oday is the World Day of Social Justice, a day dedicated to promoting and upholding the principles of justice and fairness throughout the world.
As a team of nearly 100 driven individuals who are creating a better future through innovative ideas and cutting-edge technology, this day is an opportunity for us to reflect on our role in creating a more just society.
As entrepreneurs, it's easy to get caught up in the daily grind of building and growing our company. But today, let's take a moment to step back and think about the bigger picture. Our startup has the potential to make a real impact in the world, and we have the responsibility to use that power for good. How can we do so? Through something called allyship, for one.
What is allyship? “An ally is any person that actively promotes and aspires to advance the culture of inclusion through intentional, positive and conscious efforts that benefit people as a whole”.
Have we been true allies? How can we do that? Here's how we've been trying to live up to allyship:
a) In 2022, Coverflex co-matched a donation of 10K € to institutions that were supporting the victims of the war in Ukraine. Also, more than 34K € were donated so far through our Coverflex Donations platform.
b) In 2023, we already had a Winter Donations initiative: together, Coverflexers raised a total of €1,087, which was co-matched by Coverflex. Our Coverflexers chose to donate to Animais de Rua, AJUDARIS, Aldeias SOS, Amnistia Internacional Portugal, CASA - Centro de Apoio ao Sem Abrigo, Comunidade Vida e Paz, Serviço Jesuíta aos Refugiados, Liga Nacional contra a Fome, Re-Food, and UNICEF.
c) In terms of volunteer hours, we registered Coverflexers donating a total amount of 32 hours. We have created an internal Volunteering Slack Channel - #coverhelpers - where we can all post opportunities, information and any actions we might want to organise.
d) We also partnered with TREES by donating 4,000 trees to forest gardens that will increasingly feed more families.
Can we do better? To quote someone we know (and actually was really great at promoting social justice), yes, we can!
What would that be, you might ask? Let’s see:
- Educate ourselves: it's essential to understand the root causes of social injustice and how it affects different communities. We can do this by reading books and articles, watching documentaries that explore various social issues, listening to podcasts or joining webinars. Making a conscious effort to diversify your sources of information, learning about diverse cultures, and perspectives.
- Speak up: one of the most effective ways to promote social justice is to use your voice. If we see or hear something that is unjust, we shouldn’t be afraid to speak up. This could be a conversation with a family member, a post on social media, or signing petitions. Remember that your voice matters, and silence can be seen as complicity.
- Support causes and organisations: looking for organisations that align with our values and supporting them is one of the ways we can do this. We can donate, volunteer, or attend events that promote social justice. By supporting these organisations, we are helping to amplify their message and support their mission.
- Advocate for policy changes: by getting involved in local or national politics and advocate for policy changes that support social justice. This could be attending town halls, contacting our elected officials, or participating in protests.
- Engage in difficult conversations: having conversations with others about social justice issues, even if it's uncomfortable. Being open to listening and learning from different perspectives. This can help us gain a deeper understanding of the issues and how to promote change.
We want to use this World Day of Social justice as a reminder of our obligations to society and our potential to create a more just and equitable world. We want to work together to make a real difference, and build a company that we can be proud of not just for its success, but also for its positive impact on the world.
Together, we can do great things.