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GUIDELINES: FORMING URBAN COALI'rIONS NATIONW1IDE On August 24, 1967, in Washington, D. C., the Emergency Convocation of The Urban Coalition issued an urgent appeal to all concerned American citizens to join with The Coalition in efforts to fashion a new political, social, economic, and moral climate that will make possible the breaking of the vicious cycle of the ghetto. Action at the community level must now follow. Community leadership is now called upon to use its commitment and ingenuity to muster the public support and involvement needed to bring about a major reordering of both national and local priorities in the face of the unresolved urban emergency. At the conclusion of the August Emergency Convocation, The Urban Coalition adopted a comprehensive Statement of Principles, Goals and Commitments. It is this document which charts the course for our mutual efforts. The Urban Coalition's program as adopted at the August Convocation may be characterized as follows: �( 2) "We believe the American people and the Congress must reorder national priorities , with a commitment of resources equal to the magnitud~ of the problems we face. The crisis requires a new dimension of effort in both the public and private sectors, working together to provide jobs, housing, education, and the other needs of our cities. "We believe the Congress must move without delay on urban programs. The country can wait no longer for measures that have too long been denied the people of the cities and the nation as a whole-additional civil rights legislation , adequately funded model cities, anti-poverty, housing, education, and job-training programs, and a host of others. "We believe the private sector of America must directly and vigorously involve itself in the crisis of the cities by a commitment to investment, job-training, and hiring, and all that is necessary to the full enjoyment of the free enterprise system--and also to its survival ... "This convocation calls upon local government , business, labor, religions, and civil rights groups to create counterpart local coalitions where they do not exist to s~pport and supplement this declaration of principles." The National Steering Committee at the present time consists of thirty-six members. They are broadly representative of business, labor, local government, religion, civil rights, communications, and education. The Coalition identified seven specific areas of urban affairs calling for action by The Coalition and the Nation. Emergency Task Forces have been created reflecting these problem areas: �( 3) Public Service Employment and Urban Legislation Private Employment and Entrepreneurship 1 Educational Disparities Housing, Reconstruction and Investment Equal Housing Opportunities Communications and Public Support Local Coalitions The National Steering Committee and its seven Task Forces are already at work developing strategy and fostering action to achieve the goals set forth in The Coalition's Statement of Principles, Goals and Commitments. This will not be enough. There must be complementary action at the local community level where ultimate responsibility rests and where u r ban problems are most clearly perceived. November 1 , 1967 �(4) What is a Coalition? A "coalition" is an alliance , association 0r combination of persons , groups , organizations or constituencies drawn together for one or more specific purposes. A coalition is not necessarily a formally chartered, regulated and structured organization. Typically , coalitions emerge in time of crisis or emergency and endure for the period of that emergency. Development of a coalition which will include all civic interests is , therefore , most appropriate in the face of America's present urban crisis. Local Circumstances Local circumstances and the status of existing local organizations, of course, vary greatly from community to community. The Urban Coalition recognizes that the nature of the organized response to its call for local counterpart action will also vary from community to community. A local coalition can encompass a single city or an entire metropolitan area in which it is located, whichever is feasible and appropriate. The organization of an urban coalition may take several forms. It may involve individuals or organizations. It may embrace a large membership or be an organization centered on leadership. �(5) New Coalition s In those local situations where citizens determine that it is appropriate to for m an essentially~ coalition of community leadership, the immediate need is to assemble an organizing or steering committee. As is the case with the National Steering Committee , local steering committees will typ ically be made up of representatives from the community's business , organized labor , religious , civil rights, educational , local gover nment and communications lea dership. I n or der to insur e , however, that the local steering committee is b r oadly repr esentative of the life of t he community , it is imp ortant that low-income n e i gh b orhoods o f t he c ommuni ty also b e represented. It is the local steer ing c ommittee which would s erve as the i nitial l ink with t he nationa l Coalition. Coordinati on o f Existing Groups In other c ommunities, it may b e that c