Our Mission
Worcester Roots is a collective of youth and adult organizers on a mission to create opportunities for economic, social and environmental justice.
We send these roots of opportunity into our communities, sprouting up co-operatively run and green projects and initiatives that build toward our vision of neighborhoods that are safe for living, working and playing.
Our Values
Adopted March 2009
- Environmental, Social and Economic Justice: We struggle for a world where everyone is able to access the necessary resources to live a healthy, dignified life, without prejudice, exploitation or toxic environments.
- Power of Youth: We acknowledge and support the power and potential that youth possess. We proactively recognize and provide opportunities for youth as leaders within the organization and in the world.
- Cooperative Economics: We envision a new economic order that is based on community need and cooperation, not on profit, competition, or disregard for people and the environment.
- Grassroots Movement Building: We nurture democratic, horizontal, and non-authoritarian relationships while ensuring ethical practices within our organization and amongst community members. Our work is effective when it contributes to larger movements for social and environmental justice.
- Anti-Oppression: We are against racism, sexism, ageism, and other forms of structural and individual oppression. We proactively encourage diversity and inclusivity in our work.
- Collective Liberation: We organize with communities by listening to peoples’ experiences, identifying injustices, and valuing everyone’s voice in building sustainable solutions.
- Direct Action: We take action locally, bioregionally and globally for radical, systemic change.
- Participatory Education: We are committed to building learning environments that respect every participant’s experience and prioritize the voices of youth, people of color and working class families and individuals.