At ARLA, we strive to establish and maintain meaningful relationships with the communities with whom we partner. Our engagement principles are guided by our commitment to transparency, reciprocity, and humility.
ARLA supports the implementation of community-driven living infrastructure at scale across Los Angeles County, advancing community resilience, stabilizing local climates, and regenerating interconnected social and ecological systems. This includes ecosystem health, social cohesion, economic resilience, and equity. We promote whole-systems thinking and building capacity for action.
- Reciprocity Over Transaction: We aim to build reciprocal, mutually-beneficial relationships rather than transactional ones. This means we focus on creating connections that are of equal benefit to all parties involved, promoting a sense of shared responsibility and mutual respect.
- Transparency: We believe in transparency in our interactions and activities. We openly share who we are, what we’re doing, and our intentions. This approach fosters trust and enables us to form stronger bonds with our partners.
- Clear Goals and Intentions: We strive to clearly articulate our goals and intentions, ensuring that our actions align with our mission and the interests of the communities with whom we partner.
- Collaborative Partnerships: We engage in trust- and relationship-based philanthropy in an effort to build meaningful connections with our partners, collaborate to deepen our connections to place and each other, and help address systemic inequities. Our goal is to go beyond surface-level interactions, and we infuse every tool and action with this intention, striving to foster a genuine understanding and respect.
- Continuous Learning: We approach our work with humility, acknowledging that we are always learning. We value the wisdom and expertise of others and seek to learn from their work, rather than duplicating efforts.
- Connection to People and Place: We understand that the stories of land and water should be told by local communities and people indigenous to this place, and we work to ensure their perspectives are heard and respected.
In all our interactions, ARLA remains committed to fostering relationships that honor and respect place and the communities with whom we partner.