o a l itions broadly representative of the life of the community have previously been formed around such single i ssu es as jobs, schools, or housing. A local coalition in these communities may, under these circumstances, be an association of such existing single-purpose groups which should jointly establish a coordinating committee to serve as a local coalition with a �( 6) multi-purpose, comprehensive concern. Through this mechanism, mutual agreement on goals, policy positions, and local needs could be developed. Equally important, a joint coordinating (steering) committee could also facilitate a complementary network of program efforts carried out through its member organizations. The full weight of community leadership could, thereby, be brought to bear on local problems without causing any existing individual organizations to surrender their identities or their program control. The coordinating (steering) committee would serve as the initial local link with the national Coalition. Incorporation Not Necessary In either kind of community situation , formal incorporation o f a new loca l coalition or of an association of existing single-purpose groups is not necessary, although in some cases it may be desirable. The national Urban Coalition has chosen not to incorporate. In the case of unincorporated local coalitions, funds for technical support may be channeled through a separate fiscal agent, such as a cooperating organization. �( 7) Statement of Principles The steering or coordinating committee in either kind of community situation should consider developing a draft Statement of Principles , Goals and Commitments, which (a) endorses the national Statement and (b) broadens and supplements it to include major local concerns. This approach will chart the course for local efforts in cooperation with the national Ur ban Coalition. Such a local statement, when formalized , will also serve to inform local citizens and focus their discussion and action. Operat i n g Str ucture With respe c t t o newly -fo rmed l o cal c o ali t ions , it is antici pated that the local structure wi ll inc l ude not o nly a steering committee b u t task f orces to dea l , respectively, with national urban l egislatio n, expansion of private employment, housing and e ducation , and public support. The task force subjects suggested above are, of course, by no means the only problem areas for which task forces could be created. Task forces in the named problem areas would correspond with and could relate to the task forces working at the national level. �( 8) In the case of an association of existing single-purpose \\ organizations, the coordinating (steering) committee could look to its respective member organizations to serve the task force roles and treat those problem areas closest to their respective program concerns and organizational focus. This is in lieu of appointing new task forces as is recommended for an entirely new coalition . Each participating single- purpose organization could relate functionally to the national task force working in its subject area of concern , e.g. a local community-wide employment committee could work cooperatively with the national Task Force on Private Employment and Entrepreneurship. Assistance for Local Coalitions It is strongly recommended that where a new coalition or a new association of existing single-purpose organizations is being formed , the local steering or coordinating com- mittee arrange for at least 2n,g_ staff person to work full time for the new coalition venture. It is likely that this staff person could be borrowed from the staff of one of the participating groups of the coalition. While the National Steering Committee is not able to offer any financial assis tance to local coalitions, it will provide other assistance �(9 ) in p r eparing and convening local coalition activities o The National Steering Committee will also provide speaker s , where needed and request ed, in any or all of the subject a r eas under consideration by The Urban Coalition Task For ces mentioned earlier. The national task forces and the national coor dinati ng s t aff are prepared to shar e wit h cooperating community leadership the results der ived f r om their continuing surveys of avai l able re sour ces and eva luation o f current progr ams dea l ing wi th urban problems. For e x ample , local coalitions can b e k ept advised of t h e s tatus , meri t s a nd relevanc e o f pend ing nat i onal legislation p e r tai ning t o critic al urban prob l ems o Up t o d ate i nformation o n the exp erience g aine d with new recr uiting, training and employ ment activities o r l ow-income hous i n g d e velo pment in the pr ivate secto r can also b e ex- changed through the nationa l task force s. Affiliation wi t h The Urban Coa l i t ion The expec t a tion o f t h e Nationa l Steering Committee is that local coal i t ions wi ll , when ready , seek affiliation with the national Urban Coalition . To be eligible for affiliation, a �(1 0) local group : One: Must endorse The Urban Coalition's Statement of Principles , Goals and Commitments. In the absence of common agreement between the local coalition and The Urban Coalition on the basic need for action on urban problems and the broad character of the action needed, affiliation would have