All members of the PolMig team recently returned from the first phase of fieldwork in Kenya, Malawi, Liberia and Ghana. We went armed with theories, reports and categories as the usual academic toolkit. But the more we engaged various research participants, who were so generous with their time, their lived experiences and their perspectives, the more the toolkit felt inadequate. Questions regarding research ethics and mental health considerations continued to weigh on our minds.
Opportunely, soon after returning from fieldwork, Sophia and Edwin were invited to participate in a workshop on Contextual Ethics and Power Relations: Rethinking Research Practices with Local Communities between 27 and 28 May in Leuven. This fitting workshop was organised by what we’ve come to call a ‘sister project’ – a fellow ERC-funded project: Life Narratives of Violence among Refugees from Africa’s Great Lakes Region (AGLR). This event convened researchers from multiple projects and partners and provided a safe space to collectively reflect on responsibility, power, equity and justice - beyond procedural formalities in research on/with people on the move.
The takeaways will stay with us. They are already shaping our continued conversations in the PolMig Project towards more ethical, more meaningful and more humble approaches in research.