The steering collective

The Steering Collective of the Global Peoples’ Educational Forum on the British Empire is responsible for supporting the strategic development, coherence, and integrity of the wider process while respecting the autonomy and distinct priorities of each node. Its role is to facilitate connection, sustain shared infrastructure, and uphold the political and ethical commitments of the project as a whole.

The Steering Collective works collaboratively to:

1. Hold the political vision
   Support the articulation and grounding of the Tribunal’s collective goals: to name harm, centre those most affected, enable public learning, and advance historical justice. Ensure that the Tribunal remains rooted in a commitment to truth-telling as a political, not procedural, process.
   

2. Support and accompany emerging nodes
   Offer practical, relational, and strategic support to those developing new nodes, including advice, contacts, or shared tools. Help ensure that nodes have the flexibility to respond to their local context while remaining in conversation with the wider process.
   

3. Build and maintain shared infrastructure
   Help coordinate common tools, such as archiving platforms, public communications, visual identity, or facilitation guides. Develop frameworks for storing, validating, and disseminating testimony and materials in ways that respect local ownership and political intent.
   

4. Convene regular spaces for learning and coordination
   Organise gatherings, online or in person, that allow people across different nodes to share experiences, raise dilemmas, reflect on tensions, and strengthen collective political clarity. These could include assemblies, peer support spaces, and thematic dialogues.
   

5. Support international interventions and shared external strategy
   Shape a coordinated intervention into CHOGM 2026 and 2028 by amplifying the work of different nodes, curating testimony and findings, and helping frame a shared message about the full scope of imperial harm. Offer political strategy support to ensure grassroots voices can reach diplomatic, media, and public audiences.
   

6. Safeguard accountability and values
   Uphold the ethical principles of the Tribunal, including care, consent, reciprocity, and situated knowledge. Act as a point of reference for accountability should questions or tensions arise across the network.
   

7. Coordinate resource mobilisation
   Where helpful, support collective or node-specific fundraising through joint applications, introductions to aligned funders, or by holding shared resources where needed. Ensure this is done transparently and with input from across the network.
   

8. Protect the political space
   Monitor attempts at co-optation, institutional capture, or reputational misuse of the Forum’s name or framing. Intervene where necessary to protect the integrity of the work and its alignment with the leadership of those most impacted by imperialism.

The role of the Steering Collective is to serve the process, to hold shared responsibilities lightly and transparently, and to support the eventual self-sufficiency of the nodes and wider Forum community.