SELA Collaborative to Host Shaping the SELA Agenda Virtual Convening Part II with Thought Leaders and Community Stakeholders

LOS ANGELES - Dec. 17, 2020 - PRLog -- The Southeast Los Angeles (SELA) Collaborative plans to hold a virtual meeting Thursday, December 17, 2020 to review the first draft of the SELA Agenda. Attendees will have a chance to preview the document and provide feedback. The collectively crafted agenda provides a platform designed to address inequalities worsened by COVID-19 and ensure SELA's regional and long term prosperity. The final SELA Agenda will be unveiled and presented to the public in 2021.

"The SELA Agenda was born from a multi-year, collaboration and convening of SELA nonprofit leaders and stakeholders," stated Dr. Wilma Franco the Executive Director of the SELA Collaborative. "It lays out the groundwork and expectations in the areas of healthcare, education, environmental justice, workforce development, housing affordability, civic engagement, social safety net and regional advocacy."

Thought leaders invited to the Shaping the SELA Agenda represent perspectives from diverse nonprofits, SELA community-based organizations (CBO's) and local legislators seeking to strengthen the region at large. The goal of the virtual agenda review is to galvanize attention around what SELA needs to effectively address the impact of COVID-19 and the region's future well-being.

"The residents and families of SELA have been heavily impacted by the health, social, and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic," acknowledged one thought leader, Efrain Escobedo, Vice President of Education and Immigration at California Community Foundation (CCF). "Community leaders in the region have been on the front lines working to increase access to testing and personal protective equipment, food security, and ensuring participation in the Census and 2020 General Elections. Now, the way out of this dark tunnel and onto a path of resilience and justice must center on the experiences and knowledge of community leaders who have come together to collectively shape an agenda for the region."

Dr. Raphael J. Sonenshein, Executive Director of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at California State University, Los Angeles agrees, "SELA has often found itself standing on the outside looking in when decisions are made that affect the lives of the people of this community. This convening is the culmination of a years-long effort by community activists and organizations, with the support of philanthropy, to develop a regional identity in SELA that will have a place at the table when big decisions are made.  This event is a major opportunity for all of this work to generate a community-based statement of what SELA needs, both in coping with the horrifying inequities of COVID-19 that have hit SELA hard and in the decisions about rebuilding better and fairer after the epidemic ends."

"The broader vision is to see real and meaningful investment in SELA using a systems change perspective grounded on the expertise of SELA Leaders," noted Dr. Franco. "By connecting with SELA stakeholder groups we hope to elevate our needs to critical decisionmakers at the local, state, and national levels."

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Southeast Los Angeles Collaborative was founded in 2011 as a network of organizations working together to strengthen the capacity of the nonprofit sector and increase civic engagement in Southeast LA. Through its 12 member partners SELA Collaborative works to strengthen the SELA community, build collective power, and encourage innovation to drive regional systemic change. For more information please visit www.SELACollab.org