J.E.D.I. (Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion)

Dear Reimagine Community,

Our mission at Reimagine is to spark a community-wide exploration of death and celebration of life through creativity and conversation. Having meaningful conversations which transform our approach to life requires creating space: creating the context of courage, compassion, mutual respect, and psychological safety in which we can bring our full and authentic selves to the table. This includes our identities, our grief, our gratitude, our love, our vulnerability, our experience of privilege and oppression, and our resilience.

It is a profound gift to create space for others. When we intentionally hold space, we co-create a container that affirms that: we are present with your experience here, we value who you are here, your story, body, and ability are welcome here, you are safe here, your hopes and grief will be witnessed with care here. This is particularly essential with the delicate and deep conversations surrounding end of life and the parts of living that matter most.

We recognize that the people’s experience of end of life, the context and circumstances of which, are largely shaped by social, political, and economic factors. It is for this reason that learning how our work can contribute to advancing justice, equity, diversity, inclusion (JEDI) in our world is essential.

Through conversations amongst our team, with our collaborators and community, and with experts in this field, we see that one of the best ways we as Reimagine can contribute is through creating and holding space. A key element of our JEDI initiative is creating a shared field of principles and values amongst all of our collaborators, and through them to our wider audiences.

To that end, we have asked each of our collaborators/hosts to sign a JEDI Pledge before creating their space, so that we can invite all participants into this vision together.

Additionally, we are distributing far and wide and to each attendee a list of our JEDI Principles, which outlines the attitude with which our community is encouraged to show up for one another in any shared space we create.

We are grateful for your willingness to reflect on these principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. We look forward to seeing how these values manifest themselves in the welcoming spaces we spark together this fall.

Sincerely,

Team Reimagine

We believe our unwavering commitment to this ideal will lead to continual listening, action, improvement, and long-term impact, over years. We aim to be transparent in our work, so as we work on long-term plans around engaging on these issues, we want to clearly communicate our near-term commitments pertaining to "JEDI" based on thoughtful feedback we have received specifically from many of our incredible BIPOC community members:

Goal 1: Educate and empower all Reimagine collaborators around how to create spaces that account for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

• Develop a mandatory training for event hosts on how to create inclusive spaces, delivered by a black-led organization
• Mandate all event hosts sign a pledge committing themselves to JEDI principles of creating inclusive spaces
• Share JEDI principles with the registrants in advance of each event

Goal 2: Uplift the voices of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in our community

• Feature BIPOC collaborator events and stories more prominently on our homepage, in our emails, and through social media posts
• Increase BIPOC representation on our Board of Directors

Goal 3: Support a more diverse community, with programming by and for communities of color

• Launch Reimagine’s “Table Talk Series,” with events created by and for BIPOC community members, beginning initially with a focus on the black community
• Establish events for BIPOC collaborators to meet each other and form new collaborations
• Host additional feedback sessions specifically for the BIPOC community

10 JEDI principles for attending a Reimagine space

Please show up to a Reimagine space with these principles in mind:

1. We honor the earth that is all of our shared home, and upon which all life relies upon to survive.
2. We honor the original inhabitants and stewards of the land that we are on. For those of us living in places taken from their original people, such as the Americas and Australia, please refer to Native Land Digital's map to identify indigenous names of territories.
3. We honor all the visible and invisible abilities and disabilities. We agree to be receptive and proactive in exploring ways to make this experience accessible to those who are differently abled, and to support each other with grace however possible.
4. We honor the diverse ancestry, culture, heritage, complexion and racial identity of all those who are present.
5. We honor the various beliefs, religions, faiths, creeds and spiritual inclinations of all people present. We agree to create a space where each person can express their faith without infringing on anyone else's safety, dignity or expression.
6. We honor all forms of gender expression and identity and are dedicated to gender equity. This means that whether someone identifies as a man, woman, transgender, non binary or anything else, they are welcomed and respected.
7. We honor all forms of sexual orientation. We are dedicated to supporting all people to love however is true for them, as long as that expression does not harm anyone else.
8. We recognize that those present may have different levels of wealth, access to resources, statuses of documentation and migration, political affiliation, and agree to treat all present with dignity and respect as human beings.
9. We honor that everyone has a story, other identities, other challenges, trauma, resilience, courage, beauty and depth that cannot be covered in a list or understood in its totality.
10. We recognize that in most parts of our world, many if not all of these variables can determine the safety, health, dignity and freedom of individuals and communities, and we strive for a better way.

STEP 1: JEDI pledge for all Reimagine hosts

Sign the Reimagine JEDI Community Pledge

We as collaborators and event hosts recognize that, around the world, the circumstances and causes of death are inordinately influenced by race, gender, class, sexuality, faith, ability, and/or other aspects of our identity, which should not determine the dignity and duration of our lives.

We recognize that it is not possible to reach the true depth of conversations about how to live fully from now through the end without acknowledging these factors.

As Reimagine collaborators, we agree to utilize the best of our knowledge, courage, vulnerability, and resources available to cultivate spaces that are inclusive.

As Reimagine collaborators, we agree to create spaces that are intentional and considerate of the diverse needs of different people.

As Reimagine collaborators, we agree to create spaces that are equitable - striving to ensure everyone has what they need, recognizing that those who have more can give more, and those who need more support can get more support.

We recognize that even if we are not experts in this field, our humility, curiosity, and will to grow can be an integral part of creating a space that can hold all of what life and death have to show us.

STEP 2: Align intention and impact For hosts (and everyone!)

Required actions to cultivate JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion)

Agree to attend or watch The Art of Creating Inclusive Spaces, a 90-minute training developed in partnership with our collaborators atHolistic Underground, a non-profit that supports projects which empower the change-makers, leaders, and organizations in social and environmental impact. Or, I agree to attend another formal training program to increase my skill and capacity for creating space through an equity and inclusion lens.