The University of Cambridge and our funders have historically benefited from colonial advantages, which have led to the establishment of power and privilege. Their legacy is intertwined with the exploitation and extraction of resources from colonised regions, contributing to their current prominence and resources. Acknowledging this colonial history is essential in research involving communities who have felt disenfranchised from science. We recognise that the privilege of even having this website and our academic platform is shaped by historical injustices and systemic inequalities, affecting the dynamics of public engagement about science.
Acknowledging privilege involves actively engaging in self-reflection, learning about the institutions’ historical role and striving for equitable partnerships. Such self-reflection is operationalised via the personal commitment and training in anti-racist practices that the core team have participated in. We seek to mitigate power imbalances, foster transparency and promote genuine and authentic collaboration with all of our partners.
Given the Lead Sponsor’s power over participants due to historical colonial legacies, upholding participant autonomy and beneficence is paramount. This is why the Only Human project has commissioned Centric as our community partner to lead the community engagement aspects of the project. To ensure mutual respect and reciprocity, the research emphasises collaborative decision-making, involving community partners in the study design, objectives and benefits. Continuous feedback loops allow participants to share the research direction; such feedback loops work between research participants and Centric community leaders and between Centric community leaders and the research team at the University.
Local norms are respected through culturally sensitive communication and engagement strategies that Centric will determine, based on their own lived-experience of belonging to local black and asian communities. Relationships are structured by Centric to minimise colonial dynamics by involving local community leaders to prioritise indigenous knowledge and valuing participants’ perspectives. This approach helps to dismantle power imbalances and foster equitable partnerships, reflecting the principles of autonomy and beneficence while addressing coloniality’s effects on research dynamics.
Collaborative decision-making, co-designing research, and involving community leaders empower marginalised groups in the research process. By acknowledging its colonial past, and involving marginalised communities as partners in research, small steps are taken towards cultivating ethical research relationships that honour the principles of fairness, justice and respect.