Throughout history, there have been institutions that seem set up to either reinforce injustice, or else to slow down all progress to a crawl. The French word for a desk has come symbolize the profound power that rests with the humble office worker charged with enforcing and obeying the policies of their institution: the bureaucrat.
Many of us are bureaucrats, but we avoid the label. We recognize its stigma, instead using words like policy, leadership, director, and data to describe what we do. In this podcast, we acknowledge the limitations of our roles, but we also recognize the capacity for us to create change with the right combination of values, experience, knowledge and influence.
As bureaucrats devoted to social justice, Sam and Abram share an interest in exploring a common set of questions:
- How does one advocate for social justice from within an institution?
- How does one stay safe, rocking the boat without falling out? And when is it necessary to risk falling out?
- How does one maintain her values when the institution does not appear to support them?
We believe good government matters. Institutions matter. All of us, matter. We hope you’ll join us.