Decolonise IVS / Knowledge Hub

Toolkits

Participatory Action Research: guidebook for barefoot researchers July 2023

The PAR Guidebook is a comprehensive resource designed to empower communities and organizations to actively engage in research that directly benefits them. This guidebook offers practical tools and methodologies for conducting research that is collaborative, reflective, and action-oriented. It emphasizes the importance of involving participants at every stage of the research process to ensure that the outcomes are relevant and impactful. Whether you’re new to PAR or looking to deepen your practice, this guidebook provides clear guidance on how to design, implement, and evaluate research projects that drive social change.

Decolonise IVS Organizational Self-Assessment Tool (English Version)

The Decolonise IVS Organizational Self-Assessment Tool is designed to help International Voluntary Service (IVS) organizations critically evaluate and transform their structures and practices in a decolonial sense. This tool encourages reflection on how colonial histories influence current power dynamics within and between organizations. It provides guiding questions and exercises to foster mutual understanding, identify privileges and disadvantages, and promote actions toward reparative justice. The tool is interactive, allowing organizations to engage in bilateral conversations with partners and implement changes that support decolonial practices.

Herramienta de Autoevaluación Organizacional de Decolonise IVS

La Herramienta de Autoevaluación Organizacional de Decolonise IVS está diseñada para ayudar a las organizaciones de Servicio Voluntario Internacional (IVS) a evaluar y transformar críticamente sus estructuras y prácticas desde una perspectiva decolonial. Esta herramienta fomenta la reflexión sobre cómo las historias coloniales influyen en las dinámicas de poder actuales dentro de las organizaciones y entre ellas. Ofrece preguntas orientadoras y ejercicios para promover la comprensión mutua, identificar privilegios y desventajas, y promover acciones hacia la justicia reparadora. La herramienta es interactiva y permite a las organizaciones entablar conversaciones bilaterales con socios e implementar cambios que apoyen prácticas decoloniales.

Outil d’Auto-évaluation Organisationnelle de Decolonise IVS

L’Outil d’Auto-évaluation Organisationnelle de Decolonise IVS est conçu pour aider les organisations de Service Volontaire International (IVS) à évaluer et transformer de manière critique leurs structures et pratiques dans une perspective décoloniale. Cet outil encourage la réflexion sur la manière dont les histoires coloniales influencent les dynamiques de pouvoir actuelles au sein et entre les organisations. Il propose des questions directrices et des exercices pour favoriser la compréhension mutuelle, identifier les privilèges et les désavantages, et promouvoir des actions vers la justice réparatrice. L’outil est interactif, permettant aux organisations d’engager des conversations bilatérales avec des partenaires et de mettre en œuvre des changements soutenant des pratiques décoloniales.

4 step framework to build anti racist organisations

This practical guide developed by BOND, the UK network for organisations working in international development to eradicate poverty, inequality and injustice, shows in a very visual way how to build anti-racial organisations. The framework shares a holistic approach to addressing racism and decolonising the global development sector by focussing on all dimensions of an organisation.

The Power behind good intentions


A toolkit for critical European volunteering organisations and Global Education practitioners.

Anti-racism Toolkit for International Voluntary Service

We encourage all of our future and former volunteers, staff, co-workers, host projects, host families, and wider network to self-educate and take advantage of tools such as this to integrate anti-racism into their work and daily lives. This Toolkit aims to steer all IVS stakeholders within the ICYE Federation to not only advocate for anti-racism but to incorporate this advocacy within their capacity into every aspect of their relation to the IVS movement.

Paquete de Herramientas sobre antirracismo para el servicio de voluntariado internacional

Motivamos a todas y todos nuestros actuales y futuros voluntarias, voluntarios, colegas de trabajo, proyectos anfitriones, familias anfitrionas, y a la red en general, para que se autoeduquen y aprovechen herramientas como esta para integrar el antirracismo en su trabajo y vida diario. Este Paquete de Herramientas busca orientar a todos los grupos de interés del IVS que pertenecen a la Federación ICYE para que además de incidir en el antirracismo lo incorporen también dentro de sus capacidades en cada aspecto de su relación con el movimiento IVS.

Reading materials

“Decolonising agendas” are emerging all over the world and relate to humanitarian aid, development, anthropology, sociology and many other facets of life, including peacebuilding. Decolonialism refers to the process of undoing colonial worldviews, institutions and impacts. In the last few years, various authors have begun laying out an agenda for decolonising peacebuilding (Ayindo 2017; Omer 2019; Linklater 2014; Beraia et al. 2019). The study of decoloniality, abolition and reparations is relevant to peacebuilding, both as an analytical framework that explains global patterns of grievance against political, economic and social systems, and as an agenda for how to build peace, foster social transformation and protect human security. This article explores and opens up for discussion and dialogue how the peacebuilding field can respond to the profound sense of chaos and unpredictability in today’s world by addressing the colonial distortions of governance, economy and society.

