“Here We Are, Amazingly Alive”: Holding Ourselves Together With an Ethic of Social Justice in Community Work

Richardson, C. A.; Reynolds, Vikki

doi:10.18357/ijcyfs31201210471

Cited by 17 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…One of the things that we can continue to do is to speak out publicly about the injustices and misrepresentations of violence that we see as we do our work. However, in order to remain alive in the work, it is important to celebrate small victories and to bring joy and kindness into the work (Richardson & Reynolds, 2012). Giving-back practices are important.…”

Section: Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Victim-Blaming and the Crisis of Representation in the Violence Prevention Field

Fast¹,

Kinewesquao

2019

IJCYFS

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In this article, the authors apply response-based practice to highlight the ways in which victims are blamed in cases of violence. They problematize and explore the misrepresentation of violence across academic disciplines and institutional systems, including the social sciences, the helping professions, and the justice system. Fast and Richardson discuss the linguistic operations that serve to conceal violence and also to obscure the resistance of the victim, which tends to reflect the level and brutality of the violent acts. In order to demonstrate the processes of shifting blame and responsibility from the perpetrator to the victim, the authors also discuss particular Indigenous examples relating to the issue of attacks on and kidnappings of Indigenous women, and to the connections between violence, resource exploitation, and land dispossession.

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Section: Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Victim-Blaming and the Crisis of Representation in the Violence Prevention Field

Fast¹,

Kinewesquao

2019

IJCYFS

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“…In order to resist replicating colonization, we enact a decolonizing practice, which means acting in ways that simultaneously attend to the abuse of power that is happening, and holding ourselves to account in resisting ongoing colonization (Walia, 2012;Richardson & Reynolds, 2012;Lawrence & Dua, 2005). This might sound like inconsistency, but as anarchists say, "We can walk and chew gum.…”

Section: Narrative and Conflict: Explorations In Theory Andmentioning

confidence: 99%

"Leaning In" as Imperfect Allies in Community Work

Reynolds¹

2013

NCETP

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The work of allies in community work is informed by justice-doing and decolonizing practice. A brief description of being an ally is outlined here, as well as understandings of the importance of the concepts of fluidity and groundless solidarity in ally work. "Leaning in" is described and offered as a way to invite accountability while resisting righteousness. "Leaning in" invites collective accountability, which is a more useful concept than personal responsibility, which sides with individualism and the idea we are only held accountable for our personal actions. Strategies for being an ally are considered, including engaging with a hopeful skepticism while reflexively questioning whether we are "walking the talk." The limitations of allies are discussed, as well as the need to make repair for our failures as allies. Strategies for resisting both unity and division are addressed, as is the possibility of creating cultures of critique that allow for something other than attack and division. Imperfect solidarity based on points of connection is offered as a useful strategy for maintaining good-enough and required alliances across time. Finally, some exercises are offered for readers to engage with: an inquiry into their histories and imperfect practices of being and needing allies, and some invitations to step into domains where they have previously not served as allies. Keywordsally, community work, leaning in, power, privilege, fluidity, imperfect solidarity Authors' NoteThis work is profoundly collaborative and owes much to a diversity of activists who have been in imperfect solidarity with me across time. Graeme Sampson and Sherry Simon, practicum graduate students from the Adler School of Professional Psychology, critiqued the ally exercises and contributed to their usefulness. Thanks to WAVAW for allowing me to reproduce a version of "Story from the 20 Bus," which originally appeared in their newsletter. Sid Chow Tan, Andrew Larcombe, Paka Ka Liu, Aaron Munro, Tod Augusta-Scott, Jeff Smith, Allan Wade, and John Winslade offered generative and expansive critiques that improved this work. Mr. Peaslee helped again.

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“…For example, attending to intersectionality can distance us at times from decolonizing practice (Lawrence & Dua, 2005;Richardson & Reynolds, 2012;Walia, 2012). Canadian activist and journalist Linda McQuaig (2011) offered a lovely analysis of the "Occupy" movement, which she said was amazingly successful, despite being flawed, in that it got everyone, including corporate media, to question greed as our highest value.…”

Section: Structuring Safetymentioning

confidence: 99%

An Ethical Stance for Justice-Doing in Community Work and Therapy

Reynolds¹

2012

Journal of Systemic Therapies

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With a response by marcela polancoThis writing illuminates a possible stance for an ethic of justice-doing as a frame for community work and therapy. This approach to justice-doing is offered as an imperfection project, and while incomplete and necessarily flawed, it has been helpful to groups of workers striving to practice more in line with our collective commitments for social justice. This approach is profoundly collaborative and informed by decolonizing practice and anti-oppression activism. I will describe the intentions that guide this stance, which include striving towards centering ethics, doing solidarity, addressing power, fostering collective sustainability, critically engaging with language, and structuring safety. Even an imperfect orientation towards justice-doing can open our work to transformations for ourselves, the people we work alongside, and our communities and society, and offer the potential for experiencing the social diving. This article is framed from a keynote delivered at the Winds of Change Conference held in Ottawa, Ontario in June 2012. I acknowledge the Algonquin people whose territories we met on.Finally, marcela polanco (2011), who describes her work as a therapy of solidarity, will offer a reflection on my position for an ethic of justice-doing.My work is profoundly collaborative and informed by decades of solidarity with direct action activists, and in particular my work alongside survivors of torture in several countries, and here I include Indigenous peoples who have survived the political violence of what is called "residential schools." I have been informed and transformed by my work. This work comes from a decolonizing and anti-oppression stance, which is not to say it is correct or safe. I embrace this work very much as an anti-perfection project. I hold huge gratitude for the imperfect solidarity of fellowships of activists, coworkers, and "clients" across several decades, who have informed this work. My continued respect to David Paré, who invited this keynote and has continually carved out space for me in my tension-filled relationship with academia. As always, heartfelt thanks to my editor, Coral Payne, who continues to make complex ideas accessible. This writing occurred on unceded Indigenous territories, which were never surrendered.

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“Here We Are, Amazingly Alive”: Holding Ourselves Together With an Ethic of Social Justice in Community Work

Cited by 17 publications

References 15 publications

Victim-Blaming and the Crisis of Representation in the Violence Prevention Field

Victim-Blaming and the Crisis of Representation in the Violence Prevention Field

"Leaning In" as Imperfect Allies in Community Work

An Ethical Stance for Justice-Doing in Community Work and Therapy

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