Dear friends,
The Movement Strategy Center is delighted to release our new report, Fertile Ground: Women Organizing at the Intersection of Environmental Justice and Reproductive Justice.
Kristen Zimmerman and Vera Miao interviewed 24 groups from around the country and documented stories of women organizing their communities to bring solutions to a range of critical issues; including:
The issues featured in the report sit right at the intersection of Environmental Justice and Reproduction Justice (EJ/RJ) and the report tells an important story about the power of an intersectional approach to bring new holistic and comprehensive solutions to old problems. The problems highlighted in the report are not just local problems. The problems are global and at the center of our present day economic, political and environmental crises.
The stories in the report bring to life the power of movement building. At MSC, we are often asked, “What exactly is movement building? What does it look like and what are the impacts?”
Movement building makes possible the new holistic and comprehensive solutions to global crises. EJ/RJ leaders and organizations build power, impact policy and create change by broadening the support for social justice and engaging new constituencies and allies. EJ/RJ reframes the message to align and bridge different sectors and communities. It is not just about the choice to have a baby or the ability to access clean drinking water; it is now about the right to sovereignty and safety in all areas of our lives and one of the places where sovereignty and safety interconnect is EJ/RJ.
EJ/RJ represents a paradigm shift away from the limitations of single-issue efforts to make incremental change, and toward a more pragmatic and collaborative approach to ignite transformative change. It is our responsibility to support the leaders, organizations and communities operating at the intersection of EJ/RJ to recreate the world to reflect the values at the heart of the EJ/RJ movement: interconnection, interdependence, nurturing stewardship and guardianship, vitality, creativity, sustainability, and justice.
Yours,
Taj James
Executive Director
p.s. Be sure to check out Climate of Opportunity: Gender and Movement Building at the Intersection of Reproductive Justice and Environmental Justice This report, published by the Women's Foundation of California, summarizes the EJ/RJ Collaborative as a reference for funders, policymakers, organizations and others interested in joint advocacy work.
