Symposium Agenda
August 20, 2008

8:30 Welcome

Ken Wade
NeighborWorks America

9:00 Opening Plenary

Amaad Rivera, United for a Fair Economy
* The Growing Divide
* State of the Dream

10:00 Break, Red Laquer Rm

10:15 Community Gatherings, Part 1

TOPIC 1: Preventing Displacement from Foreclosure through Direct Action, State Ballroom

DIRECT ACTION COMMUNITY
Soledad Lawrence, City Life/Vida Urbana

TOPIC 1: Integrating Community Building/ Organizing & Homeownership Counseling, Red Laquer Rm

COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS' & COUNSELORS' COMMUNITY
Penny Meredith and Tracey Howard, Brand New Day

TOPIC 3: Community Based Strategies to Address Predatory Lending, Adams Ballroom

STRATEGIES COMMUNITY
Mike Reardon, NHS of Chicago

TOPIC 4: Overcoming Obstacles to Engaging Communities Around Foreclosures, Crystal Room

NO FORECLOSED COMMUNITIES!
Denise Dixon and Susan Ritacca, Action Now

11:30 Luncheon, Grand Ballroom
Marshall Ganz, Harvard University

1:00 Community Gatherings,
Part 2

2:30 Break and Reconvene in Large Group, Red Laquer Room

3:00 Support Community

3:50 Closing

CB103: Building Powerful Community Partnerships

Building communities takes work on the part of all parties in an atmosphere of trust, cooperation and respect. Building partnerships is one of the most effective ways to bring about lasting change. Find out about community-wide collaborations that bring all sectors of the public and private community together. . . .

CB704: Community Organizer’s Forum

A call to experienced community organizers, community builders and outreach staff! This forum will provide extensive opportunities to be in peer-to-peer sessions and share your organizing experiences with others doing similar work in the region and nationally — focus on what is current in — and what the future may hold for — the field of community organizing. . . .

This special forum was intended primarily for experienced community builders, organizers and volunteer leaders.

FORECLOSURE & ORGANIZING WORKSHOPS
The following foreclosure- and organizing-related workshops were offered in Chicago —

• Foreclosures and Communities of Color:
  The Damage Done
  A conversation was facilitated about the disparate impact of foreclosures on local communities of color and what it means for affordability. There have been few forums in Chicago for community leaders to relate their experiences dealing with this crisis. This workshop allowed for local reflections and experiences to come forward and set a path for future community development efforts.

Participant Contact Information

If you attended the Chicago Community Organizing Symposium, and have decided you'd like to share your contact information to stay in touch with the Community Organizing Symposium community, you can download a PDF of the Contact Information Form here! Complete, print and sign the form and then send it back to Community Organizing Symposium, NeighborWorks America, Dept. 167, Washington, DC 20055-0167.

Chicago's Foreclosure and Community Building Related Courses

After Chicago, look for materials from the
Community Building courses
to be posted here.

• CB101: Community Building Principles and Applications

• CB103: Building Powerful Community Partnerships

• CB110: Fundamentals of Community Organizing

• CB116: Faith-Based Community Development Today

• CB160: Powerful People and Effective Programs: We Need Both for Stronger Communities

• CB240: Community Organizing Strategies to Promote Homeownership, Fight Predatory Lending and Prevent Foreclosures
  
  *check out the online resources for this course!
  CB240 Manual

• CB704: Community Organizer’s Forum

• NR 231: Protecting and Preserving Neighborhoods in a Post-Foreclosure Environment: Customizing Interventions for Your Neighborhoods
  
  *check out the online resources for this course!
  Strategy Library
  Foreclosure and Neighborhoods: Course Manual