Goals > Goal 16

Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

We must work together to find lasting solutions for peace, justice, and inclusivity for all of our neighbors.

Since 1989, we’ve partnered with communities to assess early childhood institutions, identify areas for improvement, and help make those ideas a reality.

Since 2022, we invited our communities to take part in Welcoming Week, and so many celebrated their neighborliness with inclusivity events!

To offset the financial burden to hosting community-wide events, we offered small grants to any group willing to host. Thank you for all who participated. We hope the movement will grow even larger in the years ahead!

Through our Rural Democracy programs, we’re working to ensure all of our neighbors feel represented and prepared to participate in the decision making processes in their community – especially those who have been historically marginalized.

Since 1996, West Central Initiative offered Community Planning Grants of less than $10,000 to local government units to engage their community in inclusive planning processes.

Some examples:

  • Glenwood Minnesota Design Team Visit (2006) , which kickstarted the design of the 2019 Complete Street project that rejuvenated downtown.
  • Grant County Master Trails plan (2019).
  • Morris Climate Smart Municipalities Strategic Planning (2018).
  • Becker County Energize (2017).
  • Multiple comprehensive plans, housing studies, child care needs assessments, lake management plans, economic development plans, and business retention and expansion plans.

The program was discontinued in 2020.

We support community funds in their pursuit of their local and global goals.

  • Exercise your right to civic participation. Vote, take your US Census surveys, sit in our your city council’s meetings, and volunteer with local nonprofits.
  • Make sure those in your community whose voices aren’t always heard have the opportunity to join the conversations. Invite them, stand beside them, help the express their needs and opinions, and express your support for them when they run for office.
  • Communicate with your representatives. While candidates don’t always share our personal viewpoints, we all deserve to have the ability to have a civil discourse about issues that affect our communities.
  • Stay informed through reliable sources, especially your local news outlets.

Explore the map below: More indicators are available to view by expanding that menu at the left. Click on each county to see the data for each indicator.

This information was made available through a partnership with U-Spatial, a department of the University of Minnesota.

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Related Metrics and Progress for: All West Central Minnesota Counties

Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
77.8% of eligible voters participated in the most recent election
On Track