Noviembre 8 del 2008, 2ª reunión de seguimiento -Intercambio entre Colonias

Esta vez, como seguimiento de la primera reunión de intercambio entre colonias nos dimos cita representantes de 5 comunidades. Continuamos con el dialogo y analizamos la plataforma surgida de la campaña de Igualdad de Voces para las Familias Americanas.

Uno de los aspectos principales que hemos avanzado en estas reuniones es el convencimiento de la unidad para lograr objetivos comunes. Las Características de las comunidades son muy similares, sin embargo, cada comunidad tiene sus propias prioridades. Hemos coincidido que la plataforma a pesar de ser amplia, reúne exactamente el sentir de todas las necesidades y prioridades de cada comunidad.

Por esta razón, el acuerdo ha sido que a partir de esta segunda reunión se ha establecido un calendario permanente de reunión mensual, siguiendo una agenda donde incluirá el estudio y la capacitación de un liderazgo colectivo, así como conocer más de procedimientos legislativos para ir al siguiente nivel de la movilización que es el de impulsar cambio de pólizas a favor de nuestras comunidades.

Second meeting, November 8th, 2008 - Inter-colonias Exchange

During this meeting, as a follow-up to the first inter-colonias exchange, representatives from 5 communities came together. We continued our dialogue and analyzed the platform that came out of the Equal Voices for America's Families campaign.

One of the principal aspects that we have advanced in these meetings is the conviction of unity to achieve common objectives. The characteristics of the communities are very similar; however, each community has its own priorities. We have agreed that the platform, in spite of being broad, is exactly the feeling that captures all of the needs and priorities of each community.

For this reason, the agreement has been that, from now on, a permanent calendar of monthly meetings will be established, following an agenda that will include the study and training of a collective leadership, in order to better understand the legislative procedures and go to the next level of mobilization to encourage policy change in favor of our communities.

Unity, empowerment, future, beliefs, strengths, values, Justice, Family, Intergenerational, inter-exchange, Inter-generational communication, unlearn to relearn, rebuild, fresh, new age, present Dialogue, discussion, agree to disagree, approaches, diversity, strategy, timeline for action plan, prioritize, credibility, self-development, citizenship, integrity, holistic views, Human Rights, responsibilities, community, Collective leadership, Policy Change, Social Change, Social Justice.

Inter-colonias Exchange/Equal Voices for American Families

Más de 200 familias del Condado de Doña Ana, N.M., participaron en la Campaña Voces Iguales para las Familias Americanas. El Concilio para el Desarrollo de las Colonias en colaboración con el Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos del Condado de Doña Ana, y otras organizaciones locales así como líderes comunitarios, juntos trabajaron duro para movilizar familias enteras para ir a la Convención Nacional en los Ángeles, CA, el 5 de Octubre del 2008.

Después de la Convención en Los Ángeles, todos los participantes regresaron motivados, con energía para incorporar otros miembros de sus comunidades en la búsqueda de los siguientes pasos.El 20 de Septiembre, 2008, el CDC convoco a la primera reunión después del viaje con el equipo de líderes que fueron a la convención. El propósito de esta reunión fue la de evaluar y hablar acerca de los posibles siguientes pasos de la campaña. La participación fue muy buena, 11 miembros de diferentes comunidades atendieron incluyendo jóvenes para compartir sus ideas y comentarios, y lo más importante: su compromiso.

Evaluación y/o percepción del evento y de los participantes
+ (positivo)

• Oportunidad
• Entusiasmo
• Juventud
• Logística y equipo
• Diversidad
• Unidad Multicultural
• Solidaridad
• Respeto
• Participación
• Se hizo notar nuestras voces

(mejorar)

• Coordinación
• Comunicación
• Información a Tiempo
• Logística y equipo
• No se sabía a quien dirigirse con el equipo
• Promover más oportunidades de organizaciones para jóvenes
• Continuar empoderando a las familias
• Promover más la responsabilidad individual
• Más capacitación
• Más recursos

Siguientes Pasos Compromiso

1. Crear espacios organizativos para los Jóvenes y coordinar con los que ya existen.- Dona Ana County, Youth Action, Lulac, Independientes, CDC, Peer Educators entre otros. - Promover el desarrollo de liderazgo entre los jóvenes - Impulsar más promotores juveniles en las diferentes comunidades- Buscar Recurso.
2. Foro Local (antes o después de las elecciones) 1ª parte.- Intercambio y dialogo entre las comunidades, con espacio para los jóvenes 2ª parte.- Encuentro con Políticos para presentarles la plataforma política de las comunidades
3. Febrero 25. Día de Colonias en Santa Fe, Sesión Legislativa. Movilizar 100 familias para reunirse con sus legisladores y presentar las prioridades en sus comunidades

Inter-colonias Exchange/Equal Voices for American Families

More than 200 families from Doña Ana County in New Mexico were involved in the Equal Voices for American Families Campaign. The Colonias Development Council, in collaboration with the Doña Ana County Department of Health and Human Services and other local organizations and community leaders, worked hard to mobilize entire families to attend the National Convention in Los Angeles held on October 5, 2008. After the LA convention, all participants returned motivated and energized to encourage other members from their communities to get involved in steps for the future.