little meaning. stitutes the agreement. The Statement con- Insofar as it is the product of the Emergency Convocation of The Urban Coalition and, there fore , received the endorsement of over twelve hundr ed leader s from across the nation , it should not be difficu lt for like-minded local leaders to support it. Two : Must be a multi- purpose comprehensively committed group. By way of example, while a broad-based local o rganization devoted to promoting equal housing opportunity may, in effect, be a local leadership coalition, because of its single purpose it would not meet this standard. The purpose of the standard is to encourage local action on all major urban problems and a single-purpose organization such as a f air housing coalition is not o rgani zeo o r prepared t o ac c omplis h that end. �(1 1 ) Three: Must be broadly representative d f the life of the local community . The ultimate significance and effectiveness of a local coalition's efforts will be dependent on the extent to which all significant sectors of the community participate in and support the local coalition. A coalition comprised exclu- sively of businessn en and labor leaders would not be in a position to accomplish nearly as much as a coalition involvin g , in addition , leaders from religion , local government , civil r ights , education , communications and disadvantaged neighbor hoods . This standar d is a means of encouraging the degr ee of community involvement essential to major local accomplishments. Th e Coun c i l of Ur b a n Coa l itio n s The Urban Coa l ition is i n tereste d i n continu i ng p artic i patio n in its affairs by l oca l c ommunitie s a nd n o t of its g o al s and c ommitments. just endorsement The f o r matio n of a Council of Urban Co alitions is anticipated shortly after the beginning of 1968. Each affiliated local coalition should pla n to designate two repr esenta tives to ser ve o n this nationa l Counci l . At i ts f i r s t mee t ing , the Council wi l l elect two representatives to serve o n the Natio n a l Steering Committee of The Urban Coalition. Additional representatives may �(12) be added as the Council expands. In this manner, affiliated local coalitions will participate in and help shape the programs of The Urban Coalition. The Council will serve as a community-based national body working with the National Steering Committee. Working Approaches With any new effort, such as that being undertaken by The Urban Coalition, it may be expected that national organizational structure and methods will continue to undergo change. For this reason, The Urban Coalition is understandably following a flexible course of action. Among the working approaches currently being taken are the following : 1. A supporting rather tha n operational emphas i s: The Urban Coalition is supporting efforts to solve ongoing problems at both the local and nat ional levels. It will stimulate new under takings, f or example , in the crucial are a of expanding pr ivate emp loyment o f t he h ard- core unemployed, giving empha s i s to effect i ve training approaches , recr u itme nt prac tices and facilitating assimilation of new employees into r egular wor k f or ce s. It is working copperative l y with s uch ma jor new e ffor ts as t he $1 billion i nvestme nt a llocation of t h e i n s ur a nce i ndustry for center city develo pment. The Urban Coalition ' s posture is that of a catalytic agent stimulating public d iscussion, communicating the need for national and local action, and supporting appropriate ongoing efforts. It is unlikely that it will, itself, initiate and administer programs, on a continuing basis as this would tend to detract from the central and critical catalytic role. Given the multitude of existing national and local, public and private organizations capable of program implementation, that role, in most instances, is best left to them. �( 13) 2. Stimulat ing interest i n s ucc e ss f ul exa:::nples of action. Through its task forces . The Urban Coalition is attempting identify, work with, and publicize successful efforts to expand employment, extend lower income housing and equal housing opportuniti es , new educational programs and the like. The task forces hope to serve as catalysts and conveners. They will further serve a clearinghouse function with respect to news of local action. 3. Coor dinating a national legislative c a mpaign. The Ur ban Coalition has called upon Congr ess for action acr oss a broad front to meet the urban crisis. Interpreting and emphasizing the need for national action is as much a local obligation as it is a commitment of the National Steering Committee. Discussions with members o f Congress is as much a hometown affair as are appearances befor e Congressional committees. 4. Workinq with the mass media. Through its Task Force o n Communicatio ns and Public Support and t hrough counterpart committees at the local leve l , it i s hoped that the mass media can be encouraged to focus greater attention on the needs of cities. Br oad public understanding of the need for greater ·resources , of the complex i t ies of the problems involved and the need for u r gent act ion are e s sential . if the goals of The Ur b a n Coali tion are t o b e achieved. (Reprint Statement of Principles , Goa l s and Commitments) �