Our Values

• Centering the Frontlines – Frontline communities are those that experience the climate crisis “first and worst.” The causes (racism, systemic oppression, fossil fuel extraction, runaway capitalism, etc.) and impacts (heat islands, air/water/soil pollution, rising sea levels, wildfires, intensified storms, etc.) of the climate crisis are usually experienced by people with marginalized identities like Black, Indigenous, and People Of Color (BIPOC), poor and low-income people, LGBTQ2SIA+ people, people with disabilities, rural communities, and migrants. 

  The lived experiences, past and present, of individuals and communities on the frontlines hold the best expertise to create solutions. Those that live at the intersections of the frontlines and other marginalized identities, should be valued and be included in decision-making spaces in the climate movement and 350PDX. Historically, the mainstream environmental movement, including 350PDX, has fallen short in its efforts to center the leadership of frontline communities. Moving forward, we commit to upholding this as our most important value in our campaigns and operations as we continue to progress in the movement.
  

• Radical Transparency– Often in organizing spaces and the non-profit industrial complex, leadership excludes those affected by decisions from the decision-making process. This can be used as a way to create power over others. In 350PDX’s past, we have seen a lack of transparency lead to high staff and volunteer turnover and burnt bridges. Moving forward, 350PDX will act in ways that make it easy for others to understand and engage in our work, and create collaborative and honest partnerships. Creating systems to dismantle hierarchical structures leads to more strategic campaigns, greater buy-in, and an open and inclusive movement.

• Accountability – We hold each other and our processes accountable to our mission, vision, and values. We know we will make mistakes, and when that happens we will listen, welcome conflict and critical feedback, and turn our mistakes into learning opportunities.
  Compassion & non-violence – Act based on empathy, compassion and caring, within and outside of the organization; “Attack forces of evil, not persons doing evil” (MLK Jr)
• Rest – Fighting injustice and challenging structures of oppression is emotionally difficult work. We will need one another for the long haul, so we take care of ourselves and those around us. To ensure a resilient movement we prioritize taking rest, making space to process our emotions, and knowing when to say no, so we can be fully present when we say yes. In a capitalist society where our self-worth is defined by our capacity to put productivity above all else, taking rest is a radical act that allows us space to heal, imagine and invent.

• Anti-Racism — We cannot fully address the climate crisis without fighting for racial justice and equity on all fronts. Racism and oppression are key pillars that uphold the extractive economy causing the climate crisis, therefore 350PDX and our climate justice campaigns can only be successful if we actively work to dismantle racial oppression and white supremacy. We recognize that anti-racism work is a lifelong journey; we take this to be core to climate justice and embed it into everything we do.

• Creativity & Adaptability — We believe in creativity as a balm for despair. We’re flexible to the needs of the movement and the organization as times and situations rapidly change. Amidst periods of intensity, change, or urgency, we creatively adapt while remaining grounded in our values, always striving to choose the most sustainable and equitable path forward. 

These values updated November 2020.