|
In recent years, AITF has selected a particular theme for the year, which was also the focus point of our annual event. Recall that last year’s theme was Local Solutions in Divided Times. All of our annual themes have been connected at various levels and reflective of AITF’s values – a commitment to place; democracy and democratic practice; collaboration, including cross sector collaboration; social justice and equity, including racial justice and racial equity.
After our annual event, and considering the continued challenges presented by our broader social and political context, AITF’s Advisory Council discussed what would be an appropriate theme. We concluded that the theme for this year, and possibly the next few years would be Values in Action. Pursuing this theme is an opportunity to demonstrate a values-based way of thinking and doing that is collaborative, democratic, inclusive, equitable, just, and caring. As a movement organization, it is important that AITF take leadership in providing an alternative way forward. The current socio-political environment is challenging many of our core values and that as a learning community, AITF wants to work together to explore practical, feasible, ways to collaborate in our local communities in ways that continue to be values-driven, even in the midst of a national landscape that often seems to repudiate those same values and commitments to equitable growth, racial equity and social justice.
The idea of the theme is to highlight how AITF's values are demonstrated in practice. We are best positioned to do this by emphasizing actions taking place locally. Our intent is to highlight how anchor institutions are involved in local, cross sector partnerships that are reflecting and applying AITF’s values in their efforts. Certainly, this is what we have always done at AITF. However, now, we will do so more intentionally with a greater emphasis on collaboration that more fully transcends ecosystems of local organizations of all types across sectors.
You can expect that the Values in Action theme will help us refine important frameworks of values-driven collaborative action. It is important to highlight practical approaches multi-stakeholder stakeholder partnerships are taking to solve some of the pressing issues of our times. We know that extensive local partnerships guided by AITF’s values have the potential to transform communities. It is crucial for AITF to provide these frameworks to communicate to the broader public the unique potential of anchor institutions in collaboration to reduce disparities in health, education, income, housing, and more.
We are going to infuse the Values in Action theme into all of AITF’s existing and future work. In additional to bringing this theme to this year’s annual event, we will highlight the theme in Subgroup discussions, publications, and any other activities or resources. Since AITF is an action-oriented learning community, our learning informs action and actions in communities inform our learning.
With the need to learn from local practice, we are especially interested in showcasing particular localities and regions as Values in Action sites. These would be geographic settings that include exceptional levels of engagement among anchor institutions in collaboration with other anchors and additional community partners. We are also interested in contributing to strengthening levels of cross sector collaboration in particular localities or regions. We would like to hear from you about Values in Action in your home communities whether they are flourishing or emerging.
Ultimately, as we exhibit the collaborative efforts taking place in communities of all types, large and small, we expect to increase the visibility and influence of this important work.
| 
