What do you call it when marginalized communities’ assets are unseen, undervalued and even destroyed through projects undertaken for the so-called public good? We’re calling it wellbeing stripping.
The predominant narrative calls it wealth stripping. But it’s not just financial assets that are often drained from communities that can least afford it, as part of major development or public good projects or in response to climate emergencies.
In her post on Medium, FFI Founder and CEO Katya Fels Smyth shares a new name for an enduring phenomenon: wellbeing stripping. Because the assets that matter to people are broader, deeper and less transactional than money and financial wealth. And without a name, it’s too easy for power to dismiss or de-legitimize the harms and the repair.
These are a number of different case studies of different people that may be used for training purposes.
Marietta's story showcases how someone going through a traditional systems experience would have a drastically different experience than one going through an experience designed with wellbeing.
This resource describes how caseworkers at On the Rise applied wellbeing to support their constituents.