“Building Healthy Communities For All” is the Grassroots Leadership Network (GLN) of Marin’s blog! GLN is a non-profit organization comprised of many members committed to promote civic engagement and leadership in underrepresented communities in Marin Couunty.
The name of our blog is a legacy of the Building Healthy Communities (BHC) Initiative, which was implemented in 2007 and 2008 with the support of many partners and aimed at raising the voices of underrepresented community members and leaders to develop a list of public concerns from which policy change can be pursued in collaboration to promote healthier communities.
The list of public concerns was transformed in a platform that will guide the collective work of Grassroots Leadership Network , its members and partners during the upcoming years: the 2009-2019 Marin County Grassroots Policy Action Agenda .
This blog is an open space. The contents posted herein represent the views of the post source and not necessarily those of Grassroots Leadership Network or other Building Healthy Communities partners. If you would like to submit content or have any questions, please email us at info@maringrassroots.org.
For more information about our work, please visit www.maringrassroots.org
Folks … the language is a little passive for our objectives, particularly in the face of so much other media and “issues of concern.” We need to be as affirmative and direct as possible, with the feeling that principles, strategic actions, know-how, movement … is on the table … rite now right now write now… As an observer who has heard it over the years, the status of acceptance of what we do/represent as an organizations, has to be backed up by “in-your-face” processes or results. We have to be market-workthy, publishable, a thorn in the side of status quo. The web site looks good but does it go to the heart of what social change we are facilitating — not just repeating news or alerts heard or read in other media venues. Building Healthy Communities is a vital approach to building social equity-policy but we have to get into hearts and asses of people/organizations who act as barriers to good statistics, policy building, awareness thinking and institutional buy-in. More voices will come from organizations than from the people-on-the-ground — although it is the people who represent the base of the statistics that organizations gather, serve, and advocate on behalf of… Building healthy communities has to have some ass-kicking narrative — like Obama is saying “we are on our way.”
Thanks for the feedback Ricardo. As you know, this blog is yet another tool to encourage the type of dialogue you have initiated herein. The main focus of Building Healthy Communities this year will be in the in-person community dialogues and the Equal Voice North Bay Townhall that will take place starting late April. See http://buildinghealthycommunities.wordpress.com/community-dialogues/ and http://buildinghealthycommunities.wordpress.com/2008/02/15/equal-voice-north-bay-town-hall/ for more information.
Only to add to what Antonia said, the language that we will be using during the years to come in the movement for change will also come from the year-long process of community dialogues and forums – “we are on our way”, Ricardo, and we are glad that you are with all of us!