Co-Constructing Knowledge and Space with Refugee Communities: Lessons from the Western New York Refugee Health Summit

Abstract

Displaced peoples are often excluded from institutional, community, and public processes in the United States, including in knowledge production spaces where researchers and educators may discuss problems and devise solutions. In this article, we explore the benefits and challenges inherent in the co-construction of knowledge spaces designed with the intent of serving refugee communities. To do so, we examined the Western New York Refugee Health Summit, an event held for eight years where actors convened from three spaces, i.e., institutional, community, and public. Findings are derived from the situated knowledge of the authors (actors embedded in the conception and execution of the Summit) and a qualitative descriptive analysis of eight Summit reports and event evaluation data. Findings illuminate how collaboration across these spaces is co-constructed, as well as challenges inherent in co-construction from an institutional perspective—including our attempts to contest institutional power dynamics. We conclude with a discussion of research and practice-based lessons for co-constructing spaces with and including the voices of refugee community partners.

Keywords

• education
• knowledge co-production
• refugees
• qualitative descriptive analysis
• systems change