and collaborate as a team. It also explored the strengths, hopes, challenges and opportunities that each generation felt were important to them.
“We are coming together in a spirit of oneness and togetherness (Pamoja) to learn and create a strong team. We each bring strengths and hopes to our work together this week.”
Second step DESIGNING
DESIGNING is about creating a generative space to share different ideas and co-creating ways to move forward as a community.
With this framing, we designed team-building processes that built on strengths, creating an environment for learning from each other and developing opportunities for collaborative action.
Third step ENACTING
ENACTING is about first losing it, expanding perspectives, being open for diversity, for the unknown.
As we engaged in the team-building workshop, we held plans lightly and were flexible and attentive to change.
In order to find your way, you must lose it. Generously. (Bayo Akomolafe)
Fourth step REFLECTING
REFLECTING Is about collecting everything, reframing it, and creating the container through which the work will happen.
In the spaces for reflection, we were attentive to the new ideas, knowledge, and understandings that were emerging. Together we explored what we were creating together and how we would move forward together
