Center For Intercultural Organizing

CENTER FOR INTERCULTURAL ORGANIZING DBA UNITE OREGON IS A DIVERSE, GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION WORKING TO BUILD A MULTICULTURAL MOVEMENT FOR IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE RIGHTS THROUGH EDUCATION, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, COMMUNITY ORGANIZING AND MOBILIZATION, AND INTERGENERATIONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT.

COMMUNITY ORGANIZING 2022 HAS BEEN BUSY YEAR FOR UNITE OREGON'S COMMUNITY ORGANIZING TO FOLLOW IS A BRIEF SUMMARY OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS: UO LAUNCHED A DOOR-TO-DOOR CAMPAIGN TO INFORM MOST-IMPACTED COMMUNITIES ABOUT A VARIETY OF ISSUES INCLUDING ACCESSING SERVICES, NAVIGATING ONGOING ECONOMIC AND HEALTH CRISES RELATED TO COVID19 AND THE IMPACTS OF LOCAL POLICIES. IN 2022, UNITE OREGON CONTINUES TO ORGANIZE AND HOST MORE INFORMATIONAL WORKSHOPS QUESTIONS ABOUT THE VACCINE, CONCERNS, AND FACILITATE REGISTRATION. UNITE OREGON HAS PROVIDED OUR OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH LEADERSHIP THROUGH THE YIELD (YOUTH-LED INVOLVEMENT THROUGH ENGAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT) PROGRAM, A LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT TRAINING PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN YOUTH ORGANIZING, COMMUNITY-BASED LEADERSHIP AND SOCIAL JUSTICE TRAINING TO ADDRESS COMMON BARRIERS TO EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS IMPACTED BY DISPROPORTIONATE DISCIPLINE DUE TO RACISM, XENOPHOBIA, HOMOPHOBIA, AND OTHER FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION. THE CURRICULUM IS DESIGNED TO IMPROVE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, CONFIDENCE, AND GRADUATION RATES. LAST SCHOOL YEAR '22-'23 WE SERVED 55 STUDENTS THROUGH THIS PROGRAM. UNITE OREGON'S EQUITABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PILLAR IS FOCUSED ON BUILDING EQUITABLE ECONOMIC ECOSYSTEMS THAT CENTER THE PRIORITIES OF IMMIGRANT, REFUGEES AND BIPOC COMMUNITIES IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, WORKFORCE, AND SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS. UNITE OREGON LAUNCHED AN ECONOMIC JUSTICE PROGRAM CALLED BIPOC, REFUGEE, IMMIGRANT, DEVELOPMENT GROWTH & ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY (BRIDGES) PROGRAM, IN THE PORTLAND METRO AREA TO BUILD AND RETAIN WEALTH FOR SYSTEMICALLY AND INSTITUTIONALLY EXCLUDED COMMUNITIES, WITH THE GOAL OF LAUNCHING 40 BIPOC-OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES OVER 2-3 YEARS. WE HAVE LAUNCHED AN INITIATIVE TO ESTABLISH CHILDCARE CENTERS AND HELP CHILDCARE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS. IN THE SUMMER AND FALL OF 2022, UNITE OREGON PARTNERED WITH VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS TO CONDUCT A VIRTUAL CLIMATE JUSTICE LISTENING TOUR. UNITE OREGON'S CLIMATE JUSTICE TEAM LED LISTENING SESSIONS THROUGHOUT SPECIFIC REGIONS OF OREGON TO HEAR THE NEEDS, CONCERNS, AND IDEAS OF THE