"Transition is inevitable. Justice is not."

    Quinton Sankofa, Movement Generation

    Our Mission

    The Good Work Institute exists to build and amplify the collective power of people to reject systems of oppression and extraction and create regenerative, just, and life-affirming communities.

    Our work is guided by these five principles of Just Transition:

    • Relocalizing economic power
    • Driving racial justice and social equity
    • Democratizing  communities, wealth and work
    • Advancing ecological repair
    • Retaining and restoring cultural diversity

    We hold reverence for the Earth as our shared home and we align with the definition of economy as “managing our shared home.” We believe in the transformative potential of being deeply connected to our places, so we focus regionally, in and around the Mahicantuck Valley, also known as the Hudson Valley of NY. 

    Our work is grounded in collaboration, care, and connection.

    Our Goals

    We aim to catalyze radical change in how we work, how we govern, how we heal, how we participate, and how we relate to ourselves, each other, and our places. 

    We support people and initiatives that are working towards social equity, shared power, and the thriving of all life. We uplift the importance of authentic, intentional relationships because that is how we grow movements for change.

    Through our programs and initiatives, we work to cultivate, sustain, and amplify Good Work.

    Cultivate

    • Cultivate and nurture an engaged, loving, and energizing network of people for mutual support.
    • Teach practices and skills we see as essential to Just Transition, including collaboration, radical mindfulness, democratic governance, and conflict resilience.
    • Support people and initiatives in re-thinking and re-designing the way they work and collaborate.

    Sustain

    • Co-create nourishing, intentionally held spaces with BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ and other affinity groups pursuing social justice, to manifest a fortified, beloved community.
    • Strengthen and support JT-aligned initiatives to allow them to emerge and flourish.
    • Uplift the possibilities of democratically-controlled community funding.

    Amplify

    • Uplift stories of positive change, inspiring people to take action and offering an antidote to the toxic narratives that prop up inequity and extraction.
    • Broadcast the Just Transition framework to empower movements to face critical challenges holistically with active solidarity.
    • Facilitate a shift towards collaborative, collective power.

    What We Do

    We nurture an ecosystem. We nourish the soil from which many changes can grow.

    We function as a beacon of information, training, and resources, and as a platform for connection, solidarity, mutual support, ongoing practice and learning. We create transformational experiences. We provide support for pioneers who are creating regenerative economies. We believe in storytelling for social change. We stand for Just Transition.

    Co-Learning

    Facilitation

    • Provide fiscal sponsorship and advice to Just Transition-aligned initiatives and emerging projects
    • Convene and facilitate community conversations to catalyze collective action and individual participation

    Connection

    • Host events that build relationships and inspire learning
    • Offer programs, social events, and an online community hub to strengthen the GWI Network
    • Provide physical space in Kingston, at the Greenhouse, to gather, organize, work, and play

    Illumination

    • Create and share compelling stories through a variety of channels including: weekly radio show, blog series, social media campaigns, and in partnership with other orgs 
    • Design content and opportunities to deepen understanding of the Just Transition framework

    Love takes off the masks we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within. Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. People can cry much easier than they can change. Neither love nor terror makes one blind: indifference makes one blind.

    – James Baldwin