Kresge Foundation President Urges Foundations to Help Revitalize American Cities

[12 November 2008 - Kresge Foundation Press Release (via Philanthropy News Digest)] Private philanthropy must work at the heart, rather than at the margins, of the complex economic, social, political, and environmental problems plaguing American cities in order to contribute meaningfully to their revitalization and success, Kresge Foundation president Rip Rapson said at last week's CEOs for Cities national meeting. Speaking to an audience of mayors, corporate executives, and other urban leaders, Rapson applauded the work done by philanthropy in helping nonprofits improve the daily lives of millions of individuals in communities around the nation, but added that ways must be found to address the underlying problems that perpetuate those needs. Citing success stories in four urban areas, he urged large, privately endowed foundations to behave strategically with respect to cities by helping establish a vision for concerted action, working to align civic actors, aggregating risk capital, and connecting low-income people to the mainstream economy. Rapson emphasized the importance of strengthening cities by identifying bridges between low-income communities and regional economic opportunities and noted the work being carried out in Detroit through the New Economy Initiative, a $100 million fund established by the Kresge Foundation and nine other national, regional, and local foundations. Unless we identify and influence long-term leverage points capable of moving intricately interrelated public, private, and civic systems, we will make no contribution to breaking calcified patterns of disinvestment, inequality, and injustice," Rapson said. "We will not, in a word, make any enduring improvement in our citizens' day-to-day quality of life and their long-term trajectories of opportunity." Read the complete version of Rapson's remarks here.

A call for guts

[November 2008 - Ode Magazine - By Frances Moore Lappe] Like a lot of us, I keep asking myself, How did we get into this mess? Since humans have innate needs and capacities for cooperation, empathy and fairness, which science now confirms, why does so much suffering and destruction continue? For many, the answer seems obvious: Humans just aren't good enough; we need to become better people; we need to overcome selfishness and evolve into more caring and cooperative creatures. I disagree. More

Potential of Facebook to transform the future ...

Facebook and other social networking media is connecting people everywhere, everyday, all the time. Barack Obama's election is one example of the power of such technology in politics -- with the pending experiment and challenge of whether the same might apply in governing. Journalist Mona Eltahawy explores (below) how Facebook might help transform the Middle East.

Another potential area to consider ... How might social networking media help link the creativity of citizens in small towns and rural communities to positively shape and transform their communities? Creative community development is not just an urban issue. What ideas do you have for how this might happen?

[Fall 2008 - World Policy Journal] Check out "The Middle East's Generation Facebook" article by Mona Eltahawy, who writes in this piece:
"In 2005, activists breached not just laws against public demonstrations, but taboos of protesting against Mubarak himself, with street protests that focused on Egypt and its internal discontents. But that movement was perhaps too early to rally the masses and was criticized for being out of touch with the needs of ordinary Egyptians. The recent Internet-inspired activism has flipped the script -- the needs of the masses have sparked a wave of unprecedented activism among young Egyptians. Bloggers have been instrumental in the conviction of police officers for torture and in getting neglected stories into the headlines. The Internet has given young people like Shahi a space that does not exist in the 'real world.' They're using it to create grassroots groups and communities that will eventually translate into a real presence in society, and this bodes well for their ability to influence the futures of their respective countries. Generation Facebook might not be able to change their regimes today, but in building communities and support groups online, they are creating the much-needed middle ground that countries like Egypt desperately require. And, sadly, it is surely in recognition of that nascent power that regimes as aging, paranoid, and powerful as Egypt's Mubarak now arrest, imprison, and harangue bloggers and online activists. ... As Generation Facebook grows older and more assured in its ability to organize and unite, it will be confronting a potentially inexperienced leader in the form of Gamal Mubarak with potentially tragic and unforeseen consequences. ... I am confident that Generation Facebook is planting the seeds of an opposition movement that gives Egyptians, and by extension the whole region, an alternative to the state and the mosque. In 2033, I will be 66 years old. Nothing would make me happier than to see Shahi, Ibrahim, and Maha make my dream come true." More (PDF)

A Community Conversation: Engaging Hispanic Men in Health Care

[November 2008 - Creative Community Building] Eastern AHEC and Planned Parenthood sponsored a Community Conversation to explore strategies that would increase Hispanic men’s access to health services. The event was held at “Fiesta 5 de Mayo,” an authentic Mexican restaurant in Willimantic, Connecticut, with community members representing Latin America, and health and social service providers.