On September 20, 2008, the CDC convened the first post-trip meeting with the team leaders that went to the convention. The purpose of this meeting was to evaluate their experiences and talk about possible next steps for the campaign. The turnout was good, with 11 members from different communities in attendance, including several youth. They shared their ideas and comments, and most importantly, their commitment.

Evaluation and/or perception of the event and of the participants:

Positive

• Opportunity
• Enthusiasm
• Youth
• Latinos/as
• Diveristy
• Muliticulural unity
• Solidarity
• Repect
• Participation
• Our voices were heard

To improve

• Coordination
• Communication
• Information on time
• Logistics and equipment
• No one knew who was in charge of the equipment
• Promote more opportunities for youth organizing
• Continue empowering families
• Promote more individual responsibility
• More technical capacity
• More resources

Next Steps and Commitments:

1. Create spaces for youth organizing and coordinate with those that already exist.- Doña Ana County, Youth Action, LULAC, CDC, Peer Educators, and individual youth that are currently not part of any organization- Promote the development of leadership among youth.- Encourage more youth promoters in the different communities.- Look for resources.
2. 2. Local Forum (before or after the elections) Part 1 - Exchange and dialogue between the communities, including space for the youth. Part 2 - Dialogue with politicians to introduce them to the political platform of the communities.
3. 3. February 25th - Colonias Day in Santa Fe, Legislative Session. Mobilize families to meet with their legislators and address their community priorities.

Voices from LA Youth Media Lounge

Young people who attended the LA event discussed a wide range of issues in the New America Youth Media Lounge at the National Family Convention, from getting paved roads in their town to immigration issues to global warming.




Visit New America Media for more coverage of the Convention.


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Voices from Chicago Youth Media Lounge

Young people at the Chicago event also had a lot to say about what they most wanted to see change in their community.



You can see more convention coverage at New America Media.

Click below for more information about:
Equal Voice for America's Families

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More from the Convention: Jackie and Ray from El Paso

Attendees Jackie and Ray from El Paso share about their experience on Convention Day.



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Young People Speak Up at the New America Media Birmingham Youth Lounge

Young people were interviewing each other live with Flip cameras about what they most wanted to see change in their community.

Here's what some of them had to say in Birmingham.



You can see more convention coverage at New America Media, which has spent the past 9 months covering the Equal Voice Campaign.

Click below for more information about:
Equal Voice for America's Families

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Huffington Post Carries Convention Coverage

We were live blogging on the Huffington Post from the convention!

Read all the posts and watch the videos here:

Third Convention Yields Ambitious National Family Platform - Attendees Discuss

Republicans and Democrats Had Their Say -- Now Hear From America's Families

Working Families Hold Own Convention - Adopt Comprehensive Plaftform

Republicans and Democrats Had Their Say -- Now Hear From America's Families

Check the Huff Post on Sunday for more Equal Voice National Convention news, and see ongoing Campaign coverage from New America Media.

Live Blogging from the National Convention on the Huffington Post

We're following Joyce Cook in Los Angeles, and blogging live to the Huffington Post.

Click here to see the first post.

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Join the National Family Convention Online

Today is the day!

More than 16,000 people will be gathering tomorrow in Birmingham, Los Angeles, and Chicago for the Equal Voice for America's Families National Family Convention -- and the ratification of the National Family Platform that reflects the input of more than 10,000 people at 60 town hall meetings across the country in the past year.

We wanted to make sure you're aware of all the materials available online to participants and supporters.

• Not attending the convention in person? You can watch the convention live on the Equal Voice for America's Families website or here on the blog, where we'll also have the latest news and videos from the convention cities.



• For the past week, New America Media has been publishing profiles of some of our convention attendees. Check out our Campaign Updates or visit the New America Website to learn more about some of the people attending tomorrow's conventions.



• If you haven't already done so, you can download the national platform here. (Scroll down to the bottom of the page to select the platform language.)



• Our newest LifeCaster Sonya talks about some of the issues families face in south Texas. Check out all the latest LifeCasting Episodes on our LifeCasting Across the Digital Divide webpage.

As always, help us spread the word about our important day tomorrow by forwarding your favorite video or blog post to people you know.

To stay up to date on the Equal Voice for America's Families Campaign and our efforts, sign up for our email updates on the right or become a fan of the campaign on Facebook.

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, middle class, recession, RNC, Republican National Convention.

Armando Garza inroduces new Lifecaster

Sonya and her daughters talk about some of the issues families face in south Texas.



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Less than 48 Hours To Go!

As the Republican National Convention wraps up tonight in the Twin Cities, we're making the final arrangements for the third major political convention of the last two weeks -- the National Family Convention this Saturday in Birmingham, Chicago and Los Angeles.

