Commitments to Justice, Equity, Inclusion, Diversity & Anti-Racism at Upstream
In order to truly realize our vision – to live in a world where both the planet AND people are treated as indisposable – we recognize that the environmental and racial justice movements are inseparable. And the people working to spark solutions need to look like the people living in all the communities we want to serve.
As a predominantly white organization in a historically white movement, we recognize that it will take time, dedicated learning, listening, relationship-building and transforming if we want to meaningfully shift the structural inequities inherent in the larger systems that drive the “throw-away society.”
So while we are committed to sparking sustainable and just solutions, we are also committed to the real work of meaningful change. This work includes public commitment, metrics and accountability toward our goals, and ongoing learning, relationship-building, and allyship. The following reflects these commitments, which are a work in progress, as this work and our learning is ever-evolving and never finished.
Our Commitments
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Upstream commits to prioritizing voices and identities that have been underrepresented by using a robust and intentional recruitment process to ensure our job postings and contract opportunities reach underrepresented people.
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Upstream's media platforms will feature voices that are representative of the people of the United States and the rich movements we work in and support.
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Justice, Equity, Inclusion, Diversity and Anti-Racism goals are embedded within our project goals and planning – especially with regard to the communities we serve and who benefits from our work.
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Upstream's team culture is inclusive and works to dismantle white supremacy and white bias; team members check in and are held accountable for these values on an ongoing basis.
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We know reuse plays a crucial role in a just transition to a more sustainable economy—but we’ve not yet explicitly stated how and why this is so.