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Working Toward a Just Transition in Washington State

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We know a transition is inevitable, whether by disaster or design, but justice is not. We strive to ensure a Just Transition, where frontline communities are at the forefront of building equitable, democratic systems and creating transformative environmental and economic outcomes for everyone. Just Transition is our north star and our communities are preparing to govern.

As we begin to emerge from a devastating period of pandemic and racial violence, this is a pivotal moment for our community partners to connect and map out the core strategies, messaging, and action plans that address long standing economic inequities and environmental racism built upon an extractive and exploitative economic model, and move toward a Just Transition.

In the spirit of collective learning and sharing, Front and Centered and the People’s Economy Lab hosted our first-ever Washington State Just Transition Strategy Summit on December 2nd and 3rd, 2021. We discussed the pillars of the economy, including defining purpose, work, and resources in an extractive versus regenerative economy through discussion and exchange. We explored Just Transition strategies and how we want to apply the Just Transition Framework to our shared work with coalition members. We also discussed governing the economy and Just Futures.

We’re aiming to build on the education, work, and relationships that we’ve built over the past few years to accomplish the following three goals:

  1. LEARN about the strategies and projects and explore coordinated action for advancing a Just Transition in our region.
  2. CREATE and begin to implement a shared story and common language that reframes the economy around justice and wellbeing, while galvanizing our communities and building a bigger we.
  3. BUILD momentum and collective power needed to mobilize and fully launch Just Transition strategies and action plans.

To learn more about a Just Transition framework, see Movement Generation’s Curriculum Tools, especially their famous Just Transition Zine. You can view the inspired introduction to our summit in the videos below, featuring three powerful community and movement leaders exploring a Just Transition in theory and in action on the ground:

We’ll continue to create opportunities to learn and work together toward a Just Transition, including with national and international allies who are active in this space. Make sure you’re on our email list, so you can join us.