The latest numbers:

* 15,000+ attending from the Foundation’s grantmaking regions (Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Texas and Washington)
* 2350+ hotel rooms
* 11 Languages – English, Spanish, Khmer, Somalian, Hmong, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Creole and ASL
* 800+ airline flights booked
* 200+ buses – local and charter
* 32,100+ meals served
* 1925 children in childcare
* 100+ exhibit booths

Check out the additional information -- including the list of keynote speakers in all three cities -- here.

If you haven't already done so, be sure to become a fan of Equal Voice for America's Families on Facebook. And check back here through the weekend as we bring you the latest reports -- and details of the national family platform -- in the coming hours and days.


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Corey Camphor Responds to Obama's Speech at the DNC

Lifecaster Corey Camphor responds to Barack Obama's acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention.




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An Addiction to Advocacy Overcame Homelessness

New America Media continues with their series on Delegates from the Other America, who will be attending the Equal Voice for America's Families National Family Convention this Saturday in Los Angeles, Chicago and Birmingham.

Today's profile focuses on Charles Jenkins, who will serve as a delegate representing the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) at the Chicago convention gathering:

Earlier this year, Jenkins served as a CCH delegate to an Equal Voice special session. “I worked on the policy packet, a four-day policy forum where we hammered out policies.”

Jenkins says he was honored to have been selected by his peers at CCH for the task, designed to distill concerns from town halls across the country to produce a comprehensive policy platform. “It was spiritually enriching, informative, enlightening, and an opportunity that few people are blessed to have."...

As an African-American, he says he makes no apologies for championing the concerns of his people and is a forceful spokesman for self-reliance. African-American communities have a host of issues to confront, “but, if we don’t build commerce so that the money earned in the communities stays there long enough to do some good in the ‘hood,” the profit from goods and services in those neighborhoods will continue to flow to other ethnic groups. “I don’t have any animosity toward them,” Jenkins says, “I’m just looking to resolve our own problems.”

Sometimes those problems are personal. Jenkins’ own life veered off course when he indulged in drugs with the enthusiasm he has now channels into community organizing. “I didn’t even have a drug of choice,” he recalls with a self-deprecating chuckle. The use of “alcohol, whatever was available,” resulted in “drug addiction, the whole ball of wax.” Eventually, after bouncing among the homes of relatives, he found himself homeless, “moving from one shelter to another.”

In 1991, after two and a half years adrift, Jenkins came into a "warming center" -- a place of refuge to ward off frostbite, hypothermia, and hunger. The facility hosted several organizations, including CCH. Through a CCH counselor, Jenkins became at first captivated by, then immersed in the organization’s advocacy on affordable housing and homelessness. Being of service “was an incentive for me to kick my habit,” Jenkins says.

Read the complete profile of Charles Jenkins here.

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, middle class, recession, RNC, Republican National Convention, Denver.

Living Paycheck To Paycheck While Patrolling Mississippi Schools

We now have just days to go until more than 16,000 people will gather to ratify the National Family Platform at this Saturday's convention for working families!

So who is going to be attending? This week, New America Media is profiling National Family Convention attendees like Tinsa Hall (pictured above):

Tinsa Hall’s heart, vast as the Mississippi Delta, still breaks at memories she wants no school-aged child ever to endure. It’s 20 years since Robert Merrill, her favorite uncle, was shot seven times and killed while attending Greenville High School, a school one of her four children now attends. A dispute between Merrill’s female cousins and rivals had escalated, the circle of actors grown, until he, once protector, became a target.

As a founding member of Parents on Patrol for Success, Hall and a group of volunteer parents walk the hallways of several Greenville schools. “Maybe if the kids see us, they wouldn’t act as bad,” Hall says, explaining the reasoning behind the group’s debut in 2006....

Hall serves on the staff of Citizens for a Better Greenville (CFBG), an organization dedicated to improving the socio-economic conditions in this predominantly African American city. During the summer, CFBG hosted an Equal Voice for America’s Families town hall meeting, drawing 400 people from across the state....

The impetus of Hall’s activism grows out of her own experiences. She fears for the safety of Greenville’s children and dreads that her time away from home may test her own marriage. President of two parent teacher associations and the vice president of a third, she logs in long hours, sometimes getting in “at seven, eight, nine or ten o’clock at night.” Over a week that never seems to end, she is at “minimum wage,” by her estimation. Yet, all in all -- including her marriage -- Hall says, “I have been blessed.” She is proud of her work at CFBG: “It’s an underpaid job, but I love what I do.”

Read the complete profile of Tinsa Hall here.




Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, middle class, recession, DNC, Democratic National Convention, Denver.

Joyce talks about the DNC

Joyce gives her take on Michelle Obama's speech, the pundits reaction reactions, and what appeals to her about Barack Obama.




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Roundup of the Convention

The Democratic National Convention is now behind us; the Republican National Convention starts on Monday; and then, next Saturday, September 6th comes the third convention -- the National Family Convention in Los Angeles, Chicago and Birmingham.

There will be plenty of news to report from those three cities, as more than 13,000 working families come together to make history and unveil the national family platform.

