Racial Equity Transformation (RET)

July 2023

OVERVIEW

Founded in 1992, The Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG) is a 30-year well-established network that connects and further builds existing regional power among 500+ participating organizations and thousands of individuals in the Northeast states. We work to create an equitable farm and food system for ALL for the next seven generations, as Native vision and practice calls for. Our region includes Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Washington D.C. This is a multi-sector multicultural community where we lift Aboriginal ancestral wisdom and farming practices, and center voices of color to create the much needed farm and food systems change.  

In 2022, NESAWG went through some major shifts including the following:

  • Transitioned from a white-led flagship program based organization to a BIPOC-led mission based organization.
  • Hired a new BIPOC Executive Director
  • Developed a 95% BIPOC Board and Staff
  • Put its annual conference on hold
  • Articulated Core Values (ongoing)
  • Developed the vision of an organizational and regional racial equity based transformation 
  • Developed a 5-Year Road Map for a regional Racial Equity Based Transformation 
  • Laid the foundation and structure for grassroots organizing and movement building for systemic change
  • Developed Core Strategies aligned with Just Transition
  • Developed Core Programming
  • Developed Core Partners and Collaborators (ongoing)

THE 5-YEAR ROAD MAP

  • Create a farm and food systems change based on a racial equity transformation at an organizational level and regional level in the Northeast region.
  • Build a base and a movement led by Aboriginal practices and voices of color
  • Develop a model for systems change that is both place-based and regional,  equitable, inclusive, healing, regenerative, scalable, replicable, and sustainable long-term for the next seven generations, as Native vision and practice calls for.

The structure and model being developed is designed to be both place-based and regional,  equitable, inclusive, healing, regenerative, scalable, replicable, and sustainable long-term. The work is being rolled out in collaboration with partners, regional stakeholder group(s), place-based hubs, policy council(s) and collaborators.  We see this as a slow, steady deliberate process, in which we will be both challenged and inspired, and we look forward to continuing to engage in it with our NESAWG community. NESAWG’s strength lies in its ability to harness the power that exists in our multi-sector regional network to catalyze meaningful change toward a sustainable and just food system. Collaborate to co-liberate!

COMMITMENTS

NESAWG is committed to a transformation that lifts the following:

  • Aboriginal Sovereignty Honor and uphold the sovereignty and leadership of Tribal Nations aboriginal to Turtle Island as practiced and supported by Indian Country for the survival of the next seven generations. We are honoring these Tribal Nations as inherent Keepers and Protectors of this land from time immemorial.
  • Racial Equity and Justice Center Voices of Color and anchor the work in racial equity and justice as core values to inform our efforts. Voices of color participate and lead throughout the entirety of all processes --from ideation and conceptualization to implementation and evaluation -- in a structure anchored in deep democracy and grassroots decision-making practices.
  • Health and Well-being Uphold a system where we can support the health and well-being of each other and ourselves. The work that lies ahead is important but we also need to prioritize self-care. 
  • Basebuilding Intentional grassroots basebuilding of frontline communities of color anchored in relationships of trust. There is no system change without an organized base.
  • Movement Building Align with grassroots movement building framework(s) and promote a Freirean approach¹ to build the bigger “We”. Collaborate with aligned organizations, organized groups and individuals to bring about liberation. Collaborate to Co-liberate! 
  • Grassroots Systems Model Develop grassroots systems models that are holistic, regenerative, replicable, scalable and sustainable that can be supported by Mother Earth and the greater eco-system.

NESAWG’s RET Road-Map Phase 1: Years 2023-2024

In 2023, NESAWG is implementing Phase 1 of its 5-Year Road Map. We understand the importance of living out and embodying our values at an organizational (internal) level as we work to operationalize systems change at a regional level. Consequently, all phases of our NESAWG 5-Year Road Map incorporates internal (organizational) and external (regional) level work.

1. Implementation of Racial Equity-Based Transformation at a Regional Level.

  • Regional Landscape Assessment and Regional Mapping effort through our Core Programming Spaces. Data Points for regional mapping will include key base points (additional data points are added as needed): Who We Are. Where We Are. What We Know. What We Need. 
    • Identity - Org name, website, geographic reach, top 3 focus areas
    • Community Needs & Priorities (top 2-3 needs in each particular org’s role/ecosystem and what is shaping these needs/priorities?)
    • Community Challenges & Barriers (place-based barriers and root causes)
    • Skills Assessment (Where is our organizational skill(s) and how do we shape our impact?)
    • Resources & Networks Assessment (how and who we are connected to and with)
      • The data resulting from our regional landscape assessment of 12 states plus Washington DC will be made available to the larger community in the next two years. We can't do this work without you. If you are interested in supporting or funding NESAWG's racial equity transformation, please email us at info@nesawg.org and at ccabrera@tidescenter.org or call us and leave us a message at 401-484-8110. 
  • Basebuilding  - building new relationships of trust and strengthening existing ones; being intentional in reaching out, lifting and centering voices of color in grassroots organizing and in leadership decision-making spaces. 

