- Posted on 12 Nov 2026
- 4-minute read
A new report from UTS and the Justice and Equity Centre explores the principles and practices that can help not-for-profit and for-purpose organisations support community-led agendas for change.
New research from the University of Technology Sydney and the Justice and Equity Centre (JEC) explores how organisations can build trust, navigate power and create the conditions for collective action.
Collaboration Engines - a Justice and Equity Centre approach to supporting systemic change, authored by Mark Riboldi, Mich de Waal and Rivkah Nissim, is the first publication from the research partnership between UTS and the JEC, a leading community law and policy organisation.
Rather than simply making the case for collaboration, the report examines the how: the principles and practices that shape the JEC’s approach to working alongside communities and community-led organisations.
To shift systems, we need to build power in the community so that people affected by injustice can be heard and can lead. This was a great opportunity to examine what makes our ‘collaboration engines’ work to build that power.
Drawing on four collaborations across disability rights, First Nations justice, and homelessness, the researchers identified a series of principles which underpin how JEC team members approach their role in these collaborations:
- We are more than lawyers
- We are independent, but not neutral
- We follow through on our commitments
- We are led by lived experience
Together, these principles shape both the practical work of collaboration, such as providing a secretariat or “backbone”, creating shared documentation and hosting spaces for people to come together, and navigating some of the recognised challenges of collaboration, such as the more complex work of building trust, enabling action and negotiating power dynamics.
We know that effective collaboration requires generating trust and navigating power dynamics. The Justice and Equity Centre approaches their strategic partnerships with clear intentionality, particularly when it comes to being led by lived experience.
A public discussion about supporting community-led change
These questions were brought into a wider public conversation this month with leaders and practitioners working across government, academia, industry and civil society, at the report’s launch, hosted by the Ultimo Institute at UTS.
At the centre of the discussion was the question - how do you navigate issues of trust and power in your work with people communities and community-led organisations?
Jonathon Hunyor, CEO of the Justice and Equity Centre, introduced the report and how the research process has helped strengthen his organisation.
Lead report author and Ultimo Institute Fellow Mark Riboldi set a provocation for the audience and facilitated a discussion with Jonathon and experienced sector leaders in supporting community-led agendas for change:
- Sheetal Balakrishnan, Senior Solicitor, Strategic Litigation, Justice and Equity Centre
- Merenia Marin, Social Impact Strategist, Mission Australia
- Alice Salomon, Head of Advocacy and Media, Uniting NSW.ACT
The conversation explored some of the tensions that sit at the heart of collaborative work: Who sets the agenda? How is trust built? Where does power sit? And what does it mean for an organisation to support change without seeking to control it?
Those conversations continued informally after the event over food and drink, recognising that relationships themselves are an important part of creating the conditions for collective action.
The event was audio recorded and will be produced as a podcast by UTS Impact Studios.
Get in touch
For more information about the research project, including sharing your reflections on the report or the event, please contact Dr Mark Riboldi via mark.riboldi@uts.edu.au.
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