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A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for the SWIDN Annual Conference 2025 in October. It was an inspiring and deeply reflective day of listening, learning and connecting across the South West and beyond.

Together, we explored how our sector can confront historical inequities and move towards more just, anti-colonial, and equitable ways of working.

We’d also love to show our appreciation to all of the speakers who generously gave their time and insights on the day. If you’d like to connect with them, you can find their social media links in the conference brochure here 🔗 CONFERENCE BROCHURE.

Below are a few powerful ideas and reflections that emerged from our discussions:

💭 “How does our own privilege frame our understanding?”
💭 “Settler colonialism is a structure, not an event.”
💭 “We can’t talk about development without talking about coloniality.”
💭 “Decolonisation starts within us all – we can’t change the world around us before we change our world within.”

Key themes from the day included:

💡 The need to recognise how historical power relations continue to shape development today.

💡How local knowledge is being erased by structural colonialities across the Global South.

💡The role of mutual aid as a decolonised model of humanitarian response.

💡How feminist leadership can make visible hidden power dynamics within organisations.

💡 Rethinking safeguarding as a space where colonial legacies persist through top-down compliance structures.

💡 The call for UK organisations to become collaborative partners, not “safeguarding police.”

As one contributor put it, “We must all be participants in the struggle for justice.”

Thank you for being part of this ongoing conversation and for your commitment to reflection, accountability, and collective change.

The recordings for the conference sessions are available to our newsletter subscribers – If you missed the conference, or would like to revisit the discussions, you can access these here.