CIM News
Rethinking community participation and power in building just and resilient Societies
The ongoing poly-crisis has deepened inequalities, increased precarity, and led people to feel a significant loss of social, political, and economic power. These crises are rooted in colonial legacies, with state responses and resistance efforts largely unexamined.
Amidst this context, the pursuit of healthier, more resilient societies has never been more urgent. This pursuit, emphasises social participation, placing communities at the heart of policy. The recent landmark WHO resolution on Social Participation in Health (adopted in May 2024) underscores the importance of embedding communities and civil society in health decision-making.
However, meaningful engagement and participation remains complex, as are the contested concepts of participation and ‘community’.
Drawing on insights from Advancing Health Rights and Tackling Inequalities, I will discuss how empowered and organised communities can drive transformative change. I will share research and praxis-led examples - including decolonial perspectives and community-led actions from both the global North and South - demonstrating how collective organising can offer the countervailing power for advancing health equity and social justice.
Please register here: https://forms.office.com/e/p4etzJR2yN
https://www.essex.ac.uk/people/KAPIL61907/Anuj-Kapilashrami