Partner Spotlight: Interfaith Justice Coalition
Building a More Equitable Region Together: The Interfaith Justice Coalition’s Shared Democracy Series
In the summer of 2023, a new force for social justice emerged in North Central Washington—the Interfaith Justice Coalition. Born out of a shared vision among diverse faith communities, the organization aims to build relationships across differences and advocate for tolerance, empathy, inclusion, nonviolence and open-minded acceptance of all people.
Made up of multiple faith organizations, Coalition members recognize the power of coming together around shared values to foster a more just and equitable region. By pooling their resources and efforts, the group is organizing to maximize their impact, working together to address issues that matter most to their communities.
Connecting the Dots: The Birth of the Shared Democracy Series
One of the shared values among the various groups that make up the Coalition is democracy and the belief in the crucial role it plays in creating a region where everyone feels they belong. Through relationship-building with other nonprofit organizations, the Coalition quickly learned about the various democracy-themed events happening across North Central Washington and began looking at how they could help fill in any gaps. From there, the Coalition saw an opportunity to weave these events into a cohesive narrative of civic engagement resulting in the creation of the Our Shared Democracy series.
Our Shared Democracy highlights community events across the region that celebrates key features of democracy including respect for basic human rights, a multi-party-political system paired with political tolerance, a democratic voting system, democratic governance, and citizen participation. By integrating programs into a larger community context, the coalition aims to create a lasting impact that extends far beyond any single event or initiative.
“At a time when our political landscape is extremely polarized, Our Shared Democracy is an opportunity to rediscover core aspects of our civic life as a community and invite a deeper awareness of our interconnection with one another.”
A Vision for the Future
Looking ahead, the coalition is committed to continuing this work into 2025 and beyond by strengthening existing partnerships and welcoming new ones. Beyond the democracy series, the Coalition’s advocacy efforts also include attending local and state-wide events to show support for a variety of causes as well as hosting regular meetings that rotate among different churches to coordinate efforts. If you’re interested in learning more about the Coalition’s work or finding out how you can get involved, you can reach out via email at interfaithncw@gmail.com.
As a collaborating partner of the Our Shared Democracy series, Thriving Together NCW will continue highlighting this important work in upcoming newsletters and on social media so be sure to give us a follow to stay informed about upcoming events and opportunities to make a difference in our region.