We are working with the Sheriff’s Office in Central Oregon’s Deschutes County, supporting them in engaging the community to develop a just and equitable Disaster Recovery Plan. Our first conversations with them began in late 2019. At that time, we were talking about recovery from wildfires and other climate disasters. Then COVID-19 hit. Our focus pivoted to community recovery from the continuing debilitation of the pandemic. In the summer months it became clear that the emphasis of the recovery plan must be about a transition to a more just and equitable community, with those whose lives have been most affected by the pandemic at the centre of the work.

Our Role:

• Designing and co-hosting virtual pandemic debrief community conversations. These conversations will be the basis for creating, together, a recovery plan for the county.
• Using participatory dialogue practices to provide an opportunity for people to share their experiences, their challenges, and their aspirations for a more just and equitable future.
• Thought partner and coach.