The Interactive Card Game: Gaining Skills, Coming Together, Resisting

Born from the collective wisdom of participants in the PARR project and coordinated by Ornella Tannous, this card game serves as a tool for self-learning, support, and action. It weaves together individual and collective strategies, personal testimonies, suggested exercises, and affirming words gathered throughout the research process, as well as during the Forum, BIPOC Days, and Cohort Days. These diverse contributions were adapted by Soraya Elbekkali to create a game organized around two key themes: Care Practices and Research Practices. The game addresses a variety of topics, including:

• Challenging and decolonizing performance-driven mindsets
• Prioritizing mental health, including through psychological self-defence strategies
• Embracing the power of joy and care
• Valuing the richness of mentorship relationships
• Cultivating negotiation skills and self-advocacy within one’s environment

This new resource is designed to be explored freely, at the pace and according to the needs of the people using it. Users can draw a card at random or jump ahead to the section that resonates most with their current experience. It can be used individually or in groups, during training sessions, team meetings, or as a tool for guided introspection.

Created by, for, and with Black and racialized women and non-binary people engaged in partnership-based research, this resource also holds relevance across a wide range of settings—including community, academic, and activist spaces.

This card game is also a tribute to everyone who enriched the PARR project with their experiences, knowledge, and generosity. It honours these contributions by preserving and sharing their wisdom, helping it reach new audiences, passing it along to those who may find strength, protection, or comfort in it.

A physical version of this tool, designed by Liane Décary-Chen, Nate Surya, and Rico Serna and illustrated by Sandrine N’dri, was distributed at the final PARR event in March 2024. We are now pleased to offer a digital version of the game. Please feel free to share this valuable resource widely!

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To cite this tool: Promotion des actrices racisées en recherche (PARR). (2024). Strategies in bloom: Cultivate your well-being in collaborative research (Reflective card deck – English version). A tool for raising awareness and self-reflection, based on the testimonials and transformation ideas shared as part of the PARR project.

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This project has been funded through Women and Gender Equality Canada's Women's Program.