Silicon Valley Collaborative for Reform

ACTION PLAN:

Reviving California is committed to hosting 50 dialogues and would like to help your group organize a dialogue session. It's easy to arrange, just email anu@alfsv.org or call 408-554-2000 to schedule.

PURPOSE:

The purpose of the Collaborative is to create a "network of networks" with leaders of existing organizations in Silicon Valley to leverage existing frameworks for community outreach in order to:
ENGAGE - EDUCATE - EMPOWER
the Silicon Valley community relating to the topics of:

• COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
• COMPREHENSIVE REFORM
• REFORM 2010

In order to have a community where its members are willing to take personal responsibility for making a difference, the first step is to ensure that a community is engaged and not completely disconnected, especially in dealing with complex issues such as reforming California. Using the power of dialogue, the Collaborative will explore what comprehensive reform means to Silicon Valley and why it is important to be engaged.

GOALS:

• To bring diverse groups of people into a common dialogue and collaboration through nurtured community partnerships
• To be an actively engaged Silicon Valley community that remains a strong voice for the common good
• To join forces in engaging the community on the issue of California reform in 2010 and beyond
• To inform organizations proposing reform about Silicon Valley ideas and collective input in a "bottoms-up" approach

COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS TO DATE:

• Afghan Coalition
• Arts Council Silicon Valley
• AACI (Asian Americans for Community Involvement)
• APALI (Asian Pacific American Leadership Institute)
• Bill Lane Center for the American West at Stanford University
• De Anza College
• iForum
• Indian American Forum for Political Education
• Indian Business and Professional Women
• Institute of Community and Civic Engagement at De Anza College
• League of Women Voters, San Jose/Santa Clara
• League of Women Voters, Southwest Santa Clara Valley
• Mobilize.org
• San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce
• San Jose / Silicon Valley NAACP
• Santa Clara County Association of Realtors
• Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce
• Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits (SVCN)
• Silicon Valley Education Foundation
• SIREN (Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network)
• SVCACA (Silicon Valley Chinese American Computer & Commerce Association)
• Somas Mayfair
• The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE)

OUTCOMES:

• A well-informed and engaged Silicon Valley community that can collectively work on complex issues
• A community framework for comprehensive California reform
• YES on REFORM in 2010 (avoiding a NO on everything related to REFORM)

TARGET:

• 50 community meetings
• 500 participants at Community Summit
• 5000 direct contacts  
• 50,000 people connected with the reform dialogue
• 500,000 reform measure voters

STRATEGIES:

• Stimulate broad community participation, encouraging inclusiveness and open access
• Use appropriate technology and social media to broaden participation
• Create a cohesive message stressing the importance of civic engagement
• Tailor the message/storytelling to various audiences
• Provide appropriate information on the 2010 reform proposals to enable the Silicon Valley
  community to make informed decisions