I. Purpose

As a grassroots collective fighting for social justice, we recognize the importance of the struggle for environmental justice as being part of the greater movement towards building a better world.

As a collective opposed to the inherently oppressive nature of the capitalist economic system, we stand in solidarity with popular struggles working for real sustainability and against the degradation of the global environment which connects us all. More specifically, we recognize that these struggles are part of the continuing global opposition to the neo-liberal economic model, which views the environment in market terms.

We therefore see it as our responsibility to consider the importance of our impact on the environment in the work that we do, and commit to carrying out our organizing in the most environmentally-friendly and sustainable way possible.

This document sets forth the areas in which Tadamon! will seek to put this commitment into action. While we affirm our commitment to environmental sustainability, we also acknowledge that as a grassroots organisation with limited financial resources, it is not always possible for us to achieve the level of environmental sustainability that we would like, as many environmentally-friendly products and services are currently inaccessible to those with limited financial means. We will make an effort to consider these options and make use of them whenever it is within our financial reach.

II. Areas of Application

i. Events

When holding public events we recognize that it is our responsibility to reduce the amount of waste we produce. We also recognize that as a public organization, we can set an example for other groups and individuals by engaging in sustainable practices, and in doing so concretely contribute to the struggle for environmental justice.

At our events, we will take the following steps:

• Eliminate the use of bottled water, instead using a reusable pitcher and cups or glasses and tap water to provide water to speakers at panel events;

• At public events or internal meetings at which we are serving food and beverages, we will:

o Make every effort to use reusable cups, plates, bowls, cutlery, napkins, etc. whenever possible;

o When this is not possible, make every effort to use biodegradable and/or recyclable cups, plates, bowls, cutlery, napkins, etc. whenever possible; and

o Offer fair trade and/or organic and/or local food and beverages if possible.

ii. Publicity and Educational Materials

We recognize that in publicizing our events we often leave a heavy mark on the planet in our use of paper flyers, posters, and postcards. While we recognize that it is impossible to completely eliminate the use of paper, we will endeavour to take the following steps:

• Avoid using paper when possible, such as in posting meeting agendas on blackboards and consulting and circulating meeting minutes in electronic format;

• When producing paper documents ourselves, make every effort to print flyers, educational materials, meeting minutes and agendas, and any other planning documents, where possible, in recto verso, i.e. double-sided format, and on recycled paper; and

• When ordering large amounts of printed materials, for example leaflets, posters, or postcards, from an outside source, make every effort to have the provider use recycled paper and vegetable-based ink.

iii. Travel

We will make an effort to:

• Use public transit and/or other more sustainable forms of travel whenever possible, including when we escort visiting guests;

• When a car is needed for our work, use community-based initiatives such as Communauto for local travel; and

• When traveling outside of Montreal, to consider which would be the most environmentally-friendly travel options and make use of them whenever possible.

Adopted by the Tadamon! Collective on 20 May 2010