Legacy by Alliance
is organized around four guiding principles: unity, diversity, education, and action.
This is not a set of actions we will complete once and be done. Rather, it is an ongoing process of forging connections, learning more, and making change.
Create Unity
Every person can make a difference, but our power as individuals is limited. If we are truly going to create a legacy, we need to work together.
- We welcome as allies everyone who is committed to peaceful and positive action.
- We will do our best to bring together the membership of organizations that do not typically work together.
Build Diversity
Discussing hard issues is easier when we do so from the safety of our comfort zones. After all, our opinions aren't challenged when everyone already agrees. But if we don't reach out and truly listen to voices that are very different from our own, how will we ever learn to see things a new way? How will we design new solutions to old problems?
In order to foster true diversity in our membership, we welcome people of every
- nationality and citizenship status
- race and ethnicity
- gender identity
- sexual orientation
- language
- religion
Educate Fully
First, we educate ourselves. Of course, this requires being open to new learning and new viewpoints. We must ask questions, seek answers in a variety of sources, go beyond the obvious, and listen to some people we don't like.
Then, we educate others. When we decide to teach others in a purposeful way, the lesson will probably be well-thought out and clear. We must remember that we teach most often by example. We teach when we aren't thinking about it - but someone else is paying attention.
Make Change
Finally, we need to actually take action.
Talking about it is not enough. Marching in a protest is not enough. Nor is wearing a button, putting a bumper sticker on the car, or posting to a Facebook page. Every one of these things can be important - they can help us to raise awareness, spread ideas, and find new allies ... but we also need to make change happen, and we need to create systems that will keep these changes in place.
Rather than recreating the wheel, we will sometimes identify and then join in efforts being organized by groups we support.
Actions may include:
Public statements
- participate in sustained demonstrations
- counter-protest or provide protection lines against demonstrating hate groups
- maintain phone call and letter-writing campaigns
- publish in various media formats
Legislative change
- sponsor new legislation
- ask a political candidate or office-holder to support certain legislation
- support a candidate running for political office
- run for political office
Workplace
- encourage leadership at our place of employment to improve company policy
- change jobs, or change careers
Contributions
- volunteer for or raise funds to support an existing non-profit organization
- collect and distribute food, clothing, or other supplies, especially in crisis
- establish and maintain a scholarship fund
Vote with our dollars
- support certain businesses or corporations, and boycott others
- make energy-efficient choices whenever possible