Stay Informed!

By Ethan Geiling on 11/15/2011 @ 10:00 AM

Tags: Assets & Opportunity Initiative, Events

Last week, PolicyLink held its fourth national Equity Summit in Detroit, bringing together 2,500 advocates, activists, policymakers, foundation officials and equity leaders to advance an inclusive policy agenda.

CFED president Andrea Levere spoke on a panel titled, “Building Assets and Wealth for All: New Developments in Policy and Practice.” She talked about how advocates are coming together to advance innovative policy and practical solutions that help individuals, families and communities rebuild financial security.

CFED and PolicyLink were able to offer scholarships to ten lead organizations from the Assets & Opportunity Network. We asked some of these A&O Network members to report back on their key takeaways from the Summit:

• Laura Rosen, Center for Public Policy Priorities, Austin, Texas
  “A top takeaway for me from the summit is that we have a unique opportunity to raise up equity and inequality using the momentum of the Occupy Wall Street movement. While there has been some discussion amongst advocates about the movement, I have felt a general sense of uncertainty about whether and how to utilize the movement to advance our work, which is now a little clearer to me. In one of the conference sessions on asset building, Andrea Levere mentioned that the Occupy movement presents an opportunity to engage financial institutions to innovate and create products that better meet the needs of low-income families.”
• Alison McIntosh, Neighborhood Partnerships, Portland, Oregon
  “The Policy Link Equity Summit 11 was an amazing opportunity to meet people from across the country working on issues of equity. The conference was informative, inspiring and energizing. The conference addressed a wide range of issues – from racial justice, to economic justice to affordable housing to asset building and everything in between. Bringing together advocates from across these issues to see the connections and continue building a big tent of folks interested in addressing equity was critical and moved all of our agendas and issues forward. Perhaps it was best summed up by CEO Angela Glover Blackwell’s opening statement: ‘This is our moment, but only if we seize it.’”
• Christina Barsky, Rural Dynamics, Inc., Great Falls, Montana
  “How do we shake the world with a new dream? We have to love America enough to change it. We have to create an alternative to a dying empire. This is a great time. Posed by Grace Lee Boggs at the opening of Equity 2011, I have reflected on the assertion that Equity is the Superior Growth Model within the framework of Ms Boggs’ sentiment. While equity was sexy at each plenary and session in Detroit, this morning while listening to Morning Edition, it seems that equity is the new dream shaking the world (not just the dream of 2500 like-minded practitioners gathering to innovate and share in the Motor City). Mario Monti, Italy’s new PM-designate says he will help the country recover and grow by focusing on a path of social equity. How do we shake the world with a new dream – we create equitable programs, equitable policies, an equitable future for our children and grandchildren where thriving is valued over surviving.”
• Tim Reese, California/Nevada Community Action Partnership, Sacramento, California
  “An exceptional "must attend" conference. ‘Equity’ is the solution to economic prosperity for America going forward. The enthusiasm of the attendees and the excellence of the presenters was very inspirational. I will use the teachings and learnings from the conference in my leadership role in my home state.”
• Lisa Forti, Urban Strategies Council, Oakland, California
  "I’m motivated to link asset building with workforce and community economic development. I think the equity movement can be powerful if diverse economic justice organizations unite!"
• Dave Gilbreath, Yakima County Asset Building Coalition, Yakima, Washington
  "This Summit clearly reinforced the premise that "equity" is the superior growth model...companies and countries have better outcomes when they practice equity in their policies. Equity will continue to grow in importance for our nation as America is transformed to a "majority people-of-color" in the coming decades...we must not let inequality hinder our nation's growth. The workshop Building Assets and Wealth for All was outstanding; it gave practical examples on how to promote savings and increase savings for all Americans, but especially the poor and people of color!"

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