Friday, January 22, 2010

The Core Values of the Bountiful Cities Project



As a member of the Board of Directors of the Bountiful Cities Project (and having been active in this organization for 9 years), I spent time last week with the rest of the board and staff to develop our organization; as a part of our ongoing strategic planning process, we identified four core values that guide our work as an organization. These values were inspiring to me, and I wanted to share them with you. This is the work of BCP- to work with communities in Asheville to enliven community self-reliance through urban agriculture.

Our work is guided by commitments to four key values of Community, Social Justice, Education, and Sustainability. I believe that challenging our assumptions about what these words mean, and working to live in integrity with these goals, just might be what brings about the much-needed healing that is possible in our communities and society.

Community
Healthy communities consist of: shared and diverse cultures, cooperation, safety, support, health, respect, trust, self-reliance, and love; within and among individuals, families, and groups. Bountiful Cities is committed to fostering healthy human relationships by nurturing these community values.


Social Justice
Bountiful Cities is committed to ending oppression based on race, class, gender, culture, age, religion, and sexuality and to creating social justice by honoring and practicing cooperation and mutual respect.

Education
Education is a lifelong process involving the shared exchange of knowledge and experience. Bountiful Cities is committed to supporting this shared exchange by role modeling, and by providing inspiring events, programming, and experiential education.

Sustainability
Sustainability is the equal balance between environmental health, social equity, and economic viability. Bountiful Cities is committed to sustainability through integrated food systems, food security, food production and job creation.



Happy New Year, Y'all.
xo
Jodi

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