“By involving associations with diverse backgrounds, including those representing immigrants and ethnic minorities, the program brought visibility to leaders and members who are not typically active in public initiatives. This inclusivity fostered a sense of belonging and encouraged participants to take a more active role in community activities.”
Abbas is a community- and human-centred researcher, designer, and facilitator based in Söder, an ethnically diverse neighbourhood in Helsingborg, Sweden. He runs a placemaking project for the city to activate public spaces and increase social cohesion through creative and cultural activities.
Discussions in CA around local assets led Abbas to focus on strengthening citizen associations of minority groups that are active in the Söder neighbourhood. Within a few months, he and colleagues from 3 support organizations had developed and were carrying out a capacity-building program to grow the sustainability and independence of local citizen associations.
Abbas has experience in exploring participatory approaches, particularly creative expression, to address social change. His earlier work included research such as participatory mapping in Palestinian camps in Lebanon to understand youth perceptions of the city.
After relocating to southern Sweden, Abbas settled in the Söder neighbourhood of Helsingborg. Originally a 19th century workers’ housing district, today Söder is home to people with a diverse array of backgrounds, and over 40 associations affiliated with different groups (ethnic, religious, student, etc.) that organise many activities and events and connect people within particular social groups.
Outside the neighbourhood, however, Söder is often perceived as neglected – there is social and ethnic segregation from the northern part of the city, and the area is connected to unemployment and crime. In addition, recent increases in violence in Stockholm and in Söder itself have raised the level of anxiety among community members.
Concerned about the perceptions of security and safety in the area, the city hired Abbas to run a placemaking project called Söderscen that uses cultural and creative activities to activate public spaces. He plans community events, interacts with residents at a pop-up container located on a public square in the centre of the neighbourhood, and supports residents who want to organise community events or activities. Abbas explained the idea: How can we create a safe neighbourhood? Public space is the starting point. There are events that we can do and there are people who are creating the programming. I feel that just having a public space is not enough and we need to program – for families, planning activities and events, to add value to public space. One day a week in summer (1-2 times/month in winter) when we create a pop-up café, we have coffee, board games, puzzles, and just talk to people and raise awareness of the project.
Abbas works closely with and supports active local associations, whose members and their networks, events and activities are important to the social fabric of the area. Abbas notes: They are highly driven people and care for the neighbourhood and the image of the neighbourhood.
To support them, he collaborates closely with the local private-public housing corporation Helsingborgshem which runs a community centre in Söder, and the INVA-SAM network of local associations established by migrant groups present in the area. In recent years, Abbas and these two organisations have begun sharing resources such as space and funding and collaborating on activities with the local associations and residents. One example is Culture After Work, an event they co-organised around the theme of social inclusion to showcase the INVA-SAM network and their various member groups, their cultures, food, costumes, rituals and music. Abbas notes: The collaboration with these networks has been key to be able to reach wider members of the community.
When Abbas joined Community Alphabet, he was keen to build on artist-in-residence programming that he had previously launched at Kulturrummet, a pop-up cultural space in Söder supporting young people in creating their own cultural scenes and space. But the examples and discussions around use of local assets in the CA program prompted Abbas to take another path.
He began considering how he, together with his colleagues at the housing corporation, INVA-SAM and Studieframjändet (an organisation that supports informal education among local associations), could strengthen some of Söder’s existing resources: the active people within local associations, who were already supporting the community from within. This, he realised, might be more meaningful for the long-term sustainability of the Söder community.
Abbas and his colleagues decided to create a capacity-building program for selected active local associations. He explained: This shift was inspired by insights gained during the [CA] program, leading to a revised goal of creating a learning environment that would foster collaboration between key partners and local associations.
I see the role as now investing more in the sustainability and independence of the local associations in running their own placemaking and/or engagement initiatives. Supporting the local associations would help them map and understand the local (public) resources that exist. This could be an opportunity for them to think of their activities in a strategic way and support their efforts towards their desired goals.
They designed a program that leaned heavily on the CA peer learning model, incorporating peer exchange and reflection, mentoring and small grants to apply learning. They selected 12 people to take part from five of the most active local associations: Fyra Färger, fostering multicultural understanding; Stadsdelsmammor (Neighborhood Mothers), empowering women to support their families and communities; Somaliland Aktivungdommar (Somaliland Active Youngsters), engaging youth with Somaliland backgrounds; Mitt Speciella Barn, supporting families of children with special needs; and Sadda Cultural Association, focusing on women and families. To facilitate learning for this group, they decided to hold this pilot course in Arabic.
From April through June 2024, they held a total of eight 2.5 hour workshops covering topics such as democracy and local associations, idea development and project management, communication & social media, professional competency in communication funding strategies and organisational structure. At each workshop, association members had space to exchange and reflect on how to apply the learning to their own contexts. One-on-one coaching opportunities with one of the organisations’ staff enabled them to delve deeper.
Abbas described the main challenges they encountered: One key challenge was bridging the diversity within the associations, as members had different levels of digital literacy and varying capacities for collaborative work. Introducing digital tools required additional support, as some association leaders had limited experience with these tools. To address this, we simplified materials, focused on basic digital skills, and provided extra guidance during sessions to ensure accessibility.
