Maureen Lane

Grassroots: the report from Welfare Rights Initiative

Grassroots advocacy contributes to a more open, democratic and inclusive process for determining public policy. In my own work at Welfare Rights Initiative (WRI) we've joined in coalition with other grassroots groups to bring the individual voice through community to the policy-making processes. We believe, working together for the common good is at the heart of the American democratic experience.

As part of our recent round of lobbying during the holidays I've been thinking about how these principals have been employed by WRI.

Collaboration at CUNY: WRI and CUNY law school were able to keep hundreds of students in school through individual legal advocacy. In addition, to a monthly leadership and legal rights skill building training that WRI presents; WRI collaborates with CUNY law’s Economic Justice Project to connect 2nd year law students with students who need personal legal representation. This puts law students in to court rooms, and keeps students on public assistance OUT of courtrooms and back into classrooms.

Coallitions Across the generations: WRI is in our eighth year of collaboration with JPAC, Joint Public Affairs Committee for Older Adults. JPAC/WRI’s Intergenerational Committee is a unique combination of younger and senior adults working together to heighten awareness of each other’s issues within the senior and student communities. The Intergenerational Committee hosts events at Hunter College every year on topics that connect older and younger adults, for example: housing, social security and voting.

Collaboration with other Grassroots groups: CWOP (the Child Welfare Organizing Project) and WRI collaborate on leadership training and civic involvement for grassroots. WRI student leaders and CWOP parent organizers work together on the intersecting issues of parent involvement in the child welfare system, leadership development and direct involvement in the policymaking. Last week, CWOP and the City Council scored a victory in enhancing ACS (Administration for Children Services) by passing, Intro 492. We urge the mayor to sign this bill into law and bring the important voices of parent advocates with firsthand experience of the child welfare system to the policymaking table.

Mass-Movement Coalition: The Empire State Economic Security Campaign (ES2), a statewide coalition of more than 150 organizations, which has successfully advocated in Albany for low-income and middle income New Yorkers as well as people receiving welfare. This year, ES2 successfully worked with other groups to increase the minimum wage in NY. ES2’s legislative agenda includes making the work-study law permanent and counting education up to and making college count as work activity for people receiving welfare.

I recommend all readers add one more thing to their list of New Years resolutions: get involved with the grassroots in your community to work on the issues you care about, whatever they may be.

Maureen Lane: Author Bio | Other Posts
Posted at 6:27 AM, Jan 03, 2005 in Democracy | Progressive Agenda | activists
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