Last month Sustain and Eating Better held the first of three workshops on ‘How to be an anti-racist organisation’ with the support of Social Justice Collective. The aim of the first workshop was to focus on self-reflection and understanding as we know that a lack of confidence around language and terms is a barrier for people to engage with anti-racist practice.
What we learned
Organisations are ready to have these conversations and are keen to make change but they need support and guidance. Participants want to be in a non-judgemental space, planning tangible actions that they can take away and implement in their own work.
"Thank you for offering this! I'm always very worried about my unrealised ignorance/naivety and making mistakes. I thought the house rules bit at the beginning was very helpful."
As alliances, Sustain and Eating Better recognise the power we hold in convening spaces like this to support and mobilise members to be a part of a movement that is working towards an equitable transformation of the food system.
The difference between the terms equality, equity, and liberation, illustrated.
Credit: © Interaction Institute for Social Change | Artist: Angus Maguire
How the session went
Initially we determined where participants are at in their own individual journeys before we move on to creating an action plan for change in future sessions. The workshop was attended by a variety of cross-sector organisations covering local councils, food partnerships, farming, agriculture and conservation organisations.
To start the session, the group co-created a set of 16 learning principles which included, ‘Being non judgemental, being curious about others' experiences, and being open, supportive and accountable, we are all constantly learning in real time.' This helped set a safe and brave space for learning and sharing.
Next we set the context, explaining why equity, inclusion, and anti-racism is relevant to our sector. The Sankofa Report is useful to understanding more about British colonialism and the UK food system. We then got stuck in, exploring the main part of the workshop where we first tackled language, defining unfamiliar terms and concepts.
"I really appreciated the positivity, responsiveness to discussion during the workshop and the economy with which complex terms were communicated."
This was followed by a conversation about privilege and intersectionality. The group examined their own privileges and where these may or may not have impacted their lives. The workshop ended with a discussion on the Four Is of oppression and how they might show up in the sector.
"I am starting to reflect on how I can act when I see room for improvement in my organisation, especially when it doesn't depend on me. i.e. how I can try and influence/help bring about change."
Final thoughts
The discussion on privilege was very enlightened. The group was able to articulate where their privilege came from (education, social class, race, sexual orientation, being able bodied etc) whilst acknowledging the intersections of other layers of oppression such as chronic illness, sexual orientation, gender identity and neurodivergence.
They highlighted how acknowledging their privilege(s) helps them understand the unseen advantages they may have had and how people without these characteristics may have faced barriers. This then helps us create intentionally inclusive spaces. We discussed the importance of using your power to help dismantle structures of oppression.
The chat was lively with lots of reflections on how breaking down definitions (particularly around equality, equity and liberation) and the discussion on privilege (and all its intersections) helped participants have more understanding and gain confidence in starting conversations on anti-racism with others.
"This was a brilliant workshop with informative and inspirational discussions."
What's next
In the upcoming workshops we will dive deeper into the relevance of anti-racism to the sustainable food and farming sector, taking into account our colonial history and the various structures that uphold our current system. And finally, participants will work on an action plan to implement changes in their organisations.
Further reading
Sustain’s Diversity Style Guide
Eating Better’s Nourishing Justice Guide
Social Justice Collective Language Guide
If you missed out on this series but would like to be involved in the future, get in touch! Contact roshni.shah@sustainweb.org
