Panelists at Arkansas Advocacy discussion
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) -The future of children and families.
The reason several leaders gathered Wednesday at Philander Smith College to share ideas and hear more about advocacy in Arkansas. "The message we want to get out is that these organizations are worthy of investing in and the work they've done up to this point has had a positive impact on the state!" says Cory Anderson, vice president of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. He is excited about what is being done for underprivileged children and families in Arkansas.
The five organizations in the report, Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, Arkansas Public Policy Panel, Center for Artistic Revolution, Northwest Arkansas Workers' Justice Center, and Rural Community Alliance, will spend the month of October celebrating the findings of the report and promoting advocacy and organizing. In addition, the advocacy organizations will lead the Arkansas release of the new national report, Strengthening Democracy, Increasing Opportunities: Impacts of Advocacy, Organizing, and Civic Engagement in the Gulf/Midsouth Region, produced by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) and partially funded by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation.
The NCRP report analyzes the activities of 20 organizations in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi between 2005 and 2009 to see how they are "mobilizing citizens and promoting policies designed to expand opportunity and justice in local communities." It shows that these 20 organizations generated $4.77 billion in investments for underserved communities. And they did that with just $41.9 million in grants and donations. In Arkansas, the following advocacy organizations are in the report:
• Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families was recognized for championing high quality early education programs. The child advocacy organization was one of the leaders of a coalition that fought for increasing state support for the Arkansas Better Chance program by $100 million.
• Arkansas Public Policy Panel was recognized for providing hands-on experience in the political process by helping community groups to organize, and for coordinating the Arkansas Citizens First Congress, a multi-issue coalition that has been instrumental in a wide range of legislative victories.
• Center for Artistic Revolution has rallied supporters of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and queer Arkansans around campaigns fighting initiatives to ban gay marriage and gay fostering and adoption in the state.
• Northwest Arkansas Workers' Justice Center helped low-wage agricultural and manufacturing workers recover $356,941 in back wages, worker compensation claims and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission settlements between 2005 and 2009.
• Rural Community Alliance has helped each of its 1200 members become advocates for their rural school and community and helped unite their voices on statewide initiatives. They have facilitated grassroots-led community revitalization projects in several low wealth rural communities, provided training to members, and facilitated youth development programs.
Jose Aguayo is with the Northwest Arkansas Workers Justice Center--a non-profit working to bring about change to the social injustices in the workplace. He says, "Everybody has a sense of power. And there are things they can't change. Part of advocacy and organization is it gives you the power to question 'how are things being affected in your community?' and what are some things you can do to make those changes!"
Anderson says, "If we can get more investment in advocacy and organizing work, then we could perhaps make that change move a little quicker for the state."