2. Implementation of Racial Equity-Based Transformation at an Organizational Level:

Incorporating regional voices of Black, Native, Indigenous, and other People of Color, NESAWG will:

  • Redesign and redevelop organizational and internal infrastructure, practices and processes.
  • Redefine the geographic reach, purpose, role, mission, vision, values, and framework(s).

Core Strategies

NESAWG places great emphasis in five core strategies:

Building the New 

  • Build a regional farm and food systems model that is regenerative, sustainable, healing, equitable, replicable, and scalable rooted in love. 
  • Collaborate to co-liberate.

Building the Bigger We 

NESAWG is committed to strengthening the movement across geographical areas, and weaving the fabric across intersectionalities in the farm and food system.

Changing the Narrative  

Decolonize the narrative; change the culture; change understanding of misconstrued perceived reality; return to the history and roots of our ancestors; share the stories and storytelling of Black, Native, Indigenous, and other People of Color.  

Changing the Rules

NESAWG will continue to change the rules to redistribute resources, power and land to local communities. Work with grasstops partners to change legislation at a Federal level; influence the setting of the agenda at state level with Ag commissioners and secretaries; work with global partners to champion Nature Rights. 

  • Advocate for federal policy that supports an equitable and just 2023 Farm Bill
  • Advocate for equitable and just state level policy connected to NEASDA (Northeast Association of State Departments of Agriculture) & NASDA
  • Advocate for federal policy that protects Mother Earth Rights and Mother Earth Personhood status.

Moving the Money  

NESAWG will begin laying the foundation to move the money from corporate wealth to community wealth.

Core Regional Organizing Structure 

Regional Stakeholder Group 

BIPOC Regional stakeholder group representing each NESAWG state (12 states plus Washington DC) linked to Local Place-Based Hubs. The Regional Stakeholder Group includes the Regional Policy Council. The Regional Policy Council will be working with grasstops and grassroots groups to change the rules. This work will be phased.

Place-Based Hubs (local)

BIPOC led local hubs. The engine of community organizing where key decisions are made and implemented by the Regional Stakeholder Group

Affinity Groups and Caucuses - these meet as needed to focus on storytelling shares, discuss ant-racist issues and decolonizing among other things.

Core Regional Organizing Spaces

Community Organizing Spaces (led by frontline Black, Native, Indigenous, and other People of Color community members)

  1. Regional Conference Partnerships spaces for organizing on a quarterly basis. NESAWG started the year partnering with NOFA/Mass for the Winter 2023 Conference weaving a NESAWG Track for racial and equity based transformation rooted in love. 
  2. Regional Stakeholder Group - a regional BIPOC-led decision-making body connected to a network of local farm & food hubs (FFH) who they are accountable to.
  3. Local Farm & Food Hubs (FFH) - these are local organizing centers with a large base in the farm and food system where frontline communities of color reflect and decide on place-based needs and priorities. The local FFHubs connect with the Regional Stakeholder Group to inform, weigh-in, and decide through democratic decision-making processes. 
  4. Farmer’s Circles - existing and new farmer’s circles are spaces where NESAWG shares a listening presence and support with networking and collaboration opportunities.
  5. Aboriginal Fire Circles - these are spaces shared with Tribal Nations, Aboriginal Tribal members, and Indigenous groups  
  6. Community Gatherings spaces - these are spaces where the community is already organizing and gathering (land-based community centers, art-centers, CSA food distribution points, education  & training spaces etc). NESAWG partners with existing Community Gathering Spaces to share programming, roll out a landscape assessments, and distribute Farm Worker bonuses.
  7. Other relationships and spaces - NESAWG reaches out to multiple organizations (Intertribal Agriculture Council, USET, NCAI etc) to help organize and build power across the region.

Core Programming 2023

  • Educational Programming. NESAWG hosts: 
    • Sankofa Series - For 2023: History & Liberation series on the Aboriginal, Black, and Latinx experience
    • Black History Walking Tours
    • Intensives - a variety of half day or full day Intensives (Native Food & Farming, Urban Community Gardens, Landscape Assessments, 2023 Farm Bill, Mother Earth Rights etc)
    • Political Education: Courses & training in frameworks and political education, undoing racism and more. 
  • Policy Advocacy - 2023 Farm Bill trainings; policy advocacy at federal level with grasstops, and grassroots efforts; development of regional Policy Council; policy advocacy at state level leading NEASDA working group. (Policy Advocacy priorities: Farm Bill, Land Rematriation, Mother Earth Rights, Mother Earth Personhood status, Labor Rights, Migrant and Immigrant Rights, climate change insecurity and forced displacement to name our top priorities) 
  • Integrated Communication & Information Technology for Grassroots Organizing 
    • Communication - 
      • Storytelling through Art
      • NESAWG Blogs & Vlogs Storytelling Series
      • Success Stories from the Field (NEASDA)
      • Monthly Newsletter
      • Social Media - multi channels (lay the foundation)
  • Information Technology (lay the foundation)
    • Development of GIS Mapping to document landscape assessments 
    • Enhance interconnectivity to grow translocal organizing opportunities and strengthen collective power
    • Information democracy for open resource sharing, knowledge sharing, and decolonizing
    • Linkages to resources, networks, and social media channels