Decolonising Peacebuilding A Way Forward out of Crisis

This research examines the extent and nature of concrete actions undertaken by Northern NGOs and Southern NGOs to tackle power asymmetries, explicitly comparing their understandings, perspectives and initiatives.

Where do we go from here?

Until 1961, the Belgian Ministry of Development Cooperation was simply called the Ministry of Colonies. What more do you need to understand how interwoven development cooperation is with the colonial history of our country? Missionaries and colonials went on a mission to ‘civilise’ Congo, Rwanda and Burundi; we were going there to ‘develop’ them. Same difference, more and more critical voices say, in one fell swoop also questioning the legitimacy and relevance of our work and the entire sector of development cooperation.

Decolonise, Now!

The development aid discourse is portrayed as the will to do good to help populations left behind in humanity’s inevitable march towards modernity and economic growth. However, its usefulness and the multiple violences (e.g., racism, colonialism, patriarchy, neoliberalism, capitalism, extractivism, etc.) derived from modernity and growth are increasingly being questioned. Academia, social movements, and development aid agencies have argued that development aid has little impact on poverty reduction in the partner countries . Thus, there is a request for a power shift from all parts, especially elucidated from the World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) in 2016 and social movements such as “Black Life Matters”, “Charity so White”, and the 60th anniversary of DRC’s independence demonstrations. These movements call for an urgent need to break with the modernity/coloniality violences and decolonize international relations and development aid practices.

Imagine alternative future(s) of the Belgian development cooperation – Final report

Climate change has been conceptualized as a form and a product of colonization. In this perspective, it becomes important to base climate change adaptation and transformation efforts on decolonizing practices and imaginaries. A central aspect of decolonization is contained in the Indigenous conceptualization of relationality. Exploring how decolonization and relationality might form the foundation for transformations research, we engage with the concept of ‘right relations’. In the context of this inquiry, we take ‘right relations’ to mean an obligation to live up to the responsibilities involved when taking part in a relationship—be it to other humans, other species, the land or the climate. We begin the paper by bringing together the literature on climate change adaptation, transformation and decolonization to show their interconnections and emphasize the need to engage with all three when talking about sustainability. Second, we invoke the idea of ‘right relations’ to address how non-Indigenous transformation researchers can further the process of decolonization as part of their research. Third, we offer insights from our own research experience with narrative practices to help exemplify how transformation researchers in all disciplines might embody ‘right relations’ centered around four characteristics: listening deeply, self-reflexivity, creating space and being in action. Embodying ‘right relations’ is a continuous process of becoming with no end point, and we do not wish to suggest that we hold the answers. Instead, we reflect on our role in this process and hope for these words to open a dialogue about how we might move towards a ‘decolonized humanity’. We suggest that willingness to be affected and altered by the process of reciprocal collaborations is key to imagining decolonial ways of being and that this in turn can be a powerful manner of generating equitable and sustainable transformations.

Decolonizing transformations through ‘right relations’

Ecological research and practice are crucial to understanding and guiding more positive relationships between people and ecosystems. However, ecology as a discipline and the diversity of those who call themselves ecologists have also been shaped and held back by often exclusionary Western approaches to knowing and doing ecology. To overcome these historical constraints and to make ecology inclusive of the diverse peoples inhabiting Earth’s varied ecosystems, ecologists must expand their knowledge, both in theory and practice, to incorporate varied perspectives, approaches and interpretations from, with and within the natural environment and across global systems. We outline five shifts that could help to transform academic ecological practice: decolonize your mind; know your histories; decolonize access; decolonize expertise; and practise ethical ecology in inclusive teams. We challenge the discipline to become more inclusive, creative and ethical at a moment when the perils of entrenched thinking have never been clearer. 

Decoloniality and anti-oppressive practices for a more ethical ecology

Short description : The Global Questionnaire results will be out soon. We share with you insights on IVS’ decolonial discourse and practice from 51 organisations, 30 countries, and 4 continents. The Global Questionnaire was envisioned, designed and distributed with these two questions in mind:

  • Is IVS supporting a decolonised approach or reproducing neo-colonial relationships between the Global South and the Global North?
  • And is the North-South subdivision of the world useful and appropriate to reflect, talk about and act for change?


