Core Values

Organizations, companies or individuals without core values are exactly like a boat without an anchor; it can be easy tossed to and fro following any direction the wind blows.

Dr. Lucas D. Shallua

The Sustainable Progress and Equality Collective (SPEC) was founded when two like-minded individuals, with a shared mission of making the world a better place, connected and decided to spontaneously cooperate to respond to the challenges facing their communities. SPEC's founders established the collective based on the core values of sustainability, progress, and equality. They chose these values, because combined they provide a recipe for building radically sustainable, equitable, transparent organizations. However, the world is constantly changing. SPEC will need to continuously evolve over time in order to adapt and incorporate the voices and knowledge of its members. Likewise how we interpret and actualize our core values and operating principles will need to be regularly revisited and updated to reflect the organization's goals, user feedback, and community contributions. This page should be considered a living document that will transform overtime along with the collective.

Equality

We all want a world where every person can live a happy healthy, and productive life. Discrimination and prejudice, fueled by greed, fear, and confusion, stand as the biggest obstacle to giving everyone an equal chance at flourishing. How can we achieve equality for all in the face of these discriminatory forces? We need to elevate unheard voices, open boundaries, and learn collectively. Progress must include individuals from all social identities inclusive of race and ethnicity, sex, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, neurodiversity, socioeconomic status, language, culture, national origin, religion, age, veteran’s status, and political perspective. Creating lasting change will not be easy. We will need to take collective action, share knowledge and resources, and collaboratively innovate to create systemic change.

Progress

Transformative change can be achieved through collaboration, research, and critical reflection. We can ensure solutions reach those in need by fostering participation and action by the members of the communities affected by initiatives for progress. We can rapidly advance sustainability and social change by openly sharing research, knowledge, and resources. However, sustaining progress will be a challenge, with many factors and forces impeding advancement of humanitarian and environmental causes. Progress that leads to lasting change will take time, resources, and capital. We will need to build public goods and services that are effective, efficient, and capable of supporting progress for the long term.

Sustainability

In order for progress to be deemed successful it will need to produce sustainable and equitable systems of living and working, without disadvantaging anyone or causing offense to the environment. Our projects cannot take forever to complete, become prohibitively expensive, and must be financially sustainable. Our solutions, tools, and processes must efficiently use resources and energy. Above all else our actions must not hurt other people or the environment. So, environmental, technological, and financial sustainability is essential to progress. Sustainable progress means we can continuously take collective action towards equality and environmental justice.