POVERTY SUMMIT
Unite Against Disparity, and Poverty.
Unite Oregon…Together

OLMV's 2009 Poverty Summit will kick off a two-year campaign to represent our commitment to public engagement. OLMV believes that lasting solutions are only possible when policy recommendations reflect the collective voices of people of all colors and organizations who work every day to eliminate poverty in Oregon.

Our goal is to weave together several strands of our current broad poverty initiatives into one inclusive narrative that respond to our current systems inequities with new facts and ideas. We will establish a set of policy proposals in the areas of health care disparities, workforce development, justice, housing and education.

These goals would be developed collaboratively with individuals and statewide organizations committed to ending the crushing burden of poverty through sensible and culturally sensitive legislation. It would also reflect a systemic approach to addressing issues of systems equity and its impact on poverty.

POVERTY SUMMIT

The opening plenary will feature leaders from diverse communities who are well-versed on the challenges faced by communities of color in Oregon:

• Jo Ann Bowman, Executive Director of Oregon Action, will speak about health equity in racial, tribal and ethnic communities.
• Dr. Phyllis Lee, a founding member of the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon, will address disparities in K-12 and higher education among minority students.
• Gale Castillo, president of the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber, will discuss small business and economic development among minority communities.

Workshops focusing on issues that are unique to communities of color in Oregon will include: