Dear Editors,
Consistent recognition of opportunities to be and do better for the collective good is an important part of our Coop’s legacy. While past efforts to pursue diversity and equality are appreciated, contemporary objectives pertaining to anti-racism and equity must be jointly defined and clearly communicated moving forward. At this inflection point, we need a shared understanding of what diversity and equality means, and how this lives at the PSFC. Participation and accountability are fundamental to equity; members and leaders across the organization and its committees should be trained around these mutual goals, with information easily accessible and disseminated to our community.
The Coop must facilitate clear governance and informed decision-making, particularly as we navigate the new normals and unintentional silos created by the pandemic. Transitioning the general meeting online was a prudent step in this direction, and making digitized transcriptions of minutes available would better enable members to learn about issues under consideration and revisit the context of resolutions reached. Recording future meetings could be an excellent inaugural use of the PSFC YouTube channel, which was established in May 2020 and is linked on our homepage, yet currently contains no content.
We are invested in cultivating an egalitarian, engaged environment that engenders belonging and improves the Coop for all members. With the board elections approaching, we advocate voting for candidates committed to working collaboratively to implement forward-thinking plans that prioritize racial justice and equity. These issues are tantamount to fiscal solvency, and the future of our Coop is at stake.
Signed,
Christhian Diaz, Mandira Ghai, Annabelle Heckler, Leigh Howard, Raj Kottamasu and Trish Adobea Tchume