Unveiling Insights from the Decolonise! Global Questionnaire – a Sneak Peek to the Results

A journey worth making by Ben Magnus Hausler

This text is not a “how to decolonize” or a history lesson on colonialism, but rather a reflection on the last week and the learning journey it entailed. A reflection on the “Decolonise. Now! – visual storytelling training” by Javier, Hamza and Julieta, which was centred around decolonizing storytelling in International Voluntary Service (IVS).
The training was held in Vienna in the beginning of May 2024 and was organised by Grenzenlos – an NGO from Vienna that is involved with intercultural exchange and volunteering. 

Videos

In the “Decolonise” Study Session, held in 2022 in Austria, the participants discussed several definitions that are closely connected to the process of “decolonisation” such as power and privilege, global justice, intersectionality, etc. While trying to understand better these key concepts they also worked on the script of 8 short videos that should easily explain these concepts. A series of short videos that can be used to start a dialogue around “decolonisation” issues. 

English 

Global Justice

Intersectionality

Cultural Appropriation

Decolonisation

Diversity

Neocolonialism

Power Privilege

Volunteering

Français

Justice globale

Intersectionality

Appropriation culturelle

Décolonisation

Diversité

Néocolonialisme

Pouvoir et privilège

Volontariat

Español

Justicia global

Interseccionalidad

Apropiación cultural

Descolonización

Diversidad

Neocolonialismo

Poder y privilegio

Voluntariado

Discover More: Videos That Inspire

The danger of a single story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

CCIVS Open Conference: Decolonising International Voluntary Service✨

Decolonise IVS! Dissemination Webinars! English Version

Decolonise IVS! Dissemination Webinars! English Version

Decolonise IVS! Dissemination Webinars! Spanish Version

Fuzzy Theory – Decolonial Theory – Three minutes video

SAIH Norway – Who Wants to Be a Volunteer

Hubert Sauper – We come as friends

Late Night Show – White Savior: The Movie Trailer

Ackerman Institute – Internalized Racism Part 5, with Dee Watts-Jones

Channel 4 – What’s Wrong with White Saviours? | How Not to Be Racist

Bloomberg Quicktake – Asian Hate Crimes: Korean American Singer Eric Nam Explains Internalized Racism

Lynae Vanee – Parking Lot Pimpin’ | “On Internalized Racism”

BBC The Social – My Experience Of Internal Racism In The South Asian Community

Kid Pharaoh – British Museum (Official Music Video)

James Acaster – On The Absurdity Of The British Empire

Reframing Internalized Racial Oppression: Shifting Our Theory of Oppression

What Happens When A White Savior Meets A Black Man That’s Not A Victim

Zed Xaba | TEDxLyttelton – Women Internalised Oppression -Naming and peeling away the layers of shame

Peter Hopkins – What is intersectionality?

Ahsante the Artist – How to Be a Good Ally – Identity, Privilege, Resistance | Ahsante Bean

How France’s Colonial Past Explains Its Racism Today

Nihi! Indigenous Media – KIDS TALK about Decolonization| KIDS TALK | Nihi!

What Does “Decolonize” Mean?

The Guardian – How British colonialism increased diabetes in south Asians | It’s Complicated

The White Savior Complex: The Dark Side of Volunteering | Kayley Gould | TEDxLAHS

HBO – Savior Complex

Netflix – Black Earth Rising

Knowledge Hub

Policy Papers and Guidelines

Decolonised Long and Medium-Term Volunteering Guidelines
Voluntariado de medio y largo plazo descolonizado Guia
Pour un volontariat moyen/long-terme décolonial Guide
Decolonising our Narratives Position Paper
Descolonizar nuestras Narrativas Position Paper – Documento de Posicionamiento
Décoloniser nos Récits Position Paper – Document de Position
Decolonising the Funding Mechanisms of European Union Youth Programmes Policy Paper
Descolonizar los Mecanismos de Financiamiento de los Programas de Juventud de la Unión Europea Policy Paper – Documento de Política
Décoloniser les Mécanismes de Financement des Programmes de Jeunesse de l’Union Européenne Policy Paper – Document Politique
Decolonising Visa Mechanisms Policy Paper
Descolonizar los Mecanismos de Visado Policy Paper – Documento de Política
Décoloniser les Procédures de Visa Policy Paper – Document Politique
REGENERATE RECONCILE RESPECT CCIVS Sustainability/Living Earth Guidelines
REGENERAR RECONCILIAR RESPETAR CCIVS Sostenibilidad/Tierra Viva Lineamientos
RÉGÉNÉRER RÉCONCILIER RESPECTER CCIVS Développement Durable et de Terre Vivante (Living Earth) Recommandations
Decolonial practice and discourse in International Voluntary Service