FROM SELF-CARE TO COLLECTIVE CARE

Abstract

Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) across the world report a common experience of closing space for opposition to oppressive repositories of power, whether at the hand of government or the private sector. One of the strategies of resistance developed by HRDs to combat these challenges is the practice of self-care. Self-care is a broad concept that can include a wide variety of measures that contribute to wellbeing and build resilience. However, for HRDs working in organisations, self-care is most effective when it is institutionalised. This calls for a shift in mind set from self-care to collective care. This article will discuss the need for this shift and suggest some possible practical features of a collective care approach at organisational level.

Keywords

• resilience
• self-care
• collective care
• sustainability
• organisational development