Reply To: Decolonizing Policy Makers

Decolonizing not just policy makers but ourselves as members of community
Organizing itself needs to be decolonized
Processes that change the way policies are made

Example: Dona Ana Communities United
Partnering with City of Las Cruces across multiple departments
Parallel effort with community members whose voices haven’t been heard

Figuring out a way together
Open to ways of knowing and being together in community

Listen and appreciate power in ourselves and others

Policy makers are not just elected officials they are front line workers at City too.
Decision makers in agencies.
We all exist in systems. How to make systems new just and make new systems.

Support: Take advantage of online forum and continue to communicate. Build larger communities as largely as we’d like.
Not issue driven but who lives in our communities.

We pay community members to do the work we are doing.

Implement in our own communities:

Mapping our communities. Community members take photos and serve as listening post in their communities. Engage on issues we aren’t pre-determining.

Recognize everyone’s gifts.

Got to be flexible so we can see opportunities for building bridges.

Learn and practice ways of being in true dialogue with each other. It is all about relationships. More important than a win. Once you have a relationship the wins are many. Organic process of figuring it out together.

Trying to avoid replicating a calcaphus system.