Why is generative conflict important?

Ableism partly looks like the assumption that people share the same understandings of what behaviours are right and wrong, what is normal and abnormal, and that abnormality is dangerous. This results in people with disabilities hiding their disabilities in order to be seen as 'normal' and 'safe,' and to avoid situations such as perceived harm and isolation.

For disabled people to fully be ourselves, abled organizers must face discomfort experienced as a reaction to "abnormal" behaviours and challenge themselves to face conflict with an understanding that it allows our communities to grow and transform.

"All that we’ve internalized from systems of oppression show up to how we have conflict with each other."

We encourage organizing communities to think about the systems and tools they have in place to show up for disabled people's liberation, including in conflict. Transformative justice means we need to dissect and rebuild our relationships with conflict, and that we learn to recognize how ableism looks in our communities.

Reflection questions for organizers

  1. How do I know that I am safe or unsafe?
  2. How does my community respond to harm and conflict?
  3. What are the assumptions that I and my community hold about disabled people, especially those with mental disabilities?

"There is a great benefit in sitting with some tension you feel and trying to say, “well, what’s triggering this now for me,” and not to assume that because you have a trigger that somebody else necessarily needs to do something about it. I think that movements can find ways of weathering distress and resist seeing every discomfort as a sign of trauma."

👂 Learn about "how activists and mental health professionals can better reflect upon their practices and the role they play within larger social systems": [article/podcast] Trauma and Mental Health in Social Movements: An Interview with Janice Haaken for Mad in America

Tools for building Transformative Justice Processes to mitigate harm in your organizing spaces

https://conflicttransformationfund.org/resources/resourceslist/

Sources Referenced