The Core Value for Social Equity is:
Enhanced social equity through community leadership and cooperative volunteerism.
ACTION AGENDA
Priority Policy: Support the civic education, inclusion and full engagement of ALL citizens in voting, community participation and leadership and volunteerism.
Action Agenda: Use model civic engagement initiatives to develop strong regional civic and community education and involvement, in an environment of changing culture, demographics and opportunity. Use the creative of the CONNECT Council and Cabinets as opportunities to model inclusion and development of additional regional leaders for the future.
Vision:
The region is marked by a culture of community caring and trust and programs develop attitudes and practices of community engagement and leadership across all levels of society. Problem-solving is marked by inclusin, open communication and collaboration. The region continues its reputation for outstanding volunteerism, whether in fund-raising or for corporate, group or individual outreach. The goal of social equity is the inclusion and empowerment of all persons to reach their full potential and in doing so, to help prepare our region for the future.
Policies:
- Support the development of community leadership at all social and economic levels, involving both local governments and the civic/private sectors.
- Engage in deliberate communication and involvement of the public
- Promote full integratino of newcomers to the region into the region's civic life, community structure and culture/heritage
- Encourage and facilitate volunteerism by a wide range of persons at all socio-economic levels, ethnic-racial backgrounds and ages.
- Foster civic education and engagement (including voting) across racial, ethnic, age, economic and other lines.
- Promote the education of citizens regarding their rights in dealing with “the systems” of government and business and promote respect for those rights by those who work within those systems.
- Foster values of community and engagement through design of the built environment.
- Increase meaningful commitment, as local government leadership, to transparency in government operations and decision-making, so that citizens throughout the community may have a sense that their input counts in matters of public discourse.
- Plan for increases in the median age of the region’s population.
- Support the development of amenities for all age groups and persons of diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds
- Promote equitable access to public resources by all segments of the community.
- Develop programs to effectively address dropout prevention
A Sampling of Practices:
- Publicize the existing opportunities for civic education more broadly and ensure the inclusion of a diverse population, recognizing that this may require using different approaches with different segments of the population.
- Provide public information in formats and translations needed to ensure that Latino, Asian and other immigrant groups are reached with information that allows them to become part of the community, while increasing the number of ESL program for adults and children
- Routinely engage populations viewed as “service recipients” in identification of service design and evaluation
- Routinely hold public meetings, information sessions, etc. in communities impacted by issues
- Provide adequate transportation and internet-access resources to ensure that access is not an obstacle to civic participation and engagement
- Continue or increase support for programs such as Cities in Schools, mentoring programs, etc.
- Engage children and youth in opportunities for outreach and volunteerism
- Encourage programs such as corporate gift matching
- "Grow" the giving/volunteering community through incentive and example
- Allow employees professional development credit or “time off” for community engagement or outreach work
- Include plans for public gathering places in new development and areas being redeveloped: pocket parks, dog-walking areas, “village greens,” etc.
- Include senior-, child- and disabled-friendly design in public buildings and spaces (wider sidewalks, benches, trees, etc.)
- Plan for, incentivize and/or consider mandating transitional and workforce/affordable housing in new and redeveloped areas
- Reinforce civic participation and values of social equity through regular conversations among the public, private, not-for-profit and faith communities
- Use “plain language” or the vernacular of the community in information and explanations to the public
- Promote customer service as an orientation for all employees, public and private
- Use customer-friendly website with critical and/or controversial information readily accessible
- Expand customer-access programs such as 311 to the entire region
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