FRONTLINE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE REGARDING CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. OUR ROGUE VALLEY CHAPTER PROVIDES DIRECT SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY-LED ORGANIZING TO PREPARE FOR IMPENDING CLIMATE DISASTERS. THE CENTRAL STRATEGY UTILIZED IS EDUCATION AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS WHO CAN CONNECT WITH PEOPLE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES TO ADDRESS URGENT COMMUNITY NEEDS- PRIMARILY THE NEED FOR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND ATTENTION TO THE NEGATIVE HEALTH IMPACTS FROM WILDFIRES. THE RESULT OF THIS APPROACH IS DEEPER RELATIONSHIPS AND TRUST, INCREASED ADVOCACY AND ORGANIZING SKILLS FOR INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES, AND SUCCESSFUL DELIVERY OF SERVICES FOR CLIMATE DISASTERS WHERE AND WHEN THEY ARE MOST CRITICALLY NEEDED. UNITE OREGON ALSO PROVIDED FREE LEGAL AID AND RENT ASSISTANCE FOR BIPOC OREGONIANS FACING EVICTION AND/OR OTHER THREATS TO SECURE HOUSING AND PREVENT DISPLACEMENT. UNITE OREGON'S ORGANIZING TEAM IS ESPECIALLY PROUD TO HAVE RECRUITED A MULTICULTURAL AND INTERGENERATIONAL COHORT OF PARTICIPANTS, INCLUDING SEVERAL YOUTH TO BUILD ADVOCACY AND ORGANIZING SKILLS. THIS INITIATIVE IS AN EXPANSION TO FURTHER BUILD COMMUNITY CAPACITY AFTER THE SUCCESS OF THE FIRST PHASE OF THE PROGRAM IN DEVELOPING THE COHORT'S SKILLS.

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT UNITE OREGON IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE REMARKABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN PROMOTING CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AMONG INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE. THROUGH A SERIES OF EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATIONAL CAMPAIGNS, UNITE OREGON COLLABORATED WITH VARIOUS COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND AGENCIES. IN 2022, UNITE OREGON CONDUCTED AND HOSTED SEVERAL CLIMATE RESILIENCE ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES TO ASSESS THE NEEDS AND ISSUES. THE WORKSHOPS FOCUSED ON REGIONAL CLIMATE POLICIES, HOW TO GET INVOLVED IN CLIMATE JUSTICE ISSUES, AND BEST PRACTICES FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. AS A RESULT OF THIS WORK, UNITE OREGON WAS ABLE TO EDUCATE AND ACTIVATE LEADERS TO ADVANCE POLICY PRIORITIES. UNITE OREGON IS COMMITTED TO CROSS-CULTURAL ORGANIZING AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND, THEREFORE, HAS IMPLEMENTED OUTREACH CAMPAIGNS TAILORED TO THE COMMUNITIES IT SERVES. POLICY UPDATES AND ESSENTIAL INFORMATION ON ACCESS TO SERVICES AND POLICY IMPACTS WERE TRANSLATED INTO SEVERAL LANGUAGES, INCLUDING ENGLISH, SPANISH, BURMESE, ARABIC, NEPALI, AMHARIC, SWAHILI, SOMALI, AND THAI. FINALLY, IN 2022, UNITE OREGON LAUNCHED ITS SECOND ANNUAL SUMMIT, WHICH HELPED ESTABLISH UNITE OREGON'S POLICY PRIORITIES.