Community Action’s 2016 Region 8 & 10 Symposium

Community Action’s 2016 Region 8 & 10 Symposium
From Easing to Ending Poverty: Provocative Questions

Join us for an exciting and new symposium format that will bring nationally renowned speakers to Portland to share new and proven research, program models, and the latest methods that ease the effects of poverty, and improve outcomes that end poverty. Confirmed keynote speakers include:

BJ Walker, Director, State Government/Strategy and Operations at Deloitte Consulting LLP; David Riemer, Senior Fellow at the Community Advocates Public Policy Institute; David Erickson, Director of the Center for Community Development Investments at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco; and Denise Harlow, Executive Director of National Community Action

Over the course of two days, our speakers and facilitators will challenge, encourage and send us off into smaller groups to discuss and respond to six provocative questions:

1) Given scarce resources, is it better to permanently lift some people out of poverty with generous benefits or to guarantee minimum benefits for all?
2) Would people in poverty benefit more from direct cash transfers than traditional nonprofit services?
3) Is a child’s Zip Code more important than their genetic code in determining their health and success?
4) Is there a business model for poverty reduction?
5) Can we dramatically reduce the cost of building affordable housing to serve everyone in need?
6) Is the toxic stress of being poor quietly perpetuating the cycle of poverty by reducing executive function?

The back and forth discussion prompted by these questions will continue throughout the two-day symposium. Some of the issues we will consider are: The science and importance of innovation; specific policies to reduce poverty; genetics and nutrition; transactional versus transformational services; and important trends.

We hope to see you in Portland, Oregon, for two days of listening, collaborating, thinking, talking and learning. It will be a challenging discussion but we hope that you will return to your work with new ideas, enthusiasm, and hope for the future.