Community initiative aims to empower marginalized voices

The December 5, 2024, Government Operations (GO) Committee Worksession in Montgomery County, Maryland, focused on the Climate Justice Co-Creation Initiative (CJCI), a community-driven effort aimed at enhancing engagement with low-income residents of color in climate action planning. The meeting began with a presentation from representatives of the CJCI, highlighting its origins and objectives.

Jane Park, a senior fellow for innovation at the Montgomery County Collaboration Council, provided an overview of the CJCI, which was launched in response to a letter from the Montgomery County Racial Equity Network. This letter, signed by 28 organizations, criticized the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for inadequate engagement with communities most affected by climate and racial injustices. The CJCI aims to shift from a traditional top-down approach to one that integrates these communities as active collaborators in planning processes.

Park emphasized the importance of having a trusted entity outside of government to coordinate the initiative, which the Collaboration Council has taken on since spring 2022. The CJCI partners include various community organizations and government departments, working together to implement recommendations from the Office of Legislative Oversight (OLO) that focus on educating county staff and enhancing community advocacy.

Maddie Nodji, co-director of Everyday Canvassing, also spoke about the collaborative process within the CJCI. She noted that building trust and relationships among participants was crucial. The group engaged in brainstorming sessions to establish a shared vision, prioritizing support for community members, power building, and food access sustainability.

The meeting concluded with a commitment to continue fostering two-way engagement between the county and grassroots community members, ensuring that the voices of those most impacted by climate policies are heard and integrated into decision-making processes. The committee plans to follow up on these discussions in future sessions, reinforcing the importance of community involvement in government initiatives.