OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION
Appalachian Leaders Network is committed to challenging and dismantling systemic oppression. Appalachian Leaders Network’s board and staff understand that promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) both within and beyond Appalachian Leaders Network is critical to carrying out our mission to build the collective strength of conservation-minded tribal and local officials across Appalachia. We recognize that environmental burdens and benefits are not distributed equitably, and that Black, brown, and Indigenous communities disproportionately suffer from environmental injustice. Consequently, we prioritize anti-racism in our commitment to recognize and address these disproportionate historic disparities. We strive to practice the Jemez Principles and Principles of Environmental Justice in our work, and know we are better equipped to do so when we practice these principles internally.
We strive to make Appalachian Leaders Network a thriving and equitable organization for our staff, board, and members, and aim to attract, retain, and cultivate individuals regardless of their race, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, or disability status. To that end, we seek to build a culture of transparency, trust, mutual support, and accountability to principles of equity and inclusion. Some concrete examples of how we are implementing this include:
Participating in diversity, equity and inclusion trainings for our staff and members to foster deeper understanding of these issues and affirm organization-wide commitment to action.
Cultivating a culture of respect, professionalism, accountability, justice, equity, inclusivity, and authentic communication within our organization and coalitions.
Committing to learning new practices that promote these values in our day-to-day work and how we interact with one another.
We accept that our commitment to DEI means a dedication to constant learning. We will make mistakes, but we are determined to learn from them and to improve. We will review our actions and practices related to these policies and report back to our staff, board, and network to hold ourselves accountable to our DEI goals.