Making Democracy Better in Oregon

Wendy Willis, Director of Oregon's Kitchen Table was featured in "Impact Stories" by the Othering and Belonging Institute of the University of California-Berkeley, discussing approaches to giving all Oregonians a voice in public decision-making. See below for an excerpt of the story, and read the full story on the Othering and Belonging Institute's website.

"When we first dreamed up Oregon’s Kitchen Table thirteen years ago, I was part of a rag-tag group of community leaders that believed that Oregon could be better at responding to the needs and preferences of all Oregonians. We believed that Oregon could be a better democracy.

As in many—if not most—states, the opportunity to influence important policymaking and community decision-making was not evenly distributed. Those of us who were white, middle-class, English-speaking, college-educated, registered voters, and over the age of 18, could usually find a way to make ourselves heard in the process. Those of us who did not tick all those boxes were much less likely to be asked about our needs, values, or opinions, let alone about our policy priorities. 

Eliminating that disparity became our most important work. We set out to partner with policymakers and public leaders—along with community organizations and advocates—to seek and consider the voice of every Oregonian in the decisions that affect them. But we know that one big invitation—all y’all come on down to City Hall and tell us what you think—never works. Similarly, while online tools can work well for certain people, the reach will always be limited and will skew toward those who have high-speed internet access and are literate in at least one language."