Navigating Power Differentials in Community-Based Participatory Research: A Case Study of the Design of a Governance Model for the Refugee States Project

This article examines the Refugee States project as a case study of the ways that power inequities within universities and community organizations manifest in collaborative projects. Specifically, the article critically reflects on ways to address the challenges presented by these power inequities through the development of a governance model that makes these power relations transparent. The aim of this project, a collaboration between two universities and two non-profit community organizations serving racialized and LGBTQI+ migrants and refugees in Montreal and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in Canada, is to create a counter-archive of oral histories and digital stories that challenge dominant narratives of forced migration by focusing on the perspectives and expertise of refugees. The research is rooted in principles of reciprocity and shared authority and a capacity-building framework that empowers community members to acquire digital and oral history skills that can be adapted to their own projects in anti-racist and queer and trans-affirming ways. Thus, even before the research began, as collaborators from the university, the project prioritized working at an ethical pace of relationship building to develop a governance model and decision-making process that were rooted in these principles. The article details the iterative process of developing a governance model, whereby decision making occurs in accordance with “Spheres of Responsibility” to ensure that collaborators can fulfill their responsibilities to different communities, organizations, and institutions, while being empowered to protect the most vulnerable stakeholders impacted by the project.