|
|
| |
Dialogue 2000: Leading America to Community Action
Throughout 2000, the national network of Community Action Agencies (CAAs)
engaged their communities in discussions about public policy issues and their
impact upon low-income and working poor Americans. The goals of this ongoing
national Dialogue are to raise the awareness of the American people about issues
of poverty and the need to address them effectively, to give a voice to low-income
people in the policy-making process, and to identify and mobilize the local, state,
and national resources and opportunities that low-income individuals, families,
and communities need to become more self-sufficient.
The Dialogue in 2000 was a follow-up to the 1996 National Dialogue on Poverty (NDP)
through which CAAs brought together more than 150,000 Americans in civil discussions
about poverty and other important issues facing their communities. The 1996 NDP
resulted in a clear mandate for action at the local, state, and national levels:
To eliminate poverty and improve the quality of life in our communities,
Americans need more well paying jobs with benefits and other supports necessary
to raise a family.
Since the 1996 Dialogue, the Community Action Partnership and CAAs have been working at the local, state, and national levels to encourage citizen
involvement and civic actions to achieve a national policy that says:
- Everyone who can work should work.
- Those who do work should earn sufficient income to provide for their
families basic needs.
- Those who are unable to work or who work but do not earn enough to provide
for their families should be assisted by policies and programs to meet their basic
needs and secure safe and decent housing.
Through Dialogue on Poverty 2000: Leading America To Community Action, the Community Action network re-engaged Americans, especially poor people, with each other
and the process of public policy development. The end result will be stronger communities and
renewed commitment at all levels to address the still unsolved dilemma of poverty in the midst
of plenty.
The Community Action Partnership seeks active participation from Community Action Agencies, national organizations,
and individual leaders who share a commitment to the Dialogue and the elimination of
poverty. We will work with those groups and individuals to achieve the goals outlined in
Community Action: An Agenda for Every American.
The Agenda
includes policy recommendations and actions necessary to ensure that working Americans
can meet their basic needs and secure safe, affordable housing.
Community Action:
An Agenda for Every American
Dialogue 2000 Town Hall Meeting
Dialogue 2000 News releases
Dialogue 2000 brochure in PDF format
ASAE Award of Excellence
1996 National Dialogue on Poverty
|
|
 |