Governance and Management Strategies for Epistemic Justice
When power is unequal, some people and groups are treated unfairly in knowledge related collaborations. This is called epistemic injustice. How can it be prevented?
Create Space for Different Perspectives
When knowledge is created collectively but presented as a single, unified perspective, conflicting views have often been reframed or left out—usually those of less influential groups, whose priorities then become invisible. This undermines trust and collaboration. Managing knowledge in open and flexible ways, addressing power imbalances, and working horizontally towards broadly shared goals—without insisting on consensus - allows different perspectives to co-exist.
Open and flexible knowledge practices
Develop knowledge practices, tools, and metrics that serve a wide range of people by focusing on their design and on the perspectives to which they can add value.
Do
Understand barriers to access and participation
Strike a balance between achieving short term goals and keeping the ability to modify practices, tools, and metrics later.
Encourage regular reviews and revisions based on new learning.
Don't
Set knowledge practices, tools, and metrics in stone – keep options open.
Work in a manner that is directive, prescriptive, or driven towards consensus.
Working through horizontal networks
Connect local knowledge spaces and events horizontally to build a network where different organisations or communities learn from each other, try new ideas locally, and solve problems together.
Do
Support context specific experimentation and learning
Build structures that support long-term engagement
Improve communication channels and open dialogue
Don't
Apply one-size-fits-all approaches
Push perspectives from the top down
Work in isolation from others
Redressing power imbalances
To help people with different priorities and worldviews work well together over time, rules, processes, and structures need to be established that redress power imbalances, foster trust and ensure legitimacy for the process. This helps build inclusive knowledge practices that are more flexible and adaptable to changing conditions.
Start by understanding the initial conditions, especially differences in power and resources between participants.
Bring people together with the help of neutral organisers who are supportive but not connected to any of the participants.
Share leadership roles and responsibilities - and make decisions through ongoing dialogue.
Set up transparent processes and clear ground rules that stop power imbalances from giving one perspective too much influence.
Make sure that accountability (rules, targets, evaluation) is horizontal and not top down.
Facilitators can help participants
understand each others’ perspectives and values
explore shared benefits, and
develop a collective sense of ownership