But for now, it's worth taking a look back at this week's convention in Denver. New America Media has a great roundup of reports from ethnic and alternative media sources. Among the stories worth reading:

Indian Americans Flex Muscle at the DNC
Obama's Minority Dream
Run DNC: Hip Hop Generation Comes of Age with Obama

Check out the complete collection of stories from New America Media here.

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, middle class, recession, DNC, Democratic National Convention, Denver.

Families in Economic Freefall--and Off the Political Radar

(Luz Vega-Marquis is president and CEO of Marguerite Casey Foundation, sponsor of the Equal Voice for America’s Families campaign. This entry was originally published at New America Media.)

In McAllen, Texas, Martha Sanchez doesn’t dare drink the water that runs out of the tap, for fear of getting sick. In Augusta, Georgia, Sunny Johnson, a single mother of two, thinks that working full-time as a certified nursing assistant should earn her a wage that puts her above the poverty line. (It doesn’t.) In San Francisco, California, Cathleen Muhammad wants justice and good health for her children, who appear to have been made seriously ill by exposure to asbestos from a nearby construction site.

These three stories exemplify the different struggles families are facing in America today; meanwhile we have 37 million people — 7.7 million families — living in poverty.

As the country prepares to elect the next president of the United States pundits and politicians will certainly talk about "working families" --"middle class families" -– and "poor families." Isn’t it time we address the needs of America’s families collectively?

All families, despite their economic status – be they two-parent or single-parent families – share the same goal: to provide for their families and ensure a bright future for their children. America’s families rise and fall together.

Last year, Marguerite Casey Foundation launched the Equal Voice for America’s Families campaign — a campaign designed to hear directly from families as to the challenges they face and to change how we as a country address the social and economic needs of our families.

Between January and June 2008, approximately 12,000 families from diverse backgrounds, often with children in tow, gave up their weekends and evenings to participate in 65 Equal Voice townhall meetings held across America. At each town hall meeting, they were inspired, engaged and motivated. Families conveyed not only a sense of urgency but also their desire to be directly involved in the creation of policies that affect them — to be drivers of change.

They tied family stability to living-wage jobs, affordable housing, quality healthcare and education. They let us know that their well-being is not tied to a single issue, that piecemeal solutions have failed to address the complexities of their lives. The testimonies of families at the townhall meetings have been synthesized into a cohesive National Family Platform.

On Sept. 6, 2008, at a multicity convention of 15,000 families in Birmingham, Chicago and Los Angeles, we will release the Equal Voice for America’s Families National Family Platform and call on the country, lawmakers and the next president of the United States to adopt a comprehensive approach to addressing the issues and challenges that families face.

Families are the backbone of our nation and no family should live in poverty. Everyone who works hard should be able to advance and participate fully in the economic, political, and cultural life of the nation. To do so, America’s families need income equality and the opportunity to build wealth to insure upward mobility and equal outcomes.

We can no longer ignore the fact that single-issue policy solutions are failing families. The needs of families must be addressed universally.

The strength of our country depends on the strength of our families. It’s time we listened to the voices of America’s families.

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, middle class, recession, DNC, Democratic National Convention, Denver.

U.S. Census Bureau Report Shows Poverty is On the Rise

More than 37.3 million people lived in poverty in the United States in 2007 -- an increase from 36.5 million in 2006, according to the US Census Bureau's annual report on income, poverty and health insurance coverage, which was released today:

The poverty threshold for 2007 was set at 21,000 dollars for a family of four, regardless of whether they lived in a smaller US city such as Milwaukee or a large city like Los Angeles, where the cost of living was significantly higher.

"The number of people without health insurance coverage decreased to 45.7 million people in 2007" from 47 million in 2006, said David Johnson, head of the housing and household economic statistics division of the Census Bureau.

But while the report showed slightly more Americans had health coverage than in 2006, the changes were too little to cheer about...

Children are disproportionately affected by poverty, the report showed.

Eighteen percent of children in the United States lived in poverty, compared with 11 percent of adults, aged 18-64, and just under 10 percent of senior citizens.

More Americans aged 65 years and older would be pushed into poverty if they did not receive Social Security benefits, the report showed.

More Americans falling into poverty, and just a few gaining access to health insurance?

As Paul Fronstin, a senior research associate at the Employee Benefits Research Institute, puts it in the article quoted above:

"This isn't progress."

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, middle class, recession, DNC, Democratic National Convention, Denver.

Help Us Spread the Word on Facebook

The Democratic National Convention is starting today in Denver -- and we're just over two weeks away from the National Family Convention in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Birmingham.

You can help us get the word out by becoming a "fan" of Equal Voice for America's Families on Facebook.

And if you're on Facebook and planning to attend the convention in any of our three cities, be sure to RSVP.

Who Would Have Thought?

Who would have thought that 10,000 people from LA to Seattle to Chicago to New Orleans to Phoenix would come together in big and small gathering to discuss the issues and challenges that are impacting their communities and their hopes and dreams for the future…

Who would have thought that 50 family delegates from across the country would spend their weekend away from their family and friends to discuss, modify and ratify a peoples platform that represented the issues and concerns from their communities….

