“We need more spaces like the one we co-created. We need more civil spaces to exist, because they are shrinking and so is active participation and such spaces are very important for us to heal, reflect, re-strategize, learn, gain allies, share the burden, learn of new opportunities, become and feel the sense of community and of belonging especially in this short-term project-based work environment with basically no stability.”

Robert Ian Kibet Ouko Babu, following the EPIM Learning Journey, July 2024

What it Looked Like

A co-created process

The journey was co-designed with our partners from the outset. The idea of creating a different space to make sense of how EPIM’s partners and the ecosystem contributed to change emerged as a logical result of EPIM’s transformation. Thus, the intention was to shift from top-down, reported descriptions of change by partners, to participatory and shared reflections and conversations that centred partners and their stories of ecosystem and social transformation

After querying partners about their willingness to be part of the journey, in June 2023, EPIM sought a learning facilitation team to guide the collective process. Our partners joined us in interviewing shortlisted applicants, and a shared decision was made to collaborate with Ingi Mehus and Thalia Rizou.

The journey kicked-off this spring with a grounding exploration of participants’ needs and aspirations and resulting the agenda was co-shaped by and evolved with the energy and desires in the room, making it a truly living and adaptive process.

Co-creating the Journey by Carlotta Cataldi

A transformative journey that took an unexpected route

The journey began by grounding the collective in the reality of the systems and mental models we operate in, revealing how identities and the quality of relationships shape policies, narratives, and mindsets, as well as our own approaches to change. An invitation to explore our understanding of systemic change, challenging us to seek and harness power to achieve this, followed. And resultingly we discovered the profound impact of how we convene, invite conversations and connect, has on the relationships we build.

A space for collective care and political (re)imagination

Working on social change, especially in migration, our partners often feel like firefighters battling multiple crises with scarce resources. This is especially true for those on the frontlines – those who face hostile environments and struggle to financially sustain their work. Rarely, do they find the space and time to pause and reflect on their roles, to build collaboration and prototype systemic solutions. The journey offered us all a space to pause and take a collective breath. The journey was a sanctuary to make sense of our work and imagine and practice regenerative relationships and visions.

The Learning Convening in Brussels in May 2024

What EPIM has Learned

The journey is the destination

The outcome is ultimately also the process we create and the path we embark upon for the changes we want to see. The relationships we build, bridges we create, seeds we plant, and roles we play, are fundamental and without them, we will be unable to collaborate and draw on collective intelligence, to advance change.

Different questions lead to different conversations (and hopefully, a better understanding of change)

The questions we ask each other and the way they are asked can help foster trust, create connections, and result in new possibilities.  Here are three ways this happened:

• Asking each other to share the story behind our name at the beginning of the journey allowed for a deeper level of connection compared to standard professional introductions, setting the tone for the entire journey.

• Openly discussing power dynamics led to insightful conversations about different types of power and how they can be harnessed for social change rather than just challenged.

• Asking participants how we might gain more power to create systemic change sparked conversations on building a larger ‘we’ to positively reshape approaches to migration, on building trust, and developing more self-awareness about our own power and roles.

Gaining More Power for Lasting Systems Change by Carlotta Cataldi

Our takeaway is that creating space and time for these conversations is essential, and we will endeavour to incorporate this in our future work.

Trust and connection are the ultimate goals

What we saw was that without trust, there is no collaboration and without collaboration, there is no meaningful and sustainable change. Building trust, forging connections, and breaking down siloes are pre-requisites for collective power and nudging systems change. We also honoured the role personal histories and experiences play in creating the changemakers on the journey, and sought to see them as individuals, underlining our shared humanity and commitment to the cause, rather than being seen (only) with institutional hats and boundaries.

Embrace the Unknown

In designing, we shied away from a rigid script and overthinking our outcomes, which allowed the space for much-needed emergence. Something we are grateful to our facilitators for doing so deftly. This was made clear to us as the goal of the learning journey organically moved from “offering a space for reflection on the roles played by EPIM, its partners, and the successes (and failures) of different advocacy approaches” to “nurturing trust relationships and deepening our collective understanding of change to advance change better”. This shift was crucial in creating a truly meaningful experience and actually learning what was relevant about our impact.

Practice what you Preach

Showing up differently and embracing vulnerability offers an invitation to others to do the same. EPIM attempted to foster an inclusive environment where everyone could authentically participate, to enhance the depth and quality of our conversations. To do so as a philanthropic intermediary and funder, we needed to talk about power in an open and transparent manner and actively share it.  We believe that this allowed the group to break free from sectoral, organizational and dogmatic bubbles and allowed us to build the much-needed relational connective tissue for hope-based collective visioning and imagining that is so essential for any meaningful change.

What’s Next?

What’s Next by Carlotta Cataldi

This journey will inspire the spaces EPIM creates in the future. As we design a learning framework for the post-transformation EPIM, collaborative environments and moments like this one, in which we capture insights and patterns that lead to the shifts in the system will be at the core of our approach. Spaces for collective reflection and sensemaking, where partners craft their own narratives about how they have influenced change, are clearly the way forward.

Sophie Ngo-Diep is EPIM’s Co-Director. Thanks to Sen Zhan for some initial ideas, Hrishabh Sandilya for the edits and Carlotta Cataldi for the beautiful images.