Duwamish River Accountability Group (DRAG)
MISSION, STATEMENT OF PURPOSE, AND VALUES
This group was formed for the purpose of holding those entrusted with the care of the Duwamish River and surrounding region accountable for a healthy environment for all those living and working near the Duwamish River. We are NOT a non-profit. We are community members + volunteers in solidarity with each other and the Duwamish River.
WHO WE ARE
We are volunteers and community members who are here for the Duwamish River and community. We are not being paid for this work; we are not beholden or easily influenced by hierarchies, corporate entities, or government interests. We are knowledgeable + capable of advocating for a healthy environment for all who live and work near the Duwamish River. We are residents, we are workers, and we are allies who care about the Duwamish River Community, and environmental justice.
VISION
We are here to hold all groups and individuals accountable and to make sure all have equal and active opportunities to participate in the decisions that impact their lives and have the final say in their environment.
When democracy is violated we hold violaters accountable and work together to make a healthier environment for the Duwamish Valley Community with the community and those impacted.
We act to end environmental racism with community leadership and with no strings attached
We envision a fair process that truly represents environmental justice where there be meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income for a healthy Duwamish Valley.
HONOR
We aim to honor the history of the Duwamish Valley and River community--- all the people and environment that coexist, and aim to work collaboratively within the community to care for the Duwamish River and people who live and work alongside it.
We aim to restore the Duwamish River region to be a place that is healthy for the community to live, which demands a thorough clean up of the water, air, and soil as stipulated by community demands for environmental justice.
EDUCATION
We aim to conduct independent research on the current status of the river including the impact of over 40 different pollutants present in the Duwamish River, many of which are above human and environmental health standards.
We aim to educate and empower the community on the history of the land, the industrialization of the Duwamish River, and the current hazards of this superfund site.
ACCOUNTABILITY
We aim to build coalitions of community members who can identify and take action when nonprofit and government agencies are merely virtue signalling--saying rather than doing the work, and failing to fulfill their commitments to the community.
We aim to shine light on government missteps on all levels--municipal, county, state, and federal--regarding what they knew and the actions (not) taken which have harmed the community’s environment, health, safety, and housing equity.
HEALING
Healing reverses the damaging effects that systems and relationships of hierarchy have on our bodies and minds. Individualization of well-being forces people to be responsible for their own illnesses when these are often rooted in systemic conditions. Together we share suffering through relying on and caring for each other outside of these hierarchies.
TRANSFORMATION
We value directly democratic, and non-hierarchical processes both within our own organization and in broader society. All individuals should have equal and active opportunities to participate in the decisions that affect their lives. Electoral politics and representative democracy fail to make the government accountable to the people and alienate the people from the very act of governance. It is imperative that the people directly control our institutions, rather than capital, the nation, or the state.
WE REJECT
We reject being tokenized--brought to the table to say that “the community” is part of the decision making process, and then not being given a voice or any power at those tables.
We reject the perpetuation of stereotypes propagated for the promotional benefits of nonprofits, government agencies, and so-called community groups.
We reject the hoarding of opportunities both in the community as well as within this working group.