Who would have thought that 6,000 people from California, New Mexico and Washington State would travel by bus, car and plane to Los Angeles to make their voices heard on behalf of poor families and communities across the country….

Who would have thought that those 6,000 people in LA would be joined, by the miracle of technology, by 4,000 people in Chicago and 4,000 more in Birmingham on the same day…

Who would have thought that community-based organizations big and small from every region of the country would set aside their egos and organizational priorities to support and implement a campaign that they may or may not have had a hand in creating, but ultimately wanted a part in supporting…..

Who would have thought a Foundation in Seattle would have the audacity to inspire, cajole, and nurture a movement of and by families….

Who would have thought?

It has been quite a ride, and it is not over yet.

We still have 16 days till September 6th, and a lot of bus routes, brown bag lunches, name tags, child care activities, translation services and hotel rooms to ensure before then, but if the proceeding paragraphs prove anything, they prove:

We Can Do This!

Charles Fields is a program officer for the Equal Voice for America's Families Campaign.

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, online video, lifecasting.

Lifecast - Corey Camphor, August 18, 2008

Corey Camphor talks about being pulled over by the police, and shares a family moment.



Visit our new Ning community, Lifecasting Across the Digital Divide, to see all the video posts from Corey and our other Lifecasters. You can check it out, join if you want, invite your friends, and tell us what you think about the issues facing families in America today...we'd love to hear from you!


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Joyce on the difficulties of relocating

Joyce Cook talks about trying to move her family to a safer neighborhood. She's been trying to make the move since last month, but there are many factors involved.




Click "Lifecasting" under Categories/Labels in the right column to see all posts from our Lifecasters.

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, online video, lifecasting.

Lifecasting Across the Digital Divide

We've set up a new page that allows you to easily follow your favorite lifecasters.

Click here for a sneak preview.

We'll be adding more videos -- and introducing new lifecasters -- in the coming days, so bookmark the page and check back frequently.

And, as always, take a moment to forward your favorite videos to your friends and family. We need your help to make sure the voices from across the digital divide are heard.

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, online video, lifecasting.

Upcoming Conventions

All eyes may be turning to the Olympics in Beijing this weekend, but in the coming weeks the needs of families will take center stage.

In just ten day, the Democratic National Convention kicks off in Denver, followed on September 1 by the Republican National Convention. On September 6, approximately 12,000 families from across the country will hold a one-day, three-city convention to call for the adoption of a national family platform that comprehensively addresses the needs of families.

At all three conventions, you're likely to hear a lot of talk about the economy, unemployment, energy prices, and immigration, among other issues.

But at only one convention will you hear first-hand how such issues directly affect working and low-income families -- and what families themselves propose as the best solutions.

We invite you to "tune in" to the National Family Convention of the Equal Voice for America's Families campaign on September 6th in Birmingham, Chicago and

Los Angeles. We'll be featuring a number of reports online, both during and after the convention, as more than 13,000 families gather to call for the adoption of the national

family platform that is the result 65 townhalls involving more than 12,000 people across the country during the past year.

What will families have to say that is different from the solutions proposed by either candidates? Where are there similarities?

Where do the proposed solutions diverge?

Find out by joining us online for our campaign's convention on September 6th. And please, help us spread the word about this momentous event by forwarding this blog post on to your friends and colleagues.

Because when 13,000 people gather to give voice to bottom-up solutions to our country's economic and social challenges, it's worth taking a moment to listen. -- Luz

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, middle class, , republicans, Democratic National Convention, Republican National Convention, Denver, Minneapolis, presidency.

Campaign Snapshot

It's less than a month before the Equal Voice for America’s Families Convention on September 6, and the level of preparation is mind-boggling.

Here’s a snapshot of where things stand:

13,000 people registered for the convention
6,000 registered in Los Angeles
4,000 registered in Birmingham
3,500 registered in Chicago
1,975 Hotel rooms reserved
1,300 Flight reservations
350 Buses
250 Volunteers
3 Convention cities
1 Common cause: The adoption of a national family platform that comprehensively addresses the needs of families!

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, convention.

Lifecaster Roderick Thomas

With limited internet access and the Navajo Nation's recent problems with satellite service Roderick has had some difficulty delivering his post for this week.

We'll hear his Lifecast later in the week, but in the meantime you can watch a short clip of Roderick talking about high school and getting his life back on track.



To see the longer version of this video, visit New America Media.


Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, online video, lifecasting.

Unleashing the Transformative Power of Star Paschal

New America Media has the latest in a series of portraits of families around the country who are involved in the Equal Voice for America's Families Campaign.

"Star Paschal had prayed for 2008 to be a breakthrough year for her. Newly divorced, suddenly the sole support of her three daughters at age 27, in December 2007 she asked for God's help for her family - but not only for her own family. She prayed for an opportunity to give back to her community."

