Today is the third day of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) conference which is taking place in Miami, Florida. The conference’s theme is “Stronger Communities. Stronger America.” NCLR describes the event as: “the single largest gathering of its kind in the Hispanic community. More than 23,000 community organization leaders, activists, and volunteers; elected and appointed officials; members of the corporate, philanthropic, and academic communities; senior citizens; college students; and youth are expected to participate this year.”
The conference agenda includes workshops, town hall meetings and an expo at which people in the community can interact with government,corporate and non-profit organizations. The conference offers training opportunities to the nearly 300 community based organizations that are affiliates of NCLR. The affiliates in turn can exchange information on issues impacting the community and share best practices through the various workshops and town hall meetings. The workshops offered range from successful marketing on a non-profit budget to healthcare career pathways initiatives, to effective civic engagement through the media. The town hall meetings include sessions such as one called “Innovative Public-Private Partnerships to Reduce Obesity among Latinos.” In addition, the conference draws very high level national leaders. Yesterday,two 2008 presidential candidates made a stop at the conference. Senator Clinton addressed a group of NCLR attendees at the Latina brunch and Senator Obama held a town hall meeting which was open to the public.
I’ve had the opportunity to attend the conference for several years and personally find the interaction with the community based organizations to bring the most benefit. It provides a better perspective of the programs that are truly having an impact, and the opportunity to learn about the challenges these groups are facing based on the services they provide, where they are located and how much the issues they advocate for are being discussed. There are many challenges facing the Latino community in the U.S. and community-based organizations are crucial in helping address these issues through the community outreach and services they provide. This annual event provides a unique opportunity for corporate and government entities to see first hand how these organizations are helping build a stronger nation, starting with local communities. To learn more about the event and about the organization visit www.nclr.org.
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