For communicators, social justice – the fair treatment and equitable status of all individuals and social groups within a state or society – can be a complex area, rife with misinformation, misunderstanding and uncomfortable conversations. But it cannot be communicated effectively without the critical inclusion of lived and learnt experience.
In the second of our online ‘Lived and Learnt Experiences’ series, Forster’s Peter Gilheany discusses social justice communications and campaigning with Minnie Rahman, CEO of Praxis, the charity for migrants and refugees.
Social justice issues are one of the most challenging areas for communications, especially as they’re so often weaponised in the public agenda. The people being spoken about are often cut out of the conversation, making it hard for them to have their own voices. As such, it’s critical that people with lived experience are put front and centre in social justice – campaigns simply can’t work without them.
Addressing the power dynamic
But how can we use the power of lived experience in a way that isn’t exploitative? The archetypal case study, for example – a staple in any press pack – ostensibly leverages lived experience as a burnable asset, using often vulnerable people as a tool.
Avoiding this means working backwards, where a cohesive messaging goal is set and agreed by all parties and the case study is the last part of the journey. Organisations must think about their values and processes, and do the work to ensure people with lived experiences understand what’s being done and why. We must listen to what it is that people want to say without trying to dictate a message, taking a co-production approach. This takes time, trust and financial resources – lived experience must be invested in as a core structure that’s value-led.
The power of saying ‘no’
This presents a unique challenge for campaign groups. Do we say yes to media opportunities without doing this important groundwork to ensure those with lived experience are adequately protected, or do we potentially miss valuable opportunities to advance the cause?
It’s something of a revelation to learn that it’s okay to say ‘no’ to the media, especially when our work is so KPI-driven. But in social justice matters we should instead be thinking about KPQs – key performance questions – and asking ourselves how media opportunities truly meet the objectives of a campaign.
Choose your audience
Similarly, it’s not necessary – nor possible – to appeal to every audience. Social justice issues are divisive, and some voices are very loud and hostile. Many audiences will simply never change their minds on matters, or be even slightly swayed. This is where learnt experience is particularly valuable, in identifying the audiences it is worth pursuing. While it feels critical to directly challenge problematic narratives, it’s not always helpful.
Even among more affable groups, different audiences will have different levels of receptiveness to your message, so it’s vital that individuals with lived experience have the skills and resilience to go up against these voices. Ensuring people are upskilled and supported is a key part of the groundwork that needs to be done from the outset.
Forget about numbers
Bad faith actors that weaponize social justice issues will often use numbers in their arguments in a bid for persuasion. This can be frustrating for campaigns that rely on lived experience, because often the numbers needed to debunk these claims – to ‘fight fire with fire’ – aren’t recorded or can’t be communicated in an accessible way. But myth-busting often only fuels the hostile narrative further and centres the wrong discussions. In any case, audiences don’t always relate to numbers versus numbers – presenting relatable and human-centric information is frequently a more effective approach to getting audiences thinking more deeply about the issue at hand.
Lived experience is a rich resource
Pervasive media narratives make it easy to homogenise vulnerable groups, and make assumptions about the thoughts and attitudes of the people at the core of these campaigns. The reality is that these individuals crave agency in their experiences, so a co-production approach to messaging can yield really unique, inspirational and engaging campaigns. For example, many of the refugees Praxis works with are musicians, poets and artists that have fantastic ideas for messaging beyond traditional media communications.
Similarly, there are many ways campaigners can give those with lived experience a voice without exposing them directly to an audience, through pre-recorded videos, photography, poetry and more. Listening to what those with lived experience need, want and are able to contribute creates opportunities for powerful messaging.
Make the investment
Change is happening in a lot of organisations, where leadership is beginning to recognise not only the power of lived experience, but the critical importance of managing it with care and responsibility. Ensuring things are done right is a measured and thorough process, and often an uncomfortable one, too, as communicators face into their own morals and beliefs. Social justice won’t be achieved overnight, but considered campaigns that prioritise the value of lived experience are playing a vital role in driving progress, slowly but surely.

If you like to discuss uniting lived and learnt experience within your organisation get in touch with peter@forster.co.uk