We also encountered issues related to group dynamics and internal tensions within associations, which sometimes affected collaboration. Recognising this, we encouraged associations to select members who were actively engaged and open to peer-learning. Facilitating discussions on communication, conflict resolution, and group decision-making also helped foster a more constructive environment.
In parallel, Abbas and his team also carried out activities that gave the association members opportunities to apply the learning from the workshops:
Two of the five associations which participated in the workshop series applied for a small grant to organise a summer event. The association that works with differently abled children put on an inclusion virtual reality experience for children with special needs at the public square. Abbas: It was the first time we were able to reach this audience. The Fyra Färger community association put on an art workshop at Söder Art Fest.
Abbas was enthusiastic about what they co-created: Clear goal alignment among partners, combined with the pre-existing Community Alphabet framework, allowed for a smooth project kickoff. Additionally, the inclusive, multilingual support and focus on collaborative decision-making resonated with participants, fostering a sense of community spirit. It was a great pilot collaboration showcasing peer and organic learning that was different than the typical frontal presentations association members were used to. This was experiential and experimental and each association got something different out of it.
The workshop series marked a shift in Abbas’ approach to community-building towards:
Abbas also noted what the project changed in the community: The workshops created opportunities for individuals from different backgrounds and associations to meet and collaborate. For many, this was their first chance to connect with other local groups and community partners. The project thus fostered new cross-association relationships. For example, activities like the art workshop and virtual reality experience brought together families from various backgrounds who don’t usually have opportunities to interact, building trust and familiarity between these groups.
For Abbas, the project was a learning opportunity to understand how a private/external project manager can navigate the complexities of working with the public sector, managing the relationship and understanding roles and limitations.
He also gained new insights into how perceptions of power differ from culture to culture and how this can influence group dynamics. He and his co-facilitators tried to create a partnership atmosphere in the workshops where the participants were on equal footing with the facilitators. But some of the workshop participants were used to a more traditional hierarchy, where the facilitator wields power over the participants, and this was difficult to overcome. Culture plays a role here in what power dynamics exist here. For example, the associations – during the workshop series feedback session – we tried to level the power differential but they still felt it.
Recognising the local associations, their commitment and leadership potential as assets was also a new approach for Abbas: the pilot project with them has been a learning journey; trying to see them as assets, how can we build their capacity, how can they be more targeted in the right way. He also saw other groups as assets and plans on targeting youth and artists to see what ideas they have.
Abbas also emphasised the importance of listening: The idea of listening as a broader concept – providing the space to talk, reflect, get [participants’] feedback, hear what other things they might be interested in doing – collaborative rather than transactional. Even if some things aren’t relevant, we see who they are and how they think. Understanding the people we are working with. No boundaries to who the stakeholders are. Abbas found that listening also enabled him to requestion his own biases about how he thinks the associations think.
The CA learning around how to deal with tension and conflict was valuable on two levels. With the associations, where perceptions of tension and conflict can influence relations, Abbas found that just bringing the associations together helped reduce those perceptions. Within the organisers’ group tensions arose around roles and expectations. Abbas made progress in how to navigate it and understand the roles and points of view. For example, working in a network of 5-6 partners, where each of whom has an opinion or expectation of others’ roles.
CA also reinforced Abbas’ role in relation to the diversity of views in Söder: There is a huge map of actors, associations from different cultures, and we are trying to allow different voices to be heard. Very much learned from the [CA] study visits where each group talked about what kind of diversity they aim to include.
The CA program led him to reflect on his own role & why we should have diversity & who has the right to ask for diversity; how do you make diversity important for other people – the dominant group – which must allow space for diversity for inclusion to be present? Also, who is included in learning programs or events, who is given the space to speak? Abbas saw that his efforts affected representation of not only minority groups but also older Swedish women, [who were included] in the art festival and appreciated the support to be part of something.
Running the capacity building program for local associations influenced Abbas’ professional relationship with the city. He says: There is generally more trust right now and that I am able to “fly solo” with the project without much involvement (if not needed).
The program has also raised awareness of the Söderscen placemaking project and interest in broader engagement: Another department has also contacted me and we will do a “creative workshop” to introduce the project and ways that individuals who are enrolled in their programs can contribute to Söderscen and benefit from the project. It will be a new group of people + a new department from the municipality that is not directly involved in this project.
Abbas’ placemaking activities are increasing Söder’s visibility within Helsingborg. Last year, for the first time, Söder was included in traditional Christmas markets held in different parts of the city and a train that goes from market to market now also stops in Söder.
For 2025, Abbas and his co-organisers plan on focusing on three key groups: young people, local associations and creatives/artists. They will work with a local youth-focused association to create a targeted call that will offer small grants for young people who want to organise an event or initiative.
They are planning a second round of the capacity building program for local associations in spring 2025 incorporating some of the lessons learned in the pilot. The thematic focus will be narrower – emphasising collaboration and idea development – and workshop sessions will be more intensive (i.e. workshops of one or two full days).
Finally, they aim to strengthen collaboration between artists and associations. They have found artist groups who work in public space are able to draw people in and are skilled at bringing different people to the activity, which has outcomes for social cohesion. Building on this learning, they will hold a one-day lab around the topic of neighbourhood security and see what ideas emerge.
Watch a video about Abbas’ work.
