The Focus Communities
We are a community of practice for women religious building land justice into our property plans.
WHAT THE PROGRAM ENTAILS:
We deliver customized research to locate potential stewardship partners in the area, with a focus on Black and Indigenous partners.
We offer access to an extended faculty of expert practitioners in real estate, law, land trusts, etc. to guide you.
We design tailored formation experiences for each Focus Community, including a transformative curriculum for each team, and a 2 day in-person land justice workshop for the whole community!
We convene an annual, expenses-paid, in-person national Focus Community gathering.
We provide small grants to support research, projects, and other related bodies of work.
Our team facilitates regular group reflections and learning opportunities with the entire cohort and with individual communities.
POTENTIAL OUTCOMES OF THE 2-YEAR COHORT
Achieving land justice will look different depending on the needs and circumstances of each community. For example, within 2 years, you may find that your community:
Has successfully transferred (or has begun the process of transferring) the deed of a property to a new group of regenerative stewards who are most marginalized by our extractive economy, racism, and our history of colonization;
Passed a resolution at your chapter to prioritize future owners from these marginalized communities;
Has begun the process of a cultural use easement with a local Indigenous tribe, allowing ongoing legal access for ceremony and other cultural practices;
Is preparing a vote at your next assembly to give 60% of the income from a property sale to a BIPOC collective in search of land in your region;
Or another creative option for moving toward land justice!