6 Years of Common Spark: Our Growth and Learning with the Jemez Principles
Happy 6th Birthday, Common Spark and our family of Sparklers, supporters, and friends!
A watercolor-stylized image of California Poppies swaying in the wind.
This year was full of adventure, big changes, learning, and growth! Common Spark worked with folks in Minnesota, Massachusetts, California, and many places in between. We dug into topics of rate affordability, energy efficiency, gas transition, workforce development, affordable housing, and energy financing. We worked with environmental justice organizations and organizers, consumer advocates, racial justice organizations, workforce development organizations, environmental advocates, utilities, government agencies, and philanthropic organizations. I also had the special opportunity to share some of our thought leadership on the “radio waves” too (check out Ep. 68 “Equity in Energy” on the City Climate Corner Podcast)!
As I reflect on this last year, I found myself pondering the Jemez Principles of Democratic Organizing—6 Principles for the 6 candles on our birthday cake. I highly recommend reading the Jemez Principles if you’re new, familiar, or even well versed—and, if you’re up to it, join myself and Suhaila for a conversation about them on October 1, 2024.
After 6 years, my understanding and Common Spark’s understanding of these 6 Principles has certainly deepened. Join me through a few reflections:
#1 Be Inclusive
This principle is probably our most spoken-of value, and continues to be the richest ground for learning and growth. Within the clean energy transition, power-dynamics are thick, technical complexity is high, and communities continue to experience day-to-day impacts as policies are designed and implemented (or not). Common Spark is honored to work with partners to expand the voices included in policy venues.
“Inclusivity requires openness, commitment, power sharing, and individual and organizational work to embrace the trust-building necessary to provide a sense of belonging. ”
Inclusivity without these characteristics risks becoming extractive, tokenizing, and harmful to all involved. In our work at Common Spark, we continue to live these learnings and challenges. Ultimately, I am grateful for and humbled by hard lessons. I believe Common Spark will continue to grow and show up better for the work because of it.
#2 Emphasis on Bottom-Up Organizing
Common Spark recognizes the commitment and dedication of the community organizers we are privileged to work with. We've witnessed communities bringing the wisdom of their own experience, challenges, and solutions to the clean energy transition. Our job is to pay attention, learn, and line up in solidarity when invited and required. I am so impressed by the integrity of the community organizers we work with—their ability to make time to connect with their communities and translate those needs and priorities into concrete actions and policies. I see firsthand that community organizers represent the critical tether between broad policy action and its ability to make lives better, communities stronger, and our world healthier.
#3 Let People Speak for Themselves
This principle asks us to make space for people to share their own experiences, but it also speaks to the critical role (and risk) of community representatives. These leaders uplift lived experiences so that our policies are better, but more than that, they are accountable to a broader host of perspectives in their advocacy. This principle is about hearing about direct experience and also supporting and elevating the trusted voices speaking and working on behalf of communities. It means supporting knowledge- and power-building so community representatives can show up confidently and collaboratively on behalf of all they hold and represent.
#4 Work Together In Solidarity and Mutuality and #5 Build Just Relationships Among Ourselves
To me, just relationships means committing to building understanding, learning, and seeing another’s perspective as part of my own. This means recognizing that another person’s or organization’s mission is an invitation to grow the scope of my work–we all live on the same planet and in the same greater community. I see the power and deep trust that is built when organizations truly open themselves up to share priorities, positions, resources, responsibility, and power. These instances do not go unnoticed, and they hold the potential to rapidly change the power dynamics and breadth of impact of the climate and energy advocacy space.
#6 Commitment to Self-Transformation
At the end of the day, if we as individuals, regardless of our role or job, are not committed to learning (and unlearning) new ways to think about and approach our work, then we’re just consultants, or advocates, or staff doing a job. That’s why Common Spark is set up to be a learning community. While Common Spark might give trainings, we take them too. While we support client partners in building inclusive processes, we also actively work to create our own workplace centered on us as whole humans. That’s how Common Spark believes we will make a different future.
Collage of Common Spark Team holding up their respective sunflower paintings.
Which brings me back to our pledge to you, as our partners, supporters, friends, and mentors. Common Spark’s work with you is always two-fold: It’s what we bring to you (and that uncommon quality you all value), but it’s also all we do behind the scenes to reflect our values and vision in our work with you. Like you, we want more than a clean energy future, we want that future grounded in a history that elevates the respect and dignity of all of us and all our communities–now that’s a Just Clean Energy Future.
Thank you for six wonderful years. Now, onward!
Michelle Vigen Ralston
Common Spark Consulting not only works externally with our clients and partners, but we also strive to work inwardly, recognizing that we must internalize the care, thoughtfulness, and intention we hope to represent as individuals and an organization. The Thought Library is where we share our ideas and thoughts, where we are at right now, on topics and issues that we hope will spark conversation for a brighter, more inclusive energy future.