The COVID-19 pandemic and the shifts in life that came from it (shutdown, essential workers, etc) revealed the fault lines of inequity across the world. Communities of color, people in poverty, LGBTQ+ youth and older adults were disproportionately affected in terms of their health, wealth and well-being.
Resources to alleviate challenges disproportionately went to communities that were wealthier. In an unfair playing field, those with advantage are able to better access resources. In addition, hundreds of years of mistrust and a system of misinformation and disinformation meant that communities that most needed life-saving vaccines didn’t trust them.
We knew our response to the pandemic would lead to poor outcomes in health and well-being over generations.
Communities of color and communities in poverty were already affected by chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and lung disease from living in places of concentrated poverty and from experiences of racism, poverty, and other forms of exclusion. In addition, these same groups didn’t have the freedom to work from home, didn’t have generational wealth to ride out the pandemic and were more exposed to the financial and health impacts of the pandemic. This meant they lost access to all their vital conditions–food, housing, meaningful work, and more.
WE in the World convened a national partnership of organizations who brought deep relationships and lived experience with communities experiencing inequities in 2400+ communities across the nation to bend the trend toward well-being and justice. The Public Health Institute stepped forward to act as the fiscal sponsor for the effort.
Together, we bent a $27 million pipeline of federal funding toward communities experiencing inequities and created a response that created jobs and met people’s need for food, health and well-being. Together, we’re investing in building civic capacity to change the system so that these communities do not remain vulnerable to future pandemics.
Approach & Building Blocks
Building trust
Strengthening civic capacity
Transforming systems
And Failings Forward
Advance intergenerational well-being and equity on a foundation of racial and economic justice.
We are change agents passionate about igniting transformation for well-being and equity.
No one changes the world alone. Meet the broader “WE” that we’re building together.
Real change is only possible when we have the support of funders and investors who care about well-being and equity as much as we do.
Looking for community? Get plugged into resources and networks through WE.
A world of mutual abundance unshackled from systemic injustice is within reach, but it will take all of our contributions to get there.
WE in the World is a non-profit supporting changemakers globally to change the system.
Investing in a better world for our grandchildren.
Stewarding natural resources. Creating space for all races and voices.
Invest in changing the system.
Today we celebrate the legendary civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the many women who also played integral roles in the fight against racial, economic and gender inequalities in America. From lunch counter sit-ins to nonviolent marches, those...
“If the human race is going to change the destiny of this world — from a self-destructive, dominant, suicidal, selfish existence to one that is built around the sanctity of life, collective justice and environmental balance — it will most likely be Indigenous...
“Life is short, and it is important to focus on what matters for your spirit I always felt the need to prove my worth to others. So I worked harder to make it to the top universities, get as many certifications as I could, get lots of experience in top...
photo by Steven Walker l Unsplash Two Americas In 1967, during the height of the fight for Civil Rights and equity for all, Dr. Malcom...
What is a restorative well-being economy? A well-being economy is built on the basic goal of all people and places thriving together. It is an economy that is just, regenerative, and multiracial. A well-being economy rebalances power to provide what everyone needs...
Our ability to organize across differences is a unique superpower in which we exercise curiosity and share values, goals, and purpose. These superpowers consist of the ability to engage and foster relationships with a mindset and narrative change focused on...