Then Star attended an Equal Voice for America's Families town hall meeting in Montgomery, Alabama:

She watched as people like herself -- single mothers like herself, young adults like herself, African Americans like herself, tenants who knew the constant struggle she knew -- stood up before the microphone and described a community where everyone has health care, where jobs pay enough, where taxes aren't more than a family can afford, and where children thrive. She connected her own frustration with a greater sense of injustice. She suddenly heard all the stories in the room combine into one collective cry that the rest of the world seemed too unconcerned to hear.

Before she fully realized what she was doing, she found herself standing before the microphone. "I want to speak for those who are just stuck. This has been going on for too many years," she said. "It's time to stop just talking and start doing something. Parents come to me and just cry. I tell them there's nothing I can do because I don't make the rules. But here today, seeing my people coming together and supporting each other, speaking up against injustice, it makes me feel like we can set a better path for our children."

Eloquently and powerfully delivered, Star's words were received with excitement. When she reflected back upon the sense of community her grandmother described, when "everyone raised everyone's children," a heartfelt "mmm-hmm" ran through the crowd. People came up to her at the next break to tell her how inspired they were by what she said.

Describing the Town Hall Meeting afterwards, Star said, "I did not know I had it in me. For years I felt that no one understood. But these people had so much passion. You could hear in their voices that they were fed up. My heart was filled with joy, as these were my people. I feel a part of me has come alive, a part I did not know existed.”

Read the entire portrait of star here.

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, middle class, recession.

EVAF Lifecast - Corey Camphor, August 8, 2008

In this short video Corey Camphor talks about how he saves gas on his commute to work, and feeling blessed.

America's Middle Class Families Still Losing Ground

Middle class economic security is taking an ever harder hit as economic conditions worsen, according to a new report from the Center for American Progress.

Some highlights:

* The sharpest deterioration in middle-class financial security is associated ƒ with the cost of a medical emergency. We estimate that only 33.9 percent of families had enough wealth in 2007 to cover the cost of a medical emergency, down from 35.0 percent in 2005 and 43.7 percent in 2000 (See table on page 3). This deterioration comes as a result of less wealth and higher costs of medical emergencies.

* Drops in personal wealth have contributed to the decline in middle-class ƒ financial security. Because house prices started to fall and debt continued to rise in 2007, we also observed the share of families who could weather an unspecified emergency equal to three months of income decrease to 29.4 percent in 2007, from 30.5 percent in 2005 and 39.4 percent in 2000.

* The share of families who had ƒ enough resources to cover a spell of unemployment has declined since 2000. In 2007, 44.1 percent of families had enough wealth to cover a spell of unemployment, little changed from 44.0 percent in 2005 but still down from 51.0 percent in 2000. Unfortunately, the 2007 data likely reflect only a temporary respite from decline since the labor market has substantially deteriorated in 2008, beyond the time series data presented here.

Read the full report here (PDF).

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, middle class, recession.

Watch New Lifecasts

This week Roderick Thomas talks about the challenges his family faces in White Horse, New Mexico and Joyce Cook shares a victory from Richmond, California.

RODERICK THOMAS



Roderick Lifecasts about family struggles, and using his writing as a release from stress.

If you didn't see last week's post you can find out more about Roderick in this short video, and visit the New America Media site for even more of Roderick's story.

Journalist Holly Watt reported last week in a Washington Post article about the Navajo Nation's fight to keep its internet access from being shut down due to a contract dispute with a satellite company:

"The tribe of about 250,000 people already has lost Internet service to libraries and community centers known as "chapter houses," and has little access to cellphone service on a reservation that stretches across parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. Most Internet access there is provided via satellite, which is due to be shut off. Much of the Navajo Nation is inaccessible to land lines." The loss of satellite service threatens not just the many students taking online classes and the daily communication that most of us take for granted, but access to emergency services as well.

One resident said that without satellite service the nearest place for most people to access the Internet is "about 60 miles away."

While it looks like a crisis has been held off by last minute intervention by the FCC, the situation highlights some of the problems faced by remote rural communities, including the difficulty of communicating your experience and your needs when access to the outside world is so limited and tenuous.

JOYCE COOK



Meanwhile, from Richmond, California, Joyce shares a victory in her work to create change in the California youth prison system.

Click here to find out more about Joyce and read her past posts.

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, online video, lifecasting.

Attendance for America's National Family Convention Soars Past Goal

When the Equal Voice for America’s Families campaign began, our goal was to engage 10,000 families across the country around the issues they face -- and to develop a national platform based on the input of working families.

Now -- after 64 townhall meetings all across the country -- we are just one month and a day away from the Equal Voice for America’s Families National Convention, to be held on September 6 in Birmingham, Chicago and Los Angeles.

And we're pleased to report that we've exceeded our goal of engaging 10,000 families: as of today, more than 13,000 families have already registered for the National Family Convention.

September 6 promises to be a memorable day, with more than 13,000 families calling for the adoption of a comprehensive national family platform.

That day will represent not the end of the campaign, but a beginning.

