Definitions

Working Definitions

The following working definitions are the result of collaboration with Stacey Firestone for the Missoula JEDI Community Network:

JEDI: (An acronym for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion) Society’s peoples coming together around a set of ideas, behaviors, and policies that result in an equal sense of belonging and valued participation for all its members in all its spaces.

Justice: A transformative sense of shared responsibility to promote practices and attitudes which result in equitable experiences and outcomes for every community member in all spheres of society.

Equity: A real freedom from barriers which creates a shared sense of equal ownership over all social and material goods including opportunities, human rights, and civil liberties for all community members.

Diversity: The presence of people who represent humanity’s various capacities, abilities, identities, and ways of being and thinking.

Inclusion: When all people can access and fully participate in community spaces while feeling welcomed, respected, heard, supported, encouraged, and valued.

Accessibility: The intentional design and adaptability of all social and material spaces, systems, and services so that all people have access to use them with a sense of independence, belonging, and dignity.

Belonging: An individual’s sense of safety and deep connection to the members of a group or society and knowledge that their participation is as equally valued and important as all its other members.