The Capacity Building Working Group of the European Network for Citizen Initiatives in Global Solidarity (ENfCIGS) held an in‑depth session on decolonization on 12 March 2026. Representatives from Belgium, Catalonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland shared practical experiences, reflections, and challenges linked to shifting power in partnerships and embedding more equitable practices in their organisations.
A central contribution came from Fingo (Finland), which presented its three‑year trajectory on decolonization, including its Shifting the Power Working Group and ethical communication guidelines. Participants also heard research insights from Radboud University on risks of tokenistic approaches, and examples from Lafede (Catalonia) on anti‑racist organisational reviews revealing gaps between intention and practice. Organisations such as Wilde Ganzen, CLI, EWNT Thüringen, and 11.11.11 contributed perspectives on participatory grantmaking, revising educational materials, and addressing colonial legacies in partnership structures.
The session showed how understandings of decolonization differ across Europe. While Western and Northern European organisations often focus on power imbalances in global partnerships, participants from Eastern Europe highlighted that the term is more strongly associated with experiences of Soviet domination, requiring careful contextualization in global justice work.
A full summary of the meeting is available in the
→ Meeting Report
The list of resources shared in the chat can be found here:
→ Resource Compilation
The Working Group will continue the conversation during its next thematic session on “Capacity Building for Navigating Polarizing Narratives” on 22 October 2026 which is open for registration.