What is philanthropy’s role in facilitating the well-being of human rights defenders? Why is centering collective care necessary and incorporating healing into social justice agenda a must?

My experience here comes from my personal struggles with activist burn-out, being embedded in supporting local feminist movements in Poland in the challenging political context, but also practicing transnational solidarity within the planetary #ShiftThePower initiative facilitated by the Global Fund for Community Foundations.

The first step toward collective care starts with the realisation of how change happens, what enacts it, and who is paving the way towards greater justice for everyone. Regardless of geography – be it Georgia, Colombia or Uganda – there are countless examples that in most cases it is grassroots communities, social justice movements, and the most oppressed identities that are initiating the change from the ground up. It has also been the case in Poland where vibrant, impactful and resilient civil society opposed have finally ousted authoritarian forces that aimed at dismantling the rule of law and democracy.

Determination, passion and energy of social justice activists are the driving force for change in all burning fields, including climate justice, labour rights, peace, and equality. Human rights defenders working on the ground and change makers at the forefronts are the most valuable asset in philanthropy. Funding can be easily rendered useless when spent inadequately or stuck in bureaucracy – it’s activists who make the real difference. They don’t only need to be protected but also appreciated and cherished for their indispensable contributions.

Yet in most contexts social justice movements operate in hostile environments and they are stretched by responding to all kinds of challenges: the deepening and interlocking crises of climate catastrophe, rise of authoritarianism, war, political turmoil, anti-rights backlash, decline of democracy, as well as persisting racism, sexism, and homophobia. Fighting for justice in times of despair is indeed exhausting, and it’s no wonder activists do burn out as their health and well-being are often compromised for the cause. However, individual burn out doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It’s not someone’s personal failure, but rather systemic issue that tells us something about the culture of organising which we – as funders – also co-create.

The norms we follow don’t always allow for prioritising activists’ welfare. The sense of urgency is compounded by glaring injustice that is being generated all the time, especially by those who hold formal and informal power, including transnational corporations and national governments. This ongoing oppression causes trauma, much of which stays unaddressed and unhealed, and perpetuated in ourselves, our communities and movements we are part of. If our goal is to transform the system so it doesn’t serve the few, but the majority of the people, the trauma of injustice needs to be centred.

Facilitating regenerative activism, caring for one another and practicing healing isn’t something separate or additional to our collective fight for justice. This is the actual work. By centering these we are already countering capitalistic, exploitative and extractive logic. We are already fixing the flawed system. It’s also not only where are we headed but also how are we getting there. As Anthea Lawson puts it, our what and our how need to be aligned so they become one thing. Rather than an add on, collective care and healing are an integral part of social justice agenda. In Audre Lorde’s words: ‘we can’t dismantle the master’s house with the master’s tools’.

We need to transform our how that is our culture of organising for change. I like to remind myself that outer change requires inner change, which can only be executed here and now. If it can be practiced in community with others, that’s even more beautiful.

Valuing wellbeing, relationships, and organic processes which can be messy is also a matter of dismantling white supremacy culture. Orienting exclusively towards measurable indicators and numeric progress or imposing rigid structures on fluid, dynamic and complex realities, as well as organising everything in silos – all of it has serious limitations.

Transforming the dominant ways of working in social change sector is a matter of racial justice too.

Magdalena Pocheć is a feminist and resource justice activist. She initiated and co-founded the Feminist Fund in Poland (FemFund). FemFund is a power-shifting, community-led and participatory grant-maker supporting feminist organizing and philanthropy at country level.