As Cesar Chavez said, “Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed...”

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, convention.

Meet Roderick Thomas

Meet Roderick. He'll be hitching a ride 60 miles each day to share his family's story through his weekly video lifecast. In this video you'll hear from Roderick and his family, and see how his participation in an Equal Voice for America's Families Town Hall meeting left him feeling empowered.



Look into my bloodshot eyes
A young Native wanna rise to surprise
As I pray every day lookin' to the sky
Hopin' to see a vision
Hard-headed me I can't listen...
- Excerpt from a piece by Roderick Thomas.

Roderick and his extended Navajo family of 12 will be Lifecasting from White Horse, New Mexico.

Visit New America Media to see a longer version of this video, and to read more about Roderick and his family.

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, online video, lifecasting.

A Comprehensive Approach to Poverty

I wanted to share with you a piece that I wrote for Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, which summarizes our campaign to date. -- Luz

“I got a 50-cent raise, and bread went up 49 cents. What am I supposed to do?”
— Charmain, a working single mother.

A prevailing attitude among Americans is that the poor can work their way out of poverty. Poverty in America is viewed as a personal failure rather than a collective failure of our society and government to ensure equal outcomes.

More than 37 million Americans live below the federal poverty line of $21,000 for a family of four. Americans are working more and making less. Today a loaf of bread can cost as much as a gallon of gas, and many families have to choose between food on the table and gas to get to work. Many families go to bed at night without food or a roof over their head, while others struggle to hold on to their piece of the American dream – their home.

America’s families are at a tipping point. They can no longer survive on piecemeal solutions. Therefore, it’s encouraging to see poverty being discussed at the highest policy-making levels. No less than former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and current Speaker Nancy Pelosi are among those who have offered suggestions to address poverty in our country.

Last year, Marguerite Casey Foundation launched the Equal Voice for America’s Families campaign — a campaign designed to hear directly from families about the challenges they face. More than 10,000 families attended Equal Voice townhall meetings across the country, answering questions such as “What is important to you and your family?” and “What policy changes would most help your family?”

Whether it was a young woman in Chicago having to choose between heat for her apartment or gas to get to her job because she could not afford both; a mother in New Orleans struggling to keep her family housed as rents spiraled up, or a family of farm workers in South Florida working without benefits or healthcare, the stories we heard illustrated the commonality of the struggles families are facing, regardless of their background, location or ethnicity. Almost every family attending was holding down one or more jobs to try to make ends meet.

At each townhall meeting, families conveyed not only a sense of urgency but also their desire to be part of the solution — to be drivers of change. They were inspired, engaged and motivated. They defined poverty as lack of access to living-wage jobs, affordable housing and quality healthcare and education. Families let us know that their well-being is not tied to a single issue; a family making a living income but with no healthcare benefits may experience as much stress as a family that is surviving on wages just above the poverty level but has Medicaid coverage. The challenges families face must be addressed comprehensively not issue by issue.

On September 6, 2008, at a multi-city convention of 10,000 families in Birmingham, Chicago and Los Angeles, we will release the Equal Voice for America’s Families platform and call on the country, lawmakers and the next president of the United States to adopt a national family platform. I strongly encourage everyone to read the National Family Platform when it becomes available and support its adoption by local and state policy makers as well as national policy makers. You can sign up for an electronic version on the Equal Voice Web site, www.equalvoice2008.org.

Throughout the campaign, families have crossed historical lines of separation to work on social changes that will benefit all families. Groups that had been divided, such as Latinos and African Americans, have united for their common good. Why, then, have politicians been unable to come together to support families, the most fundamental unit of society?

Given the renewed interest of policy makers in Washington, D.C., in addressing poverty and given the 10,000 families calling for change through the Equal Voice for America’s Families campaign, the time seems right for a conversation on poverty. Here are some questions to get the dialogue started: 

• What can we — as individuals and as a nation — learn from listening to and heeding the experiences of those living in poverty? 
• Would we be better served as a country if we strived for equal outcomes rather than equal opportunity? 
  
• Is it time to call for the adoption of a national platform to comprehensively address the challenges families face?

It’s truly exciting to me that so many on both sides of the wealth gap are interested in ending poverty. Imagine the type of society we would have if we truly put all families first. Let us come together to ensure that America’s families thrive and that the American dream does not become extinct.

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, online video.

The Camphor Family's First Lifecast

Corey Camphor introduces himself and his family in their first Lifecast.

If you haven't seen it already, you can hear more about the Camphors in this short video we posted this past Tuesday.

The Camphors will be Lifecasting every week, so check back next Tuesday for a new post from them.

Visit New America Media to read more about the Camphors and their participation in the Equal Voice for America's Families Chicago town hall.

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, online video, lifecasting.

On the Ground in the Rio Grande Valley

Last week, I spent some time speaking with residents of the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas, where people were waiting out Hurricane Dolly.

Dolly arrived with severe rain and wind, destroying or damaging hundreds of homes in the area and forcing residents to evacuate. (Later, Texas Governor Rick Perry declared 14 south Texas counties disaster areas as a result of the storm.)

