New Public Policy Tools in the Grassroots Movement: The Washington Office on Environmental Justice
By Deeohn Ferris
INTRODUCTION
As it matures, the environmental justice movement includes greater collaboration, cooperation, communication, and information exchange among grassroots groups and environmental justice networks. As a result, diverse, community-based environmental justice groups pursue public policy strategies that increasingly push federal, state, and local decisionmakers towards addressing environmental, workplace, and economic injustices. The environmental justice movement confronts government and business with issues of civil and human rights, indigenous land rights and sovereignty, cultural survival, racial and social justice, worker protection, and environmentally sustainable growth.
To help propel the national momentum generated by local action, the growing cadre of knowledgeable community activists, regional networks, and grassroots organizations have formed an alliance and established a working office in the nation's capital. The Washington Office on Environmental Justice facilitates grassroots public policy development at the national level by focusing on and explaining the issues and concerns of the local movements.
As it matures, the environmental justice movement includes greater collaboration, cooperation, communication, and information exchange among grassroots groups and environmental justice networks. As a result, diverse, community-based environmental justice groups pursue public policy strategies that increasingly push federal, state, and local decisionmakers towards addressing environmental, workplace, and economic injustices. The environmental justice movement confronts government and business with issues of civil and human rights, indigenous land rights and sovereignty, cultural survival, racial and social justice, worker protection, and environmentally sustainable growth.
To help propel the national momentum generated by local action, the growing cadre of knowledgeable community activists, regional networks, and grassroots organizations have formed an alliance and established a working office in the nation's capital. The Washington Office on Environmental Justice facilitates grassroots public policy development at the national level by focusing on and explaining the issues and concerns of the local movements.