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT UNITE OREGON HAS BEEN COMMITTED TO FOSTERING INNOVATIVE AND CULTURALLY INFORMED LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES ACROSS THE STATE, WITH A SPECIFIC FOCUS ON EMPOWERING UNDERSERVED YOUTH AND IMMIGRANT POPULATIONS. OUR EFFORTS ARE CHANNELED THROUGH THREE CORE PROGRAMS: BUILD, YIELD, BELT AND PILOT. BUILD DURING THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR, WE ARE WORKED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH 43 FAMILIES ON ISSUES SUCH AS COMMUNICATING WITH TEACHERS, NAVIGATING HIGH SCHOOL, AND SCHOOL COMMUNICATION. FAMILIES IN THE BUILD PROGRAM ARE BETTER ABLE TO ENSURE THEIR STUDENTS ARE RECEIVING THE EDUCATIONAL AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES THEY DESERVE USING THE SKILLS AND TOOLS ACQUIRED THROUGH THEIR SHARED WORK. YIELD IN 2021, WE FORMED THE YOUTH-LED INVOLVEMENT THROUGH ENGAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT (YIELD) PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS' RACIAL EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE DEPARTMENT. YIELD IS A NINE-MONTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM SERVING STUDENTS AT CAESAR CHAVEZ, OCKLEY-GREEN, AND HARRISON PARK MIDDLE SCHOOLS. THROUGH A CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE CURRICULUM THAT IS FLEXIBLE TO ACCOMMODATE STUDENT INTERESTS, WE PROVIDE WORKSHOPS AND RESOURCE PROVISION OPPORTUNITIES DURING WHICH YOUTH PARTICIPANTS FORGE A COMMUNITY AND GAIN THE CONFIDENCE TO BECOME THEIR ADVOCATES. ALL PROJECTS AND CAMPAIGNS ARE STUDENT-LED AND INVOLVE APPLYING SKILLS LEARNED IN THE PROGRAM. STUDENT-LED PROJECTS HAVE INCLUDED A SCHOOL BEAUTIFICATION MURAL THAT INCLUSIVELY DEPICTED THE STUDENT BODY AND A YEAR-LONG DATA PROJECT BASED ON BIPOC STUDENTS FACING DISCRIMINATION FROM STAFF AND TEACHERS, WHICH YIELD PARTICIPANTS PRESENTED TO THE ADMINISTRATION. - 2022 OF PARTICIPANTS IMPACTED FROM 22-23: 63 YOUTH PILOT THE PAN-IMMIGRANT LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZING TRAINING (PILOT) PROGRAM IS UNITE OREGON'S FLAGSHIP LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES FACED BY EMERGING IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE LEADERS AND GROUPS THROUGH LEADERSHIP AND SKILL-BUILDING SESSIONS. OF PARTICIPANTS IMPACTED FROM 22-23: THIS YEAR'S COHORT HAD 10 PARTICIPANTS WHO REPRESENTED THREE COUNTRIES AND FOUR LANGUAGES. THE COUNTRIES REPRESENTED INCLUDED MEXICO, VIETNAM AND JAMAICA. BELT (BLACK EXCELLENCE LEADERSHIP TABLE) PROGRAM DESIGNED TO BUILD POWER AND LEADERSHIP FOR BLACK COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN URBAN/RURAL OREGON (AGES 16+). THE PROGRAM PROVIDES A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO BUILDING BLACK LEADERSHIP - THROUGH EXPLORING HOW GOVERNMENT WORKS AND POLICIES ARE FORMED, TO TRAINING ON COMMUNITY ORGANIZING AND PRACTICE DELIVERING PUBLIC TESTIMONY IN MOCK CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, TO HOW FINANCIAL LITERACY AND HEALING IS TIED TO EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP. THE PROGRAM HAS ACTIVATED AND TRAINED NEARLY 40 BLACK LEADERS OVER THE PAST 2 YEARS.

