The Second Wednesday of Every Month

6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Join the social innovators in your community to learn, plan, and grow.

July 2009 Forum Theme: Launching a new "Family Forward" Agenda

Did you know that motherhood is the single biggest predictor of poverty in old age?  What does this say about our community’s priorities and values? We will hear from experienced leaders who are working for family forward change on a number of fronts:  employment, parent activism, women’s leadership, state policy, and more! Join us to help these two new launchers create an organization that works for us all.

Panel: Decribing What’s Possible
Facilitated by Sharon Bernstein and Andrea Paluso, Founders, Family Forward.

• Mary King, PSU, Professor of Economics
  Current tax policy issues in the US and the European solutions

• Barbara Dudley, Co-Chair of the Working Families Party
  Prioritizing families in the party system

• Nancy Davis, founder of Isobel’s Clubhouse
  Neighborhood-based solutions  

• Jason Graham-Nye, owner of G-Diapers
  Progressive business practice

• Sattie Clark, co-owner/co-founder of Eleek, Inc. and founder/board member of the Sustainable Oregon Business Alliance
  Family-friendly and progressive business practice

We’ll start with questions like the following, and then it’s your turn!

1. Why are families suffering such a high degree of economic uncertainty?
2. Why and how are mothers penalized economically in our society?
3. Why do we need a family forward agenda?
4. What is the impact on our community when families are isolated, ill cared for, and/or economically insecure?

Workshops ~

• Family Forward Workplaces— Jason Graham-Nye, G-Diapers and Sattie Clark, Eleek and the Sustainable Oregon Business Alliance.
  Two business owners concerned with social sustainability will lead a discussion that will focus on two questions that are pressing for employers and employees alike: What does a family forward workplace look like?  And what do we need to do to get there?

• Family Forward Communities —Lisa Frack, Activistas and Nancy Davis, founder of Isobel’s Clubhouse
  What does a family forward community look like?  And what do we need to do to get there? Lisa Frack and Nancy Davis will talk about their community development work and will lead the group in brainstorming about what it takes for a community to be family forward and how we can make that happen.
  

• Family Forward Government—Mary King, PSU Professor of Economics and Barbara Dudley, Working Families Party
  What does a family forward government look like?  And what do we need to do to get there?
  

-- Download the Forum Program Agenda --
-- Download the Bios of Forum Presenters --