Vision
A future where people and communities across the Global South build collective power to shape the knowledge, technologies, and policies that affect their lives through stronger networks, solidarity, knowledge exchange, and collective knowledge production, and where gender and other forms of inequality do not determine whose voices are heard, whose knowledge counts, or who has access to opportunities and decision-making power.
Mission
Shift South connects researchers, practitioners, activists, organizations, and communities across the SWANA region and Sub-Saharan Africa to exchange knowledge, learn from one another, build collective power, and work together on issues of concern in the region. We create spaces for collaboration, support locally rooted research and knowledge production, and explore and assess technologies based on the lived realities of the communities that use them. Across our work, we apply an intersectional feminist lens to challenge structural inequalities that limit people’s decision-making power.
Our Values
1. Sharing Power
We believe that people and communities should meaningfully participate in decisions that affect their lives. We challenge unequal power relationships and work toward partnerships in which decision-making, responsibilities, resources, and opportunities are shared more equitably. This also means recognizing and addressing power imbalances within our own work.
2. Intersectional Feminism and Inclusion
We believe that gender inequality does not exist in isolation. People’s experiences are shaped by many factors, including class, race, disability, age, location, and other forms of inequality. We aim to challenge exclusion and discrimination, create space for different voices, and ensure that even the most marginalized can meaningfully participate and influence decisions.
3. Local Knowledge and Leadership
We believe that people closest to the issues often have the deepest understanding of their contexts. We value local knowledge and lived experiences. We support local actors in setting their own priorities, asking their own questions, and developing approaches that make sense for their communities.
4. Solidarity and Collaboration
We believe that solidarity and collective action across the Global South are essential to challenging and ultimately shifting unequal power structures. By building stronger connections, sharing knowledge and experiences, and working toward common goals, we can strengthen our collective voice and influence. We value relationships rooted in trust, mutual respect, and solidarity, recognizing that meaningful change requires us to work together rather than compete with one another.
5. Critical and Responsible Use of Technology
We believe that technology is not necessarily a solution or that newer always means better. We ask who develops technology, whose needs it serves, who benefits, who might be excluded or harmed, and whether it is appropriate for the local context. We support communities in questioning, adapting, and developing technologies based on their own needs and priorities.
