DIC Green Team (DGT) is a group of people from Downtown Islamic Center who provide cooperative leadership to educate, connect, and advocate for healthier communities by transforming DIC to be a model of Eco-friendly Islamic Center in the City of Chicago.
Expectations for the Green Team members:
Meet regularly
Set goals for their house of worship
Connect spiritual traditions with Earth care and justice for our neighbors
Plan activities and educate to encourage eco-friendly behaviors
Connect with the community at large to expand impact
To establish a group of Muslims with the same mission and vision to care for the environment and to bring benefits for the Muslims and general communities in Chicago area.
Tap into the Divine, an endless source of creativity. Many solutions are available, so let your imagination run free to implement what works best for your unique community!
Public policy advocacy can be difficult, but vital. Do not engage too early. When members are ready to participate in advocacy, invite them to do so. But keep space for loving disagreement.
Green is not just a subcommittee. It’s a way of being that touches the entire faith community. Weave environmental consciousness into all faith community activities.
Green issues, to have relevance, need a neighbor’s face. Engage your faith community at the local, human level. The effects of environmental degradation fall most heavily on disadvantaged neighbors and communities. When we connect environmental justice with social justice, both flourish, and we all thrive.
Don’t forget to have fun! Let people rejoice together in the good work that your faith community is doing. Joy generates momentum for future projects and makes slower periods less challenging.