Just Communities / Comunidades Justas Project

On December 4, 2012, the WMJwJ Steering Committee launched the Just Communities of Western Massachusetts/Comunidades Justas de Western Massachusetts project. A little over a year later, Just Communities was able to be a regional membership-based community organization fighting for immigrant justice in Western Massachusetts and on the state and national level.  Below is the original project description.  Just Communities is at and .

Mission

Just Communities of Western Mass is a base-building organizing committee dedicated to fighting for the rights of immigrants and refugees, including expanding and defending workers rights, with the vision of making the state of Massachusetts the antithesis of Arizona—the safest state in the country for immigrants.  Step one is building the organization to develop a new base of immigrant leaders in Western Massachusetts to participate in and lead community organizing campaigns.

Organizing Committee Plan and Structure

Organizers identify and ask community leaders to be a part of building the core team that will direct the actions and work of JCWM.  Their work will focus on capacity building of the organization, leadership development, and building the structure of the organizing committee. 

The core organizing committee structure will be a strategy team made up of affected leaders from the immigrant community.  It will be a team of approximately 15-20 people who will make key decisions.  Strategy team members will participate extensively in political education and leadership training.