Xazulula

Trauma-Informed Social Performance Practice

Project summary:
Trauma-Informed Social Performance Practice

Partners:
Centre for Mental Wellbeing and Leadership (CMWL)

Funders:
DGMT
RESOLVE

Timeframe:
December 2023 onwards

Resources:

Trauma-informed leadership in Community Development: A content guide for the renewable energy sector
Trauma-informed leadership in Community Development: A case study of the Xazulula project in South Africa.

This project seeks to support key stakeholders, leaders, and decision-makers in communities engaged in the Renewable Energy sector to recognise and address the often-overlooked trauma and chronic stress affecting individuals, organisations, and systems.

These psychosocial challenges—rooted in community histories, practitioner burnout, toxic organisational culture, and dysfunctional systems —undermine the success of renewable energy projects and community development initiatives. By addressing these underlying factors, the project aims to enhance the sustainability, effectiveness, and long-term impact of interventions in the sector.

This project is grounded in the four key pillars of a trauma-informed approach, each guiding its objectives and implementation strategy:

Awareness / Realise

Raise awareness and deepen understanding of the nature, extent, and impact of trauma—both individual and collective—within communities and organisations engaged in renewable energy and community development.

Recognise

Build the capacity of leaders and practitioners to identify the multilayered manifestations of trauma and chronic stress, and understand how these dynamics affect the effectiveness and sustainability of programmes.

Respond

Equip stakeholders with practical tools and strategies to address and transform trauma within themselves, their teams, organisational systems, and the broader communities—enabling more impactful and responsive project delivery.

Avoid Re-Traumatisation

Support leaders and practitioners to design and implement interventions in ways that foster healing and avoid re-traumatising individuals and communities. This includes addressing patterns of trauma reenactment within organisational culture and leadership practices.

Furthermore the programme aligns with the following strategic pillars of INSPIRE:

Innovation

Piloting innovative Trauma Informed community leadership and Governance

Documentation

Document and share Trauma informed approaches to leadership development

Advocacy

Encourage decision-makers to prioritise and invest in trauma-informed community development within the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP). This includes integrating trauma-informed approaches into policy, budgeting, and capacity development initiatives to ensure more sustainable, inclusive, and impactful community engagement and project outcomes.