Overcoming Barriers to Democratic Participation with Minoritised and Marginalised Groups (OBAMA)

The OBAMA project will co-create models for supporting democratic participation that are sensitive and anchored to experiences of belonging and social inclusion. Through co-research and co-creation, the project co-investigates and co-develops solutions to inequalities in democratic participation in the context of different marginalised and minoritised groups together with representatives of these groups and stakeholders working with them.

We will focus on barriers to participation and a related lack of sense of inclusion experienced by disabled and racialised people, LGTBIQ+ minorities, lower social class and people with substance abuse issues, both in the context of democratic institutions and their everyday lives.

The transdisciplinary OBAMA consortium includes the University of Helsinki, the University of Eastern Finland, the University of Turku, Åbo Akademi University and the Deaconess Foundation. OBAMA partners with several public and civil society organisations.