AI for Peer Advocacy or Collective Projects

Peer advocacy is built on shared experience, trust, and solidarity — not technology. But AI can lighten the admin load, help coordinate group work, and make communication clearer, so the people part can shine.

25 minutes
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Collective and peer advocacy grows from lived experience. It’s about people with shared struggles coming together to push for change, mutual support and representation. AI can’t lead that work — but it can help groups stay organised, document what matters, and turn shared insight into clear communication that others can act on.

Why Peer Advocacy Matters

Peer advocacy challenges power imbalances. It makes space for the voices of people who are usually left out of decisions about their lives. It values lived knowledge as much as professional expertise. In groups or collectives, the challenge is often not passion — it’s organisation, communication, and time. AI can help with those background pieces so energy can stay focused on care and change.

What AI Can Help With (and What It Shouldn’t)

  • Turning group notes into summaries or action lists
  • Drafting collective statements or meeting minutes
  • Organising timelines or project updates
  • Brainstorming shared goals and campaign ideas
  • Making plain-language versions of reports or submissions

AI should never replace the relational parts of peer advocacy — listening, care, consent, and accountability. It’s a background tool, not a spokesperson.

Step 1: Build a Shared Story

Collectives often hold many stories at once. You can use AI to help you create a respectful shared narrative. For example:

“Here are notes from our group discussion. Please help summarise key shared experiences and common themes, while keeping the language neutral and respectful.”

Each member can then review and edit the summary to make sure it feels accurate and safe before sharing it externally.

Step 2: Turn Discussions into Plans

Group meetings can generate many ideas but few next steps. You can paste meeting notes into an AI tool and ask:

“Please turn this discussion into a list of agreed actions, responsible people (if named), and rough timelines.”

This helps clarify who’s doing what, without assigning authority that wasn’t agreed upon. Always check the draft with your group before finalising.

Step 3: Write Collective Statements

When your group wants to speak publicly — for example, about a policy change or issue — AI can help with structure, not content. You might ask:

“Please draft a short, plain-language statement based on these notes. Keep the voice collective (‘we’), avoid jargon, and make sure it sounds community-led.”

You can then workshop the result together. AI can also generate multiple tone options (formal, accessible, emotional) to choose from.

Step 4: Track Progress and Celebrate Wins

AI tools can make logs and summaries easier to maintain. For example, you can say:

“Here’s our list of activities for the past few months. Please turn it into a short progress summary highlighting achievements and community impact.”

This can support funding applications or newsletters — but also helps groups pause to recognise their effort and impact.

Step 5: Use AI to Support Access and Inclusion

Peer collectives are often diverse in communication and access needs. AI can help by:

  • Rephrasing long text into Easy Read or simpler English
  • Generating transcripts or summaries from meetings
  • Turning text into structured outlines for neurodivergent processing

Always review these outputs together — accessibility isn’t just about simplicity, it’s about dignity and shared understanding.

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Safety, Consent and Collective Boundaries

Get Group Consent

Before putting shared stories or documents into AI tools, agree as a group on what can be shared and what stays private. Protect individual privacy and emotional safety.

Handle Emotional Load Gently

Processing collective experiences can bring up trauma and anger. Take breaks, debrief, and avoid using AI when people are distressed — human connection matters more in those moments.

Keep Control of Your Data

Use tools that let you delete chats, export text safely, and store sensitive content offline if needed. Transparency and data autonomy are key to ethical use.

A Gentle Starting Point for Peer Advocacy Groups

  1. Collect a few notes from recent group discussions.
  2. Ask AI to help summarise main themes and possible actions.
  3. Review and edit the summary together as a group.
  4. Use that text to draft an agenda, statement, or funding update.
  5. Check that everyone is comfortable with what’s shared.

Small, careful steps build confidence. AI doesn’t replace the heart of collective advocacy — it just makes it easier to carry the paperwork, write the updates, and keep the fire organised.

AI belongs in the background, not the spotlight. In peer advocacy and collective work, relationships and solidarity come first — AI just helps you keep your message clear and your energy where it matters most: with people.