New! Ethical & Methodological Guide for PSYDEH Collaborators

Written by Alejandra Ríos Pérez and Gibrán Gómez, translation by Litzey Ramos

PSYDEH A.C. has spent 19 years working alongside Indigenous and rural women in the Sierra Otomí–Tepehua–Nahua region of Hidalgo, and since 2025 also in Pahuatlán, Puebla. Over this time, hundreds of people—students, researchers, volunteers, journalists, artists—have arrived with a genuine desire to learn and contribute. PSYDEH has also observed certain approaches, even when well-intentioned, can reproduce extractive dynamics in collaboration with the communities where we work: taking information without giving back, “folklorizing” community life, imposing external timelines, or disappearing once work is finished.

This guide offers an alternative. It is not a punitive rulebook, but a tool collectively developed with members of the Red Sierra Madre (RSM) cooperative network and the PSYDEH team. Its goal is to ensure that all collaboration—research, volunteering, partnerships—is truly reciprocal, respectful, and transformative, positioning Indigenous women as political actors and protagonists of their own processes.

Read the entire guide here, and review the condensed summary below:

Core Ethical Principles

The guide is structured around three non-negotiable principles:

Principle	Essential Content
Informed consent as a living process	Not limited to a bureaucratic signature. It is an ongoing dialogue, in accessible language, explaining objectives, procedures, risks, and benefits, and recognizing the right to withdraw at any time.
Reciprocity: tangible and intangible compensation	All collaboration must include fair compensation, agreed upon with community members. This may be tangible (financial support, fair-price product purchases, donation of materials) or intangible (training support, network connections, workshops). Compensation is defined by listening to community needs.
Collective intellectual property	Traditional knowledge, narratives, and generated data belong to the communities. Any publication or product must recognize collective authorship and, when appropriate, establish co-authorship agreements.

These principles are not formalities; they are the backbone of ethical collaboration built on nearly two decades of trust.

Sociocultural Context and Governance

The guide provides a framework for understanding the territory:

Identities and territories: The municipalities of Acaxochitlán, Huehuetla, San Bartolo Tutotepec, and Tenango de Doria in Hidalgo, Mexico are predominantly Indigenous (Otomí, Tepehua, Nahua). In 2025, work expanded to Zoyatla, Pahuatlán (Puebla), an area with shared historical and cultural ties.
Governance systems: Municipal authorities, agrarian communities (ejidos), cooperatives (such as those in RSM), and traditional religious authorities coexist. Any intervention requires a permission protocol that begins with consultation with community members and respects local structures.
Sensitive considerations: Festive calendars, abrupt changes in regional climate and accessibility, language barriers, women’s multiple workloads, sacred sites, and norms around photography and documentation. The guide offers practical orientations to prevent harm and misunderstandings.

Anti-Extractivist Methodological Guidelines

The guide promotes approaches that avoid knowledge extraction and strengthen local autonomy:

Situated research and dialogue of knowledge: Participatory methodologies (such as PAR) are prioritized, where community members define problems, participate throughout the process, and are recognized as collaborators—not “subjects.”
Data care and use: Clear standards on confidentiality, data ownership, anonymization, community access to results, and secure data deletion after the collaboration ends.
Validation and return of results: Findings must be shared back with the community in accessible formats (including infographics, videos, workshops) and validated by them before broader dissemination.
Collaboration evaluation: At the end, dialogue spaces with community members and critical self-assessment by collaborators are encouraged for collective learning.

Coexistence and Logistics Protocol

Everyday decisions also shape the quality of collaboration:

Intercultural communication: Learn basic phrases in Indigenous languages, hire local interpreters, pay attention to nonverbal communication, and ask questions with humility.
Support for the local and cooperative economy: Stay in community homes, consume regional products (textiles, coffee, food), and hire local services—prioritizing women from the RSM network.
Personal conduct and dress: Dress modestly, avoid displays of wealth, wear appropriate footwear for rugged terrain, and prioritize personal safety in a complex geography and variable climate.

Final Commitments and Legacy

Ethical collaboration does not end when leaving the territory:

Closure and farewell: Hold a closing space (assembly or gathering) to share results, deliver agreed compensation, and express gratitude.
Follow-up: Maintain realistic, agreed-upon communication with community members through their preferred channels.
Anti-extractivist checklist: The guide includes a final self-evaluation with key questions (e.g., was the topic defined by the community? Was there a compensation plan before fieldwork? Were results returned in accessible formats?) to support continuous improvement.

PSYDEH Mission and Vision to Uphold This Guide

Mission: To foster the leadership of Indigenous and rural women as drivers of sustainable development and social justice in their communities.

Vision: To consolidate a horizontal, ethical collaboration model in which partnerships with institutions, academia, corporations, and volunteers translate into tangible, lasting benefits for women cooperatives—strengthening their autonomy, economy, and agency.

PSYDEH commits to:

Acting as a trusted bridge between communities and external actors, protecting long-standing relationships.
Requiring adherence to this guide as a condition for collaboration to ensure positive impact and prevent extractivism.
Supporting collaborators in understanding and applying ethical principles, offering guidance, local connections, and tools to make their engagement transformative for both communities and themselves.

Invitation to Allies

This guide is not a closed document—it is an invitation to co-create a dignified way of collaborating. For organizations, companies, and institutions interested in social impact, PSYDEH offers:

A proven methodology that seeks to avoid fragmented efforts and ensures meaningful resources reach those who sustain the territory.
Established trust-based relationships with the RSM cooperatives, local authorities, and community actors.
A professional team with regional and international experience, capable of designing and implementing projects aligned with reciprocity, sustainability, and social justice.

Collaborating with PSYDEH under these guidelines means supporting a development model centered on women’s autonomy, valuing local knowledge, and building relationships rooted in respect and shared responsibility.

PSYDEH A.C.

May 2026