Placemaking Borderlands: How Organizations Can Support Emancipatory Inclusion

How can organizational practices expand, rather than constrain, possibilities and thereby support more inclusive communities, particularly those joining stigmatized persons? We can understand expansionary processes through Relational, Emergent, Transformative, Change-Oriented Organizations (RETCOs); this kind of organization prioritizes relationships, fluidity, and multiple interests over the supposed efficiency advantages of fixed roles, hierarchies, and outcomes (Chen & Mandiberg, 2024). Drawing on a qualitative and creative research project conducted in collaboration with ‘Places for Connection’ (PfCs) based in Brussels, we examine how RETCO practices support people who have histories of mental health difficulties by providing a space open to all (Walker & Thunus, 2020). We identify four interrelated RETCO practices that support creating and sustaining inclusive communities, or borderlands: first, the practice of placemaking concerns how growing communities infuse non institutionalized spaces with meaning; second, the practice of inclusive hospitality involves welcoming all, regardless of their social, economic or health status; third, the practice of relationship-extending activities emphasizes forming connections within communities that animate PfCs, but also bridge these with larger communities; fourth, acceptance of ambiguity around attendance and activities cultivates trust that people will participate and that collective issues can be addressed through discussion and deliberation.