COMMUNITY

WHEREAS, communities and the institutions and people that serve them are inextricably bound; and

WHEREAS, the American Federation of Teachers and its members both serve and are a part of the communities in which they live and work; and

WHEREAS, for the AFT, community is defined not just by our members' workplaces or by geographic boundaries but by the values we share with the many people who come together in pursuit of common goals; and

WHEREAS, we seek to ensure that our communities thrive, not simply survive; toward that end, we work to create access to quality healthcare and public education; promote safe neighborhoods; good jobs and the access to them; mutual respect among individuals and groups; and a commitment to shared responsibility for the well-being of the whole community; and

WHEREAS, no community can flourish unless its children are well educated, healthy, safe and provided for because, as Marian Wright Edelman has eloquently stated, "the future we hold in trust for our own children will be shaped by our fairness to other people's children"; and

WHEREAS, no public education system, healthcare system or other public service can flourish without the engagement and support of the immediate and broader communities they serve and in which they exist; and

WHEREAS, the AFT understands the power of collective voice and collective purpose:

RESOLVED, that the American Federation Teachers commit itself to strengthening its ties at the national, state and local levels to the communities in which we live and work and invite them to make the same commitment to our affiliates at every level; to become full partners with them in shaping and building the institutions that serve our communities and help shape our children's futures; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT make common cause with our communities by working as partners to build and support strong, vital and vibrant neighborhoods and communities that help make possible for all our children success in schools, success in careers and success in life.