Mission Statement - Coalition for Social Justice

The Coalition for Social Justice seeks to build a powerful peoples’ movement in Southeastern Massachusetts to advocate for public policies that can improve the lives of ordinary people.  To achieve this goal we organize at the grassroots to increase state assistance (child care, health care, housing) for working people struggling to survive economically, increase the availability of living wage jobs, expand educational opportunity, and provide support for single mothers making the transition from welfare to work.

Our work is based on the following principles:

• UNITY. We are committed to building an organization that can bring together activists from  varied segments of the community.  We seek to unite welfare mothers, senior citizen activists, rank and file union leaders, and community activists in one organization.  We recognize that this can be done only on the basis of mutual solidarity and respect.  The principle guiding our efforts at building unity is “an injury to one is an injury to all.”
   
  

• MULTI-ISSUE.  We also recognize the need to build a multi-issue organization that can add strength and support to the efforts of organizations that focus primarily on single issues based on the immediate needs of their particular constituency.  Working in collaboration with progressive legislators and other social action groups around the state, we have developed a multi-issue “Working Families Agenda,” which offers a vision of social change that addresses such issues as jobs, wages, child care, health care, housing, education and welfare.  On a yearly basis, our particular issue focus varies, depending on shifting political opportunities.
   
  

• POWER AT THE GRASSROOTS.  Finally, we recognize the need to build a powerful, grassroots peoples’ movement for social change.  In all of our work - whether it be building support for the initiatives of our constituent organizations or developing our own independent campaigns - we seek to build the capacity of ordinary people to have an impact on the social policies that affect their lives.  Our organizing approach focuses both on developing the commitment and leadership of people new to social activism and on working with existing activists and organizations to enhance their strength and effectiveness.  We recognize that the key factor determining our ability to make a difference in the community is the size and community base of our network of grassroots activists.