Victoria Lowe, Coordinator of the Collegiate Health Service Corps of Eastern AHEC went to a conference on migrants and health in Puebla Mexico. Returning with a stronger sense of the culture, a greater understanding of the health care system in Mexico and a first-hand experience of the impact on migrant families left behind, gave her credibility among the migrant farm workers. During the Community Conversation, migrant farm workers stated that Victoria’s visit opened the Community Conversation, and though they felt there are no immediate answers, mutual ground and a common understanding allows for further community conversations and collective improvements.

Rosie Lazaro, Coordinator, Promotores de Salud Program of Eastern AHEC, invited migrant farmer workers from Prides Corner Farms to participate in the discussion. In preparation for the event, a simulation discussion was held which allowed the community representatives to think about the discussion points and what they wanted their health care providers to know of them and their culture. The simulation exercise also allowed the community representatives to practice using interpretation head sets and talking in a group through simultaneous interpretation.

Also in preparation the community representatives needed approval from their employer and needed to be compensated for their loss of wages to attend the event. It is the belief of Eastern AHEC that organizations need to engage community representatives in meaningful ways, and for this to happen, community members need access to basic resources that give them the confidence and ability to participate in a community discussion.

The Community Conversation was designed to facilitate a partnership and shared understanding of increasing Hispanic’s men’s willingness to access health care, and health care organization’s to provide culturally appropriate health care services. Ignacio Heredia, Outreach Worker of Planned Parenthood of Connecticut facilitated the discussion. The discussion points were as followed.

• Develop a common understanding of the cultural issues that both encourage and discourage Hispanic men from seeking health services, particularly preventative and reproductive care.
• Discuss difference between health care in Latin American Countries and the United States. How do these differences impede access to care in the US? Are there strategies we can use at a local level to bridge the differences?
• What are some of the strategies agencies and organization have utilized to engage Hispanic men in receiving care. What seems to be successful? What seems not to be effective?
• What have we learned over the years that can be helpful to engage new or more recent immigrants into our health and social service systems?

Health care representatives included Planned Parenthood, Perception Programs, the University of Connecticut School of Nursing, and Windham Hospital. Themes emerged during the discussion and three will be presented here: 1. Community Partners expressed a general lack of welcoming and experienced disrespect by health care staff and employees; 2. Cultural and gender issues in Hispanic communities do not encourage health care seeking behavior, whether primary or preventative health care among men; and 3. To improve access to health care by Hispanic men (and Hispanic peoples generally) genuine community conversations need to continue.

Following the community conversation, Eastern AHEC and Planned Parenthood has been continuing their work with migrants within the area and has followed up with community partners regarding topics discussed. Another Community Conversation will be planned for winter 2008.

CCB Exploring Living/Learning Community in Willimantic

[November 2008 - Creative Community Building Program] In July, the Creative Community Building (CCB) program hosted its first event, The Collaborence. About 20 community partners met to network with each other and to discuss aspects of the CCB program. Several of community members, including Peter DeBiasi of The Access Agency, stressed that our program go beyond offering students the opportunity to intern with or be mentored by community practitioners; that they learn by becoming members of the Willimantic community (or others communities in which they might be interning). The idea seemed to resonate with everyone at that workshop. Pressed by its community partners, CCB began to realize that by residing in the community, especially in a space open to community members for meetings or workshops, students would both learn at a deeper level and be able to engage more fully and collaboratively.

CCB is now committed to offering academic credit to students who participate in the development of such a Living/Living Center in Willimantic, through a General Studies Internship course that is already available in the University of Connecticut catalog. CCB will assist in other ways as well, e.g., by seeking funds from both public and private sources to to help acquire the right sort of space, and accessing information, working models, and advice from other campuses and organizations that have moved in a similar direction.

So far, representatives from multiple constituencies including The Access Agency, UConn, Eastern Connecticut State University, and the Town of Windham have met to discuss what would be needed to move the Living/Learning community forward.

For more information contact info@creativecommunitybuilding.org.

Change

"You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete." -- R. Buckminster Fuller