Over the course of my career working on social justice issues in different capacities (first in fundraising, then in operations, then in community engagement), I have always been drawn to the stories non-profits tell and are told: stories about impact, stories about data, stories about learning, changing, and growing.
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The field of philanthropy is changing towards processes that centre trust and put decision-making power in the hands of those who are closest to the issues – people with lived experience and who are frontline in the work.
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People experiencing deep poverty describe how discrimination and stigma can be significant roadblocks on the journey to better circumstances, and how important it is to shift the assumption that poverty is ‘normal’.
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Attending the Cities Reducing Poverty Conference in 2019 was an experience to remember! I attended on behalf of the Town of Cochrane, Alberta with a fellow co-worker. There were several impactful takeaways from the event, one being, the importance and value in engaging and recognizing people with lived experienced.
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On November 25, we hosted a webinar featuring special guest, Cheryl Whiskeyjack, Executive Director of Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society, co-chair End Poverty Edmonton, and a member of the National Advisory Council on Poverty. She left us with several takeaways, three of which are highlighted below:
“Lived/living experience” — sound familiar? It’s a word on everyone’s lips, a common word we hear everywhere nowadays. In fact, I have noticed it has become much more common, perhaps even a trend in governments and non-profit organizations to include experts with lived/living experience in their work. So you may wonder — what is so special about these experts with lived/living experience?
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