The Diversity And Civic Leadership Program-Working to increase the voices of all Portlanders.

The Center for CIO Intercultural Organizing-CIO
The Center for Intercultural Organizing (CIO) is a diverse, grassroots organization working to build a multi-racial, multicultural movement for immigrant and refugee rights. CIO’s signature leadership development program—Pan-Immigrant Leadership & Organizing Training (PILOT)—enhances the skills and analysis of emerging immigrant and refugee leaders across cultural groups, builds long-term relationships between diverse communities, and increases the capacity and voice of newcomers to affect change.

Over the course of 12 months, PILOT participants convene quarterly for two and a half day weekend retreats where they attend workshops relevant to the experiences of immigrants, refugees, and people of color. Additional joint convening with Latino Network, our partner organization in the Diversity and Civic Leadership Academy, expands cross-organizational relationships and exposes participants to the importance of coalition building.

PILOT also provides a pathway for immigrants and refugees to directly participate in democratic processes through hands-on projects and collective action. During PILOT, participants put their training into practice by learning how to testify at City Council, hold press conferences, participate in public policy deliberation, and implement short term community projects that they design and implement.

NAYA Portland Youth & Elders Council
The Portland Youth and Elders Council is a grassroots advocacy group that came into existence in 2004 as part of a regional effort to work on a community-generated strategic plan to reduce poverty in Urban American Indian/Alaska Native communities. Portland is the 23rd largest city in the U.S. but the Portland Metro area represents the 9th largest Native American Community in the U.S.Through the practice of traditional values, the Youth and Elders Council continues to address poverty and other community issues by focusing on community solutions at four strategic areas: Community Governance and Representation, Stable Housing for the Portland Native community, Economic Security, and building an Urban Indian Community Center.

We come together at monthly general council meetings which serve the Native community in a capacity that a neighborhood association would serve a certain geographical population. We are strong and vibrant and serve on many City and County Commissions, Councils and committees including: Human Rights Commission, PDX Planning Commission, Community/Police Relations Committee, United Way, Portland Indian Leaders Roundtable,Reynolds School District, Elders in Action, Oregon Native Chamber of Commerce, and Housing and Community Development Commission. We are strengthening relationships and bridging generations among our community members, engaging in cross-cultural sharing with our many neighbors in the City and helping to identify the common threads that bind us as community. One of our proudest accomplishments is to advocate for recognition of the historical significance our people hold in Portland public parks, most recently helping to realize a community dream by being part of the purchase of the Portland Public Schools Whitaker Lakerside property which was a historical Chinook Village site called Neerchokikoo and is now home to the Native American Youth and Family Center.

The Urban League of Portland
The Urban League DCL Organizing Project is a capacity building project in the African American community, to maximize our community’s power to impact city, county and state institutions and elected bodies. The focus of the program has been to increase advocacy and civic engagement by organizing individuals, developing leaders, strengthening partnerships among African American and other communities of color. Our strategy is community outreach, education and skills training. Our series of Social Justice & Civic Leadership Trainings involved over 50 participants. We established task forces on employment and education with new leaders to develop on-going involvement in local decision-making. We continue to work to increase African American participation in city commissions and African Americans in housing, education, health, jobs and economic development, criminal justice,environmental justice and civic engagement. A policy action agenda is being developed to address disparities highlighted in the report. Other accomplishments this year were over 400 door step conversations with Southeast Portland residents; three successful African/African-American dialogues in with DCL partner CIO; a Watch Party for Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s inauguration with the City’s Human Rights Commission, and involvement in City and County Budget Hearings.

Latino Network
Latino Network’s (LN) mission is to provide transformative opportunities, services and advocacy for the education, leadership and civic engagement of our youth, families and communities. LN’s Diverse Civic Leaders Academy works with young emerging Latino leaders to build leadership skills, organizing capabilities, and develop capacity. Trainings focus on the systems of oppression; gender justice; leadership skill building; conflict resolution;economic, environmental and social sustainability; civic engagement; and community organizing techniques such as volunteer recruitment, base-building, meeting planning, turn-out and facilitation. Workshop trainers from government, the non-profit, and private sector provide expertise and give participants the opportunity to learn first-hand from those with real-world leadership experience.

Additionally, participants work with the Center for Intercultural Organizing (CIO) and their PILOT immigrant and refugee participant group on a series of co-trainings to build a cross-cultural coalition. Puentes, or Bridges in Spanish, is an organizing project where we build capacity and develop leadership opportunities for low-income Latinos to be leaders who advocate for the health, well-being, safety, and quality of life of their community. Trainings are on civic engagement, capacity building, leadership development, and involvement in local government, such as testifying to City Council and participating in city and county commissions and boards. Additionally we hold Living Room Dialogues whereby communities work together to dissolve stereotypes, gain deeper understandings and increased collaboration. Dialogues take place between Latinos and members of the police force and between Latino immigrants and the Anglo community. Discussions took place with government officials on the ways to meet the community’s employment and contracting goal. This resulted in government agencies requiring interested prime contractors to attend a mandatory prebid meeting in the Cully neighborhood, the first time a mandatory prebid meeting has been held to support local hiring and minority business contracting.

Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization- IRCO
The mission of the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO) is to promote the integration of refugees, immigrants, and the community at large into a self-sufficient, healthy, and inclusive multiethnic society.

CIO’s Diversity & Civic Leadership (DCL) program work closely with three communities: the Asian Pacific Islander, Slavic and African immigrant and refugees. IRCO’s DCL pogram works in partnership with the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon, the Slavic Coalition of Oregon, African Community Coalition of Oregon, and many other mutual assistance associations.

DCL supports the goal of building the organizational and communication capacity of community organizations of color and immigrant/refugee organizations to build community identity and understanding of existing City governance structure and power dynamics; develop communication structures to encourage and maintain communication among community members and public agencies; develop leadership opportunities to be more effective advocates responding to City public involvement initiatives and policy making needs; foster effective representation on City advisory committees, boards and commissions and neighborhood associations, encourage collaboration and development of partnerships between a wide range of underrepresented community organizations and neighborhood and business associations; and develop culturally appropriate models for how these communities can safely and successfully interact in City processes. IRCO’s signature activity is the ENGAGE Diversity & Civic Leadership Training offered annually. Over 90 community members have graduated this program in 2008-2010, educating, organizing, informing, and engaging a new generation of leaders.

Neighborhood Program Coordinator

Jeri Williams

1221 SW 4th Ave, Ste 110
Portland, OR 97204
Phone: 823-5827

 Fax: 823-3050
jeri.williams@portlandoregon.gov