By Larry Hurst
Each month you will find within the pages of Ethical Outlook a boxed item headed “Ethical Affliations” with a list of these groups. (See box on right.) They are organizations with which the Society shares a common mission, values, or purpose and where there is mutual regard and a desire to support one another and strategize together. To qualify, a group needs to reflect the Society’s values and the work that our committees and Leaders are engaging in to advance our ethical mission.
Specifically, the Society partners with organizations that identify with our commitment to education, advocacy, and action in the pursuit of social justice and environmental stewardship. By making these relationships known in our literature and on our website, and entering into reciprocal arrangements, we increase our voice and exposure in the city and further open the door to membership.
How does a potential affinity arise? It generally happens in an organic way, for example when the Society finds itself interacting and collaborating with a particular group and there is prospect for joint programming or a sharing of space for talks or events. It can also arise and become nurtured as a result of particular Ethics in Action initiatives undertaken by the Society, or in meeting a group’s need for a safe environment in which to gather. Existing affinity groups are reviewed periodically.
The Society recently introduced a formal policy and procedure for the approval of any new affinity group. Part of the procedure requires that a committee chair or Leader recommend the group, and the proposal be formally considered. Our committees and Leaders are always open to member suggestions that could lead to fresh affinities.
The July edition of Ethical Outlook carried a full-page feature about one of our affinity groups, the Police Reform Organizing Project (PROP), which is dedicated to creating a city that is safe, fair, and inclusive for all New Yorkers. PROP founder and leader Bob Gangi is speaking here on Sept. 21 (See p.5). Pre-pandemic we hosted monthly programs by another of our affinity groups, the League of Women Voters, which will be meeting virtually this month (See p.2). And the annual Climate Week NYC event that will take place here on Sept. 20—“Together We Rise: The Power of Female Leadership to Help Solve the Climate Crisis”—involves at least three of our environmental affinity groups: 350NYC, Drawdown NYC, and the Climate Reality Project.
Other groups will be featured from time to time. We urge you to attend their events and join us in supporting them.
