In 2024, the Just Futures partners worked with organizations across Washington state to host community assemblies, each of which engaged frontline community members in discussing the issues that matter most to them and co-creating recommendations to address those issues. This week, we’re excited to share our final report summarizing the process and outcomes of the six assemblies.
Community assemblies are a model for meaningful collaboration between government and frontline communities—the communities hurt first and worst by environmental and economic injustice. Assemblies deepen democracy at a pivotal moment in our country’s development.
With funding from the Climate Commitment Act, Washington piloted six community assemblies, pulling together frontline community members from Spokane to Skagit. These community members drew from their experiences of pollution, inflation, lack of resources and to generate new policy ideas.
Community members identified solutions on issues ranging from mental health and affordable housing to agricultural worker protections and support for small businesses.
Thank you to our partners: Front and Centered, Statewide Poverty Action Network, and Washington Economic Justice Alliance!
And thank you to the community-led organizations who anchored the six assemblies: Blue Mountain Action Council, Community to Community Development, ECOSS, Equitable Recovery and Reconciliation Alliance, Nuestra Casa, and UTOPIA Washington!
