Our PJALS Values and Commitment:

Adopted by the PJALS Steering Committee on July 26, 2016

In our PJALS community, we believe everyday people can accomplish extraordinary things together. We strive to draw from our differences to increase and enhance effective action to build a just and nonviolent world. Our values ask us to honor and respect our web of different life experience to work collaboratively, sharing power and decision-making. Our work is guided by leadership of people directly impacted by the problems we seek to address, both among our PJALS community and in our broader community and world. We recognize our shared humanity and commit in the following ways to neither harm a member nor see a member harmed:

• Use an intersectional racial equity lens in all of our work.
• Call each other in, not out, when we make mistakes.
• Use decision making processes that engage our diverse community.

 

PJALS Community Agreements:

Our shared expectations of how we communicate and work together

Approved by PJALS Steering Committee in December 2015

• Respectful communication: We all make brave & welcoming space for us all, so that we can take action together on our shared goals.
• No oppressive statements. If oppressive behaviors or statements are made, use Oops/Ouch to name, address, own, and learn.
• Share the air.
• Support each other.
• Be curious. Challenge assumptions. Work from “sound and current data.”
• Share your experience & perspective. Learn from differences.
• Be aware of our choices. Let’s choose consciously, not reactively.
• Learning and Improving: We evaluate together so we can learn from our experiences.
• Focus together: Limit distractions in meetings or workshops. One conversation (not sidebars) in meetings or workshops.
• Contracting and re-contracting: Make clear agreements about who’ll do what by when, who has what roles, and what relationship behaviors we’ll use to work together well. If you can’t do what you committed to, tell the group and we’ll make a new plan.

 

PJALS Culture:

PJALS is closed on Mondays to support work-life balance. PJALS’ work culture is open and based on trusting, respectful, authentic relationships. We honor and respect each other’s lived experience, not just professional experience. We care about the community and world, our organization, members, and mission; we care about the work, the issues, and impacted people. We are fueled by love and outrage!

Our organizational culture is based on these shared beliefs and values:

• Change is fundamental.
• We have an expectation for learning and progress.
• We take risks in service of our values.
• We share losses and victories.
• We do not have internal competition.
• We have strong relationships and a strong team.
• We support self-care.
• We enact conscious use of self.

 

PJALS Policy on Standing With Victims and Survivors of Sexual Harassment and Violence:

Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane stands with victims and survivors of sexual harassment, sexual violence, and intimate partner violence. Our mission and values of engaging everyday people to build a just and nonviolent world make this position non-negotiable. We know that our PJALS community includes many people whose life experiences include sexual harassment, sexual violence, and intimate partner violence. We honor that for many victims and survivors, social justice activism is part of the healing and growth process. Read our full policy here.

 

Diversity Commitment:

The Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane is committed to honoring the unique and dignified experience of every human being. To this end, PJALS invites input from a wide variety of community groups and individuals, seeking to integrate our experiences, honor our diversity and thereby strengthen the emerging diversity of our community.

We want participation and representation from families, low wage workers, faith communities, unions, and identity-based civic and advocacy organizations. We acknowledge the differences of community members with regard to race, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, physical ability, socioeconomic and cultural background, educational levels, marital status, and family circumstance.

We seek to foster mutual understanding and support through alliances with other groups affected by oppression in order to direct grassroots efforts toward increased justice.