Equity and Community consortium
Equity and Community consortium
The Equity and Community Consortium (ECC) is an information, resource sharing, leadership and coordination forum for agencies and jurisdictions that provide governmental and public services in the Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area.
The ECC represents a commitment of our agencies to equity and inclusion and to create agencies that better serve, reflect, and understand the communities that we serve. As we work together to advance diversity, equity and inclusion, the following definitions represent our current and mutual understanding of these key terms and our work together.
Equity refers to fair and just practices and policies that ensure all community members can thrive. Equity is not equality. Equality implies treating everyone as if their experiences are exactly the same. Equity means acknowledging and addressing structural inequalities that create advantages and disadvantages. Equal treatment results in equity only if everyone starts with equal opportunities.
Inclusion refers to a community where all members are and feel respected, have a sense of belonging, and are able to participate and achieve to their potential. While diversity is essential, it is not sufficient. An institution can be both diverse and non-inclusive at the same time, thus a sustained practice of creating inclusive environments is necessary for success.
Diversity refers to all aspects of human difference, social identities, and social group differences, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, creed, color, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual identity, socio-economic status, language, culture, national origin, religion/spirituality, age, (dis)ability, and military/veteran status, political perspective, and associational preferences.
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Together for a more just Eugene/Springfield community.
*Communities of Color and Allies Network