SASA
Lead Research Organisation:
Keele University
Department Name: Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences
Abstract
The South America and Southeast Asia (SASA) Project is led by a multidisciplinary, cross-sectors, international team across Brazil, Malaysia, and the UK. Based on equitable partnerships, with horizontal leadership shared across the three countries, SASA mobilises local, regional and indigenous knowledges and expertise to identify priority areas, challenge current structures, and shape future funding opportunities in arts and humanities.
| Description | Drawing on the discussions fostered during two workshops in Brazil and Malaysia, the team has been able to draw conclusions about the key challenges that limit the development and sustainability of equitable projects. The workshops were divided into three themes - conflict and humanitarian protection; gender; climate - but these conclusions apply across the board: - disproportionate power relations - difficult access to funding (bureaucracy, lack of knowledge) - lack of continuity in the funding, which fails to account for the realities of communities - lack of autonomy in the management of resources - processes (proposal, accountability, etc.) which are too rigid and decontextualised. In response to these challenges, the workshop participants identified the following needs: - strengthening of public policies to enable greater inclusion and direct participation of communities in decision-making processes - more inclusive and adaptable financing - reduction of bureaucracy in processes and implementation of more accessible technologies for the submission of proposals - financial empowerment of communities, combined with specific training - centring of indigenous knowledge and amplifying of marginalised voices - more cross-sector collaboration - more emphasis on capacity-building and inclusivity. |
| Exploitation Route | The challenges identified and the recommendations generated can be taken forward by funders and research organisations to enact positive changes and improve the processes which might prevent equitable partnerships. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy Creative Economy Education Environment Healthcare Government Democracy and Justice Culture Heritage Museums and Collections Security and Diplomacy |
| Description | SASA Workshop Brazil - Cultivating connections and confluences |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This workshop was held in Brazil on December 18th, 2024 and was a space for participatory reflections on equitable partnerships. Artistic language was the guiding and poetic thread that underpinned the discussions throughout the workshop. The arts, in their multiple expressions, provided a field of exchange where academic, community and ancestral knowledge could coexist in a broad and open dialogue. Artistic performances opened each workshop activity, which included plenary sessions and working groups on different themes: girls and women; environmental humanities; conflicts and humanitarian protection. The working groups reflected on the challenges projects might face in establishing equitable partnerships and were invited to map future projects at the end of the discussion. The event closed with a musical performance. The choice to incorporate artistic language as a structural axis of SASA reflected the understanding that, without art, we run the risk of reducing the complexity of experiences and distancing debates from what really matters: people and their stories. The workshop brought together a diverse, cross-sector, interdisciplinary group of delegates. Attendees included civil society organisations, traditional communities, educational/research institutions, government representatives, advocacy groups and creative industry representatives. Disciplines included: anthropology, arts, law, psychology, pedagogy, biology, biomedicine, social sciences, media, design and architecture, economy, physiotherapy and chemistry. As part of the event, the SASA team gathered valuable data about the challenges faced in establishing equitable partnerships for different kinds of project (community action, training, public policy, research, cultural production, activism, etc.). The day's discussions reflected on the relationship between financing and social realities. Community was at the heart of those discussions. While the outcomes and impacts of this workshop are still emerging, it presented a valuable opportunity for knowledge exchange and networking. We anticipate that it will lead to recommendations for more equitable partnerships and to future projects. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | SASA Workshop in Malaysia |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This workshop, held in Malaysia, was divided into 3 sessions: 'Conflict, Post Conflict, Humanitarian Protection and Modern Day Slavery', 'Women and Girls' and 'Environmental Humanities'. In each session, delegates reflected on the challenges in establishing equitable partnerships to address these issues. The power imbalance and the difficulty in securing funding emerged as key systemic barriers. The workshop and its discussions emphasised the need for community empowerment and the importance of centring indigenous knowledge. Other recommendations by delegates included: more cross-sector collaboration, more emphasis on capacity-building and inclusivity and centralised resource hubs. While the outcomes and impacts of this workshop are still emerging, it was a valuable opportunity for knowledge exchange and networking. We anticipate that it will lead to recommendations for more equitable partnerships and to future projects. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |