I’m a recent Anthropology graduate from the University of Sussex, and spent three months as a diversity, equity, and inclusion intern with Food Matters at the end of my degree. My primary project was the Sustainable Food Places representation and justice project. SFP created, and support, a network of food partnerships across the UK to help ensure best practice across our food system. The project I worked on aims to make our food system more sustainable, fair, and just.
It was my passion for social justice that initially drew me to the role, as I wanted to be able to work in a role where I felt I was making a tangible difference in making food systems more equitable, by giving a voice to those who often go unheard or ignored. I was particularly impressed with reading the Sankofa report written by a previous intern, as well as the high importance that the Race, Equity, Diversion and Inclusion tool (REDI) seemed to hold within the organisation’s values. I came into the job with a particular determination in decolonising the UK food system and I wanted to challenge the unquestioned colonial legacies in which marginalise people of colour from our food systems.
What I did during my internship:
During my time at food matters I did a range of tasks, including:
· Engaging in communications and outreach connecting people to different meetings and sessions that I organised.
· Attending many informative, engaging and empowering events about food justice, access and grass roots work.
· Co-facilitating listening sessions, taking notes in meetings, and feed back ideas to the group.
· Creating social media posts and leaflets that were distributed on Food Matters social media.
· Creating blog posts and completing written work reflecting on my experiences at various events, capturing my experiences, thoughts and feelings.
Key Activities and Takeaways:
Young People’s Listening Session – This was a listening session that I co-facilitated and designed, to understand how we can include young people more in the work of food partnerships. The session involved very rich discussions surrounding food sustainability, food justice and creating actionable engagement between young people and food partnerships. Participants were very engaged and passionate in the ideas they shared and that came through in their voice. Being a young person myself, it was refreshing to see the way they articulated and advocated for their ideas to be heard, and it left me feeling excited about being involved in empowering often unheard voices.
Bristol food and racial justice summit – This event left me feeling empowered and energised. It was an all-day event which included a panel talk, group collaborations, workshops, activities, networking opportunities and a delicious filling lunch. Hosted in the M shed in Bristol there was a great sense of history and the location acted as a space for reflection. There was a running theme of decolonisation of food systems by challenging the existing power imbalances. This also included an emphasis on creating systems that are sustainable, equitable and culturally relevant. I especially enjoyed the part where the room shared our food stories, it really highlighted the ways that food connects us as human beings and the stories it tells about who we are, our histories and wider global histories which shapes who we are today.
Stretching the pound: Building a food resilient Haringey – I attended this event on behalf of Food Matters in June. It consisted of a speech from the mayor, a panel, a group activity, a lovely lunch and networking. My biggest takeaway from the day was the importance of fostering and maintaining community in Haringey. Participants came from across the food system and the process of sharing of ideas together highlighted to me how interlinked things such as food banks, community gardens, organic shops, the doctors, and more. The panel had the biggest effect on me, as it brought together various community leaders and highlighted their ideas for a better Haringey. It reinforced to me that a community approach to food justice is so important and the collective power we can have when we support and advocate for one another.
Final Reflections:
This internship has equipped me with a various number of skills and experiences. I have learnt about the actual role of a food partnership and the behind the scenes work that goes into it, as I didn’t know food partnerships existed before or what their work involved. I developed my facilitation skills through the listening sessions I co-facilitated, and learned the value of co-production and person engagement, especially when working with underrepresented groups. Due to this approach, I have learnt some valuable and practical ways of facilitating representation. I have had to be out of my comfort zone in many instances in this role, organising meetings and speaking up and presenting my work when I have felt worried if I seem ‘out of my depth’. Continuing to practice the skills I have just begun to develop is where I hope to grow these skills even further, and solidify my confidence in these areas for future role
s.
I’m a recent Anthropology graduate from the University of Sussex, and spent three months as a diversity, equity, and inclusion intern with Food Matters at the end of my degree. My primary project was the Sustainable Food Places representation and justice project. SFP created, and support, a network of food partnerships across the UK to help ensure best practice across our food system. The project I worked on aims to make our food system more sustainable, fair, and just.
It was my passion for social justice that initially drew me to the role, as I wanted to be able to work in a role where I felt I was making a tangible difference in making food systems more equitable, by giving a voice to those who often go unheard or ignored. I was particularly impressed with reading the Sankofa report written by a previous intern, as well as the high importance that the Race, Equity, Diversion and Inclusion tool (REDI) seemed to hold within the organisation’s values. I came into the job with a particular determination in decolonising the UK food system and I wanted to challenge the unquestioned colonial legacies in which marginalise people of colour from our food systems.
What I did during my internship:
During my time at food matters I did a range of tasks, including:
· Engaging in communications and outreach connecting people to different meetings and sessions that I organised.
· Attending many informative, engaging and empowering events about food justice, access and grass roots work.
· Co-facilitating listening sessions, taking notes in meetings, and feed back ideas to the group.
· Creating social media posts and leaflets that were distributed on Food Matters social media.
· Creating blog posts and completing written work reflecting on my experiences at various events, capturing my experiences, thoughts and feelings.
Key Activities and Takeaways:
Young People’s Listening Session – This was a listening session that I co-facilitated and designed, to understand how we can include young people more in the work of food partnerships. The session involved very rich discussions surrounding food sustainability, food justice and creating actionable engagement between young people and food partnerships. Participants were very engaged and passionate in the ideas they shared and that came through in their voice. Being a young person myself, it was refreshing to see the way they articulated and advocated for their ideas to be heard, and it left me feeling excited about being involved in empowering often unheard voices.
Bristol food and racial justice summit – This event left me feeling empowered and energised. It was an all-day event which included a panel talk, group collaborations, workshops, activities, networking opportunities and a delicious filling lunch. Hosted in the M shed in Bristol there was a great sense of history and the location acted as a space for reflection. There was a running theme of decolonisation of food systems by challenging the existing power imbalances. This also included an emphasis on creating systems that are sustainable, equitable and culturally relevant. I especially enjoyed the part where the room shared our food stories, it really highlighted the ways that food connects us as human beings and the stories it tells about who we are, our histories and wider global histories which shapes who we are today.
Stretching the pound: Building a food resilient Haringey – I attended this event on behalf of Food Matters in June. It consisted of a speech from the mayor, a panel, a group activity, a lovely lunch and networking. My biggest takeaway from the day was the importance of fostering and maintaining community in Haringey. Participants came from across the food system and the process of sharing of ideas together highlighted to me how interlinked things such as food banks, community gardens, organic shops, the doctors, and more. The panel had the biggest effect on me, as it brought together various community leaders and highlighted their ideas for a better Haringey. It reinforced to me that a community approach to food justice is so important and the collective power we can have when we support and advocate for one another.
Final Reflections:
This internship has equipped me with a various number of skills and experiences. I have learnt about the actual role of a food partnership and the behind the scenes work that goes into it, as I didn’t know food partnerships existed before or what their work involved. I developed my facilitation skills through the listening sessions I co-facilitated, and learned the value of co-production and person engagement, especially when working with underrepresented groups. Due to this approach, I have learnt some valuable and practical ways of facilitating representation. I have had to be out of my comfort zone in many instances in this role, organising meetings and speaking up and presenting my work when I have felt worried if I seem ‘out of my depth’. Continuing to practice the skills I have just begun to develop is where I hope to grow these skills even further, and solidify my confidence in these areas for future role
s.
