Thoughtfully Engaging, Together & Virtually
Wednesday Happening Hours
By Bobby Cochran and Emily Irish
Sometimes it’s nice to just grab a beverage, discuss a good idea, and simply connect.
As the world gets ready to celebrate this 50th Anniversary of Earth Day on April 22nd, our communities are facing a historic challenge to recover from the impacts of COVID-19. Activists came together as an environmental community in 1970, but what can we do today for a more equitable future?
We want to provide a chance to thoughtfully come together and reconnect. For the next month+, Willamette Partnership and our partners will be hosting a series of “Wednesday Happening Hours.” Join us and your peers for a virtual happy hour to discuss how our communities are reacting during this crisis and how it can become an opportunity to create a more equitable future.
We will continue to announce new Happening Hour webinars as they are scheduled. Join us for one or all of them and continue to check back here for updates on new topics we will be discussing with the health and conservation communities.
Happening Hour Update
The Happening Hours started as a space to connect, where colleagues could come together to share their thoughts on the current challenges we’re facing, but they have become more than that. The question that keeps resurfacing for us is, are there other conversations around equitable recovery happening around the state, and if so, where, who’s at the table, and how can we link these conversations together?
To help answer these questions, we’re asking you to share what you know about our state’s equitable recovery plans. Fill out the Google Form to tell us about the conversations you’ve heard or been a part of, what gaps you may have seen, what you’d like included in those conversations, and if there is an opportunity to connect.
Do you know about other Equitable Recovery conversations around Oregon?
Happening Hour Webinars
Equitable Recovery in the Federal Stimulus
Our third Happening Hour shifted focus to Equitable Recovery and the Federal Stimulus. We discussed lessons learned from the 2008 Recession’s recovery. What was successful, what actions didn’t have an equitable perspective, and how can we ensure that we include equity as we begin reopening communities?
Wednesday, May 20, 2020 4:00 – 5:00 pm PST
Don’t Rebuild the Systems that Broke – How to shape federal actions and prepare Oregon communities for equitable recovery
A discussion around the next steps in how federal action can support our communities as we rebuild systems and how we can prepare communities for equitable change, together.
Wednesday, May 6, 2020 4:00 – 5:00 pm PST
Featured Speakers
Jill Fuglister, Healthy Environment Portfolio Director, Meyer Memorial Trust
Sam Baraso, Program Manager, Portland Clean Energy Fund
What can the conservation community do to support equitable recovery?
We want to thank everyone who participated in our first Happening Hour! Read about the discussions had and our featured speakers, here.
Wednesday, April 22, 2020 4:00 – 5:00 pm PST
Featured Speakers
Tina Tamai, Coordinator, Hawaii Good Food Alliance
Paulina López, Executive Director, Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition
Nils Christoffersen, Executive Director, Wallowa Resources
Thank you to our Annual Sponsors!
Have a topic you’d like to discuss?
Reach out to Emily Irish to help organize a Happening Hour with Willamette Partnership, irish@willamettepartnership.org.
