TIME FOR CHANGE: Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

As we step into 2021, I encourage us to reflect on 2020 and see the good that came from our forced situation called Covid-19. The world is a different place then it was in prior years. Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion came right to the forefront.

Companies, friends, associations, and family members are all learning more about J.E.D.I today then days of the past. One may say that the world is waking up to the reality of evolution. Our communities are starting to see and understand the importance of inclusion.

The Portland Construction Specification Institute, as well as other industry associations are forming formal committees to act on inclusion. To stand up and say, “enough is enough, we will not tolerate exclusion in any form”. 

I imagine the American people and communities around the world have struggled with segregation, and judgement since the beginning of humanity. It is my belief that it is deeply rooted into our cultures, and it will take lots of humility for us to fully overcome these generational complexities.

“I believe that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are some of the most pressing goals that we need to address as a human race.” – Alexander Lungershausen

Let me tell you what the Portland CSI J.E.D.I committee is doing to support the global J.E.D.I mission. About 3 month ago we officially formed the committee and our committee members are as follows; (Juan Coronel-J.E.D.I committee chair), (Melody Stinson-Secretary), (Kourtney Strong- Town Hall Director), (Roby Peters- Ethics council), (Ellen Onstad-Advocate), (Alexander Lungershausen-Advocate).

We held our first J.E.D.I town hall meeting on September 15th in 2020. One of the main themes that kept coming up during this meeting amongst professionals was that some people are new to diversity discussions. From this we decided it is important to remain open to learning and understanding the history of diversity in our local community. We also decided as a team that it is important for us to reach out to other associations around the region to be more inclusive. This year we will take a deeper dive and do our best to understand the rooted situations and explore ways our association can support sustainability for all.

 The CSI Portland J.E.D.I team has also been communicating with the CSI’s Chicago Chapter J.E.D.I team to share findings as we build our committees. Here is an insert from Chicago’s J.E.D.I purpose statement.

 Diversity is the presence of differences that may include, race and ethnicity, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, language, culture, national origin, religious commitments, age, (dis)ability status mental wellbeing, and political perspective. We commit to understanding the diverse individuals in our community and developing a strategy toward Equity & Inclusion.

Portland CSI J.E.D.I Committee: Mission Statement

It is the mission of the J.E.D.I Committee to ensure the principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion are represented in all aspects of CSI Portland, and for our chapter to serve as a welcome and respectful place for everyone, regardless of race, nationality, age, gender, religion, ability, or opinion.  We seek to inform and educate in order to better support underserved groups through outreach, connections, and open dialogue.

Current J.E.D.I Goals

Short Term:

• Establish committee with a mission, goals, budget, and webpage.

• Publish recurring blog posts to keep the CSI community informed on Portland J.E.D.I activities and learning.

• Conduct a quarterly J.E.D.I Town Hall.

• Work on building JEDI CDT scholarships.

• Partner with and support other organizations, creating connections and assessing where CSI PDX can learn and/or assist.

• Advocate and increase the magnitude of underserved voices via sharing information through social media, etc.

Long Term:

• Encourage diversification of the CSI Portland chapter.

• Encourage diversification of the AEC industry.

• Establish a committee to discuss Subcontractor equity spec language.

-Juan Coronel, Chair of the Portland JEDI Committee