Community Assemblies

In fall 2024, Washington State piloted its first-ever Community Assemblies with support from the Climate Commitment Act.

The goal: make government programs and investments more effective, build community self-determination, and create a healthier democracy.

What are Community Assemblies?

Community Assemblies are a series of learning and discussion sessions, led by community-based organizations, that create space for government and communities to collaborate on identifying important local issues and developing solutions through policy proposals.

Community Assemblies are attended by community members who carry high levels of environmental and economic burdens. Attendees have experience with the most urgent needs in the places where they live, and also have experience meeting and overcoming challenges in their lives. This expertise gives participants the ability to strengthen the outcomes of programs and policies by aligning them with what’s actually needed to create healthy, safe, and resilient communities.

At the community level, Community Assemblies not only demystify how policy is made – they also allow community members to develop the skills and relationships they need to become more active partners in governance. By empowering people to participate in creating the policies that will impact their lives, Community Assemblies go beyond traditional community engagement.

  • ECOSS

    Immigrant and refugee community members, ages seven to 70-years-old, convened over two days to discuss environmental harms in the Duwamish Corridor

    The Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle

    MLK Labor

  • Equitable Recovery and Reconciliation Alliance (ERRA)

    BIPOC small business owners and service providers from across Washington convened over the course of four sessions to improve programs for small businesses and discuss building community wealth.

  • Utopia Washington

    Washington Pacific Islander community members convened for a two-day Mālama I Ka ‘Aina assembly to discuss how to strengthen resources for the Pacific Islander community.

  • Equitable Recovery and Reconciliation Alliance (ERRA)

    BIPOC small business owners and service providers from across Washington convened over the course of four sessions to improve programs for small businesses and discuss building community wealth.

Washington’s Community Assemblies pilot

In fall 2024, a series of Community Assemblies were held in locations across Washington. Assemblies were convened by Anchor organizations that work with communities most impacted by pollution and poverty. Anchors recruited participants and helped design and deliver the collaboration process.

  • Blue Mountain Action Council

    Low-income community members (restaurant workers, pastors, small business owners) convened with local mental health care providers over four months to discuss how to expand critical mental health resources.

  • Community to Community (C2C)

    Farm workers convened for three intergenerational gatherings to discuss methods to protect their communities from exploitation and climate change.

  • Nuestra Casa

    Immigrant and non-English speaking community members came together for a three-day community assembly to discuss the lack of fair housing, contaminated soil, poor air and water quality.

  • Knowing how to speak up is so important. Before these assemblies I felt I was not fully educated about the process of government. Now I see that we can do more than complain and wish—when a group gets together and comes up with a plan we can bring mental health resources to our small community.”

     – Karen, Walla Walla participant

  • "The variety of people made the community assembly feel different. There were pastors, restaurant workers, and hospital workers all working to help our town. After the assemblies I had a moment where I thought to myself, ‘this is real,’ something is actually happening here.”

    – Karla, Walla Walla participant

  • “Community Assemblies gave me a blueprint. It showed me I’m not alone. The people I met showed me that we are ready and need to create more spaces like this. I’m inspired to keep going.”

    – TaNeashia, Tacoma Participant

Faduma Fido provides an overview of Just Future’s work to grow collaborative governance in Washington through community assemblies - and how this work supports the state’s 10 year plan to dismantle poverty.

Solutions and learnings

The first Community Assemblies have co-created a roadmap for change that can be implemented by the state government through ongoing collaboration with communities.

How did Community Assemblies translate community priorities into actionable laws and investments? Our report provides more details.