The big question on everyone's mind as the storm approached was whether the levees would hold.

The levees have needed repairs since 2007, and experts predicted if the levees failed, flooding could have devastated more families than were impacted by Katrina. That's why local groups have been asking for resources to repair the levees -- to avoid an instant replay of New Orleans.

Just two weeks ago, local delegates went to Washington but were told they won’t get the needed $125 million for repairs any time soon. (Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security is still pushing ahead to construct the border wall to the tune in the billions.)

Luckily, the levees held. But hurricane season isn’t over yet, and Dolly's torrential rains have caused flooding in various parts of the region.

Working families have felt the effects of Dolly acutely, with many who live in mobile homes or poorly constructed housing have suffered the worst damage.

Now, while flood waters slowly recede, many families are still without electricity and are being exposed to disease.

Yet the storm has not dampened the resolve of more than 500 families in the area who plan to mobilize in Birmingham for the National Family Convention in September. In spite of the hurricane, families are cleaning up this week, trying to resume their lives -- and committed to moving forward.

Peter Bloch Garcia is a program officer for the Marguerite Casey Foundation.

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, texas, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, flooding, Hurricane Dolly.

Lifecast Update from Joyce Cook

Watch Joyce Cook's Lifecast video update for this week.

In case you missed them, here are Joyce's past videos:
Meet Joyce Cook
Joyce Cook Gets the Camera


Click below for more information about:
New America Media
Equal Voice for America's Families

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, online video, lifecasting.

Hunger Hits Families Across the United States

Families from coast to coast are finding it increasingly difficult to meet the most fundamental of needs: feeding themselves.

Several articles from across the country recently have illustrated the affects of a stagnant economy on working and poor families.

A roundup:

Demand soars as donations decline at L.A.-area food banks
Los Angeles Times, July 28, 2008

Food stamps help 177,966 Mainers
Bangor Daily News, July 28, 2008

Increased demand strains supplies at local food pantries
South Coast Today (Massachusetts), July 28, 2008

Opinion: Need is acute, and getting worse, at local food banks
Morning Call (Pennsylvania), July 28, 2008

Needy Hoosiers struggle to get aid
Courier-Journal (Indiana), July 27, 2008

One in 10 Ohioans utilize public assistance programs
Star Beacon (Ohio), July 27, 2008

Low-wage workers, retirees join the growing list of needy
Springfield News-Sun (Ohio), July 27, 2008

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, hunger, recession.

Our Newest Lifecasters: The Camphor Family

"I've taken it as a challenge not to be that man that steps away from my family, not to be that man that says 'okay it's too overwhelming, it's too much...' You can’t seek (change) outside the community – we have to seek it inside the community, and the basic structure of that community is the family. If we can focus on the family, put that structure back together, then we can see a better future." -- Corey Camphor



Meet the Camphors and their family (Jordan, 7, Ticora-Grace, 2, and Hannah, 6 months old) in this short video.

Every Tuesday you'll hear more from Corey and Tiana Camphor and their three kids as they Lifecast on our blog.

Visit New America Media to read more about the Camphors and their participation in the Equal Voice for America's Families Chicago town hall.

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, online video, lifecasting.

Telling Stories

Watching Joyce Cook talking about her experiences as a single mom working in Richmond, California (see the post, below) reminds us of the thousands of incredible and touching stories we've heard throughout the Equal Voice for America's Families Campaign.

Through more than 60 townhalls all across the country, more than 10,000 people have come together to address the issues facing working families, and to develop a bottom-up agenda to ensure that the next President and the next Congress adopts a national family platform.

In the process, we've met some amazing people, and heard stories that have ranged from the heart-breaking to the uplifting. Sometimes funny and sometimes sad, these stories reveal the daily struggles and triumphs of working class families in America.

We know that many readers of this blog weren't attendees of our townhalls, even though they support our cause. That's why we're pleased to be bringing our "Lifecasting" series to the Internet -- to amplify the stories that many of us working closely with working families have come to know so well.

Every Tuesday we'll be featuring a new Lifecasting Episode. Here on the blog, Joyce Cook and four other individuals and families from places like Chicago, South Texas and New Mexico will be sharing their real-world experiences with their families, their jobs, and their communities.

Each episode promises to be a compelling glimpse into the lives of working families in America, and we hope you'll watch each episode every week -- but we'd like to ask you to do more a bit more.

The truth is, we need your help amplifying the voices of working families in our public discourse.

To that end, please make use the viral tools on this blog and at the end of each video. Take a moment to forward the latest lifecasting video or blog post to your friends and families.

And, if you haven't already done so, please be sure to sign up for our email updates, and encourage your friends, colleagues and family to do the same.

The stories we've heard in townhalls -- and the stories we are hearing here on the blog and in videos -- are powerful. But the power to amplify those stories -- to ensure that they enter the larger public discourse, and that the voices of working families become truly equal -- lies in your hands.

And it's just a click of a link away!

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, online video, lifecasting.