Can You Imagine a 'Thriving' Miami?

 

Income disparity in the US is wider today than at any other point since the Great Depression. Those of us who believe America can do better see the current reality as a call to action. For guidance on how to move forward in creating a more just society, we turn to experts like Peter Edleman--a visionary with a lifelong commitment to making a difference.  Edelman will join Catalyst Miami for the Love Equality book signing at Books and Books Coral Gables February 14 from 12:30 - 2pm and for our upcoming Imagine Miami conference February 15 from 10am - 3pm.

 

Edelman is a professor of constitutional law and poverty law at Georgetown University and co-director of the Georgetown Center on Poverty, Inequality, and Public Policy.  

For more than forty years, Edelman has worked to reduce inequality in America—from his time in the U.S. Senate documenting poverty across the country alongside Robert Kennedy, to his appointment to the Clinton administration’s Department of Human Services. He resigned from government in protest over President Clinton’s signing of the welfare law in 1996, and has worked on the front lines of poverty-related issues ever since. His clear-eyed and optimistic book So Rich So Poor is a powerful guide to one of today’s most critical issues.
 

Bob Herbert, Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos said of So Rich So Poor, “If there is one essential book on the great tragedy of poverty and inequality in America, this is it. Peter Edelman is masterful on the issue [and] makes a brilliantly compelling case for what can and must be done.”

Our community has the power to make the needed changes to assure a bright future for our children. Catalyst Miami calls you to join us for two special events--the Valentine's Day book signing and our quarterly civic networking conference to help create a thriving Miami-Dade. Economic opportunity and civil rights expert Professor Peter Edelman keynotes the solution-focused Imagine a Thriving Miami, focused on the root causes of poverty. We will meet with local and state legislators to show our appreciation for their responsiveness to community advocates and to get their advice for our lobbying trip to Tallahassee April 2-4. Florida's 2013 Assets and Opportunities Scorecard will be featured, and we will discuss strategies for how to increase our scores. Imagine a Thriving Miami will take place from 10:00am to 3:00pm at the Catalyst Miami office. Register here.
 

To RSVP for the "Love Equality" book signing, click here or contact Shable Harris at shableh@catalystmiami.org

For additional information on the February 15^th Imagine Miami, contact Lori Deus at lorid@catalystmiami.org.

 

(Credit to The New Press)

Miami change makers are teaming up to tackle poverty

Written by Felix Acuña, New Media Coordinator

As I think about the astrological projections that I heard on Telemundo right before the ball dropped on New Year's Eve, I'm relieved I have a backup plan for optimism for the year to come. At the risk of sounding too cheesy, I must admit that this past year I was reminded that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can overcome the system of structural inequality we live in. One such group of people, which will be growing this January, is the Miami Thrives Network (MTN).

For those of you who might not be familiar with the initiative, MTN is a network-in-development of nonprofits in Miami-Dade County. MTN aims to address the root causes of poverty, and ultimately we envision the group conducting policy campaigns. At the moment, we are in the process of developing the network and holding discussions for interested participants.

At a series of informal meetings, or dialogues, held this past year, a handful of MTN members had lively discussions on topics ranging from competition among nonprofits to the incredible people power that these groups have. Dialogues were held at organizations such as MUJER, Belafonte Talcocy Center and Catalyst Miami. The issue that was brought up the most was the need for education and workforce pipelines for youth living in poverty. It was agreed that this network belongs to all of us and therefore responsibilities and authority must be shared across groups. 

I'm excited that several participants in Catalyst Miami's nonprofit advocacy training, Harvest Democracy, will be joining the movement this year. I refer to the network as a movement because I sense among the participants a conviction that we can use collective action to change society and a commitment to doing so. It's hard to say what will come out of this network in the long run, but to use a truthful cliche, it's not only about the destination--the journey is just as important.

Prosperity Turned Upside Down in House Budget Proposals

By Catalyst Miami President/CEO Daniella Levine

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a budget proposal at the end of March, ironically titled "The Path to Prosperity." Chairman Ryan from Wisconsin, the architect of this wrongheaded proposal, recently spoke of trying to help those living in poverty with this budget. Unfortunately, the budget proposal does the complete opposite. It slashes education, training, nutrition and health care, weakening both protections for people in need and the help that can lead to employment and a more secure future.

Although the economy is starting to recover, people in Florida are still struggling. Unemployment here peaked at 11.4 percent in January 2010 and still remains unacceptably high at 9.6 percent today. If you count the number of people who have given up looking for work or can’t get as many hours as they want, the rate rises to 18.2%. Almost 1 in 7 Florida residents and almost 1 in 5 children are living in poverty.  We need to see budget solutions that respond to our needs. We need to invest in jobs for unemployed workers, protect low-income people in our communities, and raise fair revenues instead of balancing the budget on the backs of our most vulnerable. Our recent report published with the Coalition on Human Needs outlines some of the choices our Members of Congress are facing in Washington.

Interns for Impact: ALEJANDRA SALGADO

ALEJANDRA SALGADO

Hey! My name is Alejandra Salgado and I am a summer intern at Catalyst Miami. As an intern, I contribute to the Catalyst Miami's blog by writing of events I have attended or different articles and websites I personally come across and would like to share. So far, I have blogged about the Miami-Dade County Mayoral Forum, a recent hike in Florida’s minimum wage and there's more to come! I often come across many interesting articles that relate to social justice, social services or human rights that I share with my friends on Facebook or Jumo, and now the Catalyst Miami blog. My hope is that people will read what I share and either learn something new, share with others, or even change their opinion on something.

I graduated from Florida International University with a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations. I also completed a minor in History and a certificate in European Studies. Recently, I completed a Masters degree in Politics from New York University. While in New York I had the amazing opportunity to intern at Amnesty International USA, my first nonprofit experience. This past March I moved back to Miami to get involved in nonprofit work in the city I grew up in and love. Daniella Levine and Catalyst Miami has given me the opportunity to meet other professionals in the nonprofit field and attend events which helped get me back in the loop of Miami’s politics and human services scene. I have also had the opportunity to intern at The Education Fund, helping with their annual art auction, and exposing me to a new side of nonprofits for me.

In the future I hope to continue to be involved with nonprofits, specifically ones that address issues of poverty, whether that is education, maternal health care or housing. I am soaking in everything I learn from Catalyst Miami so that I can use it in my future career at a nonprofit.