Power to the People Campaign

PURPOSE:  To develop and promote a vision for sustainable, green & just economic development in the San Joaquin Valley developed by grassroots Environmental Justice (EJ) leaders.

GOAL of the Power to the People Campaign is to empower grassroots EJ leaders to:

1. Develop a rural model for “green” economic development for their communities
2. Define “green” on their own terms
3. Implement their vision

BACKGROUND: The Power to the People (P2P) Campaign was conceived as part of CRPE’s land use campaign which is designed to ensure that rural low-income communities and communities of color benefit from healthy, equitable land use decisions with an emphasis not only on changing the decisions, but how and by whom decisions are made.  The P2P Campaign  combined CRPE’s traditional approach of fighting polluting projects such as ethanol plants and fossil fuel power plants with a new proactive approach of training communities to define for themselves their vision for a healthy sustainable community.  In order for rural low-income communities and communities of color to begin to enter the discussions emerging around the green economy and sustainable land use planning, they first needed to understand the issues and options.

Power to People Campaign has 3 Components:

In order to grow our leaders understanding of the various sectors that comprise the “green economy” we prepared a year-long training course and curriculum for the community residents from the communities we work with in Kern and Tulare counties.   Trainings were conducted on renewable energy, defining green jobs, organic agriculture, land-use, and included trips to communities and groups who are working to build sustainable economy.  Goal of trainings was to grow leaders understanding of the “green economy” and work with them to develop their vision of the green economy and strategies and policies necessary to make that vision a reality.

2. Green Paper
The resulting vision developed by our community leaders will be published in form of a policy paper coming that will be released during the summer of 2010.  This paper presents a vision and framework for environmentally, economically, and socially just form of economic development for the San Joaquin Valley. In addition to vision and policies the paper identifies  policies, strategies, and potential pilot projects.

3. Pilot Projects
Grassroots EJ leaders should not be left having to wait for the green economy to come to them. Leaders have the social assets, leadership and willingness to develop their own green projects which fall within their vision of what is green.  CRPE is committed to working with community leaders towards the development of these pilot projects that allow them to take the green economy into their own hands.

Power to the People Video
Monthly Training on Organic Cooperative Farming and Community Gardening. Over 75 people in attendance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rb_iAjzWTc

Primary Contact
Daniela Simunovic This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
1302 Jefferson Street, Suite 2, Delano, CA 93215