PUBLIC POLICY UNITE OREGON CONTINUED ITS ADVOCACY FOR POLICY CHANGES TO REDUCE THE DISPARITIES EXPERIENCED BY BIPOC COMMUNITIES AND PEOPLE EXPERIENCING POVERTY. WE MOBILIZED SUPPORT TO PASS THE FOLLOWING LEGISLATION: THE 2022 LEGISLATIVE SESSION GAVE OREGON LEGISLATORS THE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITIES, AND STRENGTHEN OREGON AMID THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, CLIMATE CRISIS, AND WILDFIRE SEASON. UNITE OREGON AND OUR PARTNERS FOUGHT FOR LEGISLATION TO ADVANCE RACIAL, SOCIAL, AND GENDER JUSTICE ACROSS THE STATE. SESSION THE 2022 LEGISLATIVE SHORT SESSION WAS SPENT REINVESTING IN EQUITABLE SOLUTIONS FOR OUR COMMUNITIES. WE PRIORITIZED FOUR BILLS BUT SHARED OUR SUPPORT FOR A TOTAL OF 15 LEGISLATIVE SOLUTIONS. THIS CREATED SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR MEMBERS TO GET CIVICALLY ENGAGED AND ADVOCATE FOR POLICIES THEY WANTED TO SEE MOVE FORWARD. WE HOSTED SEVERAL EVENTS AND ACTIONS INCLUDING INFORMATIONALS ABOUT SESSION AND OUR ENDORSED BILLS, TRAININGS ON HOW TO ADVOCATE THROUGH STORY SHARING AND TESTIMONIES, AND MEDIA ADVOCACY OPPORTUNITIES. OUR PRIORITY BILLS INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING: HOUSE BILL 4077, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE FOR ALL SUMMARY: DEVELOPS AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE MAPPING TOOL TO TRACK THE SOCIOECONOMIC INFLUENCES ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ACROSS THE STATE. ESTABLISHES THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COUNCIL. STATUS: PASSED, CURRENTLY HOSTING A STATEWIDE LISTENING TOUR SENATE BILL 1579, EQUITY INVESTMENT ACT SUMMARY: CREATES GENERATIONAL WEALTH EQUITY AND ECONOMIC STABILITY IN COMMUNITIES MOST HARMED BY OVER-POLICING, THE WAR ON DRUGS AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. STATUS: PASSED, CURRENTLY ADVISING THE IMPLEMENTATION TABLE HOUSE BILL 4005, CHILD CARE INVESTMENT PACKAGE SUMMARY: INVESTING IN GROWING CHILD CARE STAFFING, SUPPLY THAT IS AFFORDABLE, EXPANDING SERVICES AND RESOURCES, SUPPORTING THE STREAMLINING AND EFFICIENCY OF OUR STATE'S CHILD CARE SYSTEM, AND DIRECT RELIEF PAYMENTS TO CHILD CARE WORKERS TO STABILIZE OUR WORKFORCE. STATUS: PASSED, CURRENTLY SEARCHING FOR LOCATIONS TO CREATE 2-3 NEW CENTERS AND RECRUITING A VARIETY OF CHILDCARE PROVIDERS HOUSE BILL 4147, RESTORATION OF VOTING RIGHTS SUMMARY: RESTORES VOTING RIGHTS TO PERSONS ACTIVELY INCARCERATED ACCORDING TO THEIR LAST KNOWN ADDRESS. STATUS: FAILED AND WILL BE REINTRODUCED IN SESSION 2023 WE ARE CURRENTLY PREPARING FOR THE 2023 LEGISLATIVE LONG SESSION WITH A FOCUS ON PERMANENT SOLUTIONS FOR THE DETRIMENTAL SETBACKS CREATED BY THE PANDEMIC AND PROACTIVE INVESTMENTS IN PREPARATION FOR THE RECESSION. OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA WILL BE REVIEWED IN NOVEMBER AT A LEADERSHIP COUNCIL SUMMIT AND SHARED WITH THE PUBLIC IN DECEMBER AT A MEMBER TOWN HALL. ADDITIONALLY, WE'LL HOST EDUCATIONAL EVENTS ABOUT THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND METHODS OF ADVOCACY. WE LOOK FORWARD TO ADVOCATING FOR EQUITABLE SOLUTIONS ALONGSIDE OUR MEMBERS. PART OF THAT MOBILIZATION INCLUDED A LOBBY DAY IN MID-MARCH, WHERE WE TURNED OUT 151 COMMUNITY MEMBERS SPEAKING 5 LANGUAGES TO MEETINGS WITH LEGISLATORS TO ADVOCATE FOR THE ISSUES IMPORTANT TO THEM."