WV Can’t Wait: Mutual Aid and Co-Governance
This is one of four case studies commissioned by New Pluralists to explore instances of pluralism in practice—what it looks like, what it accomplishes, and what we’re learning about what works and what doesn’t work. Two of the case studies focus on interpersonal or intergroup approaches, where people deepen their understanding and connections with one another, and two focus on collective approaches, where diverse groups work together to change local policies, culture, and decision-making.
This case study focuses on a collective approach. WV Can’t Wait imagines a vision of (local and state) democratic government that belongs to all people equally. This includes expanding diverse participation in public decision-making, including both who holds elected office and who formal government answers to, and supporting the self-determination and self-governance of community members to address issues that matter to them. WV Can’t Wait works with a highly diverse coalition including community members from all political ideologies, who hold various racial and ethnic identities, those who are houseless and middle class, those who identify as LGBTQ+ and straight, and across many religious identities.