Our mission is to network and channel individual and organizational expertise, skills, abilities and resources into a collective and cooperative force; thereby maximizing our effectiveness to improve the quality of life for our families.
Purpose:
More and more we must realize that we need each other to attain our ultimate goals, we must remain focused and open to new and different ideas and methods. The Coalition, Inc. is a network of community based organizations come together for mutual benefit and support, who recognize that no single organization, no matter how large or well-known can effectively address the myriad of ills that plague our communities.
The Coalition, Inc. subscribes to the fact that many of us, organizations and individuals, are expert in areas germane to our survival, but we continue to strive as individual entities, we operate in a vacuum, and sometimes in anonymity. Here you have the opportunity to tap into resources that may otherwise take years to acquire on your own. There is no need to "re-invent the wheel."
We liken the struggle for our humanity to fighting an octopus, an individual/organization attacking one tentacle at a time is doomed to fail, but many individuals/organizations attacking as a team can neutralize the threat and render it powerless.
History:
The Coalition was formed in July 2006, when the Philadelphia Black Public Issues Forum summoned a diverse gathering of sincere Philadelphia-area activists to the Episcopal Church of the Advocate in Philadelphia. Those representatives, motivated by, but not limited to, the solving of problematic conditions contributing to the increasing climate of violence in the communities; met and signed the Pledge of Commitment to commit to work in cooperation to solve our mutual problems.
If you are committed, you may seek collaboration with projects that are also committed, and use your combined resources to attain your common goals. If you require assistance, we will be happy to refer you to reputable efforts to collaborate with.
"Communicate - Cooperate - Collaborate." The Coalition, Inc. is committed to affecting real change in our communities.
What We Have Done
The Coalition launched the first of a series of Young People's Anti-Violence Summits to illicit the opinions and involvement of the youth most affected by the horrid conditions extant today. On August 16, 2006, The Coalition held our first Young People's Anti-Violence Summit. The summit was for youth from junior high school age through the early twenties. The summit afforded the young people freedom of expression, and a forum to discuss amongst themselves the issues and concerns that shape their current world. As adult activists and concerned community organizations, we provided a safe, welcoming, and open environment where our young people spoke with, heard and listened to themselves without the lectures criticism and occasional discouraging words they have come to expect from their elders. The summit convened at the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.
Our second Young People's Anti-Violence Summit was held at Club 923 on Watts Street in North Philadelphia. The Coalition again convened another Young People's Anti-Violence Summit gathering to get our young people actively involved in the shaping of solutions to their immediate concerns. The popular youth television program Urban Expressions was present, and became involved by taping and broadcasting our first televised interview.
The next Young People's Anti-Violence Summit was hosted by Teens-In-Charge and The American Cities Foundation as part of their Urban Environmental Conference on April 21, 2007 at the High School Of The Future. This was the beginning of an annual event.
On January 21, 2007, Physicians for Social Responsibility and The Coalition presented a "Bullying Management Workshop" for schools and organizations. The workshop featured Mr. Kenneth Houston, conflict resolution expert, who presented dispute-resolution workshops that were designed to teach preventative methods that can be utilized by individuals and organizational staff.
The Coalition, Inc. was instrumental in the formation of For My Daughter Library, the first organization to be formed within The Coalition.
The Coalition, Inc. continues to sponsor workshops designed to improve the viability of individuals, organizations and groups who provide for the uplifting of our communities.
The Coalition, Inc. has launched A HAND UP! An internet group that facilitates the transfer and sharing of resources between groups that have surplus or no longer needed resources with those who have an immediate need of those resources. (http://groups.google.com/group/a-hand-up)
The Coalition presented the Sixth Annual Weekend of Peace and City-Wide Basketball Tournament, in August 2009, hosted by our anchor sites: Kingsessing Recreation Center, Eastwick Recreation Center, Tustin Recreation Center, Mt. Airy and Cobb's Creek Recreation Centers. In addition, we were joined by The Unified Taxi Workers of PA, Ivan "Pick" Brown Memorial A.A.U. Invitational Basketball Tournament, Jazz & Spoken Word Benefit Concert at the Episcopal Church of the Advocate and International Health Fair at Kingsessing Recreation Center in Southwest Philadelphia.
The Coalition, Inc. continues to meet with many leaders of faith based organizations in the Philadelphia area to convene our first "Interfaith World Spiritual Summit" to bring to bear our religious community's strength on the problem of community decline.
For more information: 215.387.2734
Email: the.pa.coalition@gmail.com
THE COALITION, Inc.
PLEDGE OF COMMITMENT
For the purpose of retrieving the lost, retaining the endangered, and preserving our future, I, __________________
___________(print name), representing ______________________________________ (organization/city/state),
do hereby pledge my/our commitment, and with authority granted me by _____________ ____________(Authorized individual/committee), of _____________________________(organization listed above), herein pledge my/our support
of all reasonable efforts to promote the healing of our communities.
I/we also agree to set aside any past, present or future disagreements that may interfere with, or in any way inhibit our
ability to work harmoniously to achieve our common goal of healing our respective communities.
I/we further pledge to, where possible, assist in all reasonable efforts, irrespective of origin, designed to contribute to the healthy restoration of our families, communities and Nation.
Pledged by______________________ (signature), representing__________________________ (organization) _______________________________ (organization address)
_______________________________
_______________________________ (telephone/mobile)
_______________________________ (email)
_______________________________ (fax)
_______________________________ (website)
_______________________________ (contact person)
"Great acts are made up of small deeds.”
Lao Tzu
Today’s date: _____________________
Your Organization: _________________________________________
Your Mission Statement /Purpose:_________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
How can The Coalition help? ____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
(A Partial Listing of Committed Organizations)
Weekend Of Peace
Brothers Malik R. and Calvin Johnson of Stop the Madness-Stop The Violence, Inc. and C and C Athletic Association respectively, called upon representatives of The House of Umoja; SouthWest Action Coalition; Sankofa Association of Roxborough, Philadelphia Black Public Issues Forum and Men United Against Violence and set the precedent for the forming of The Coalition when they cooperated in 2004 to produce a basketball tournament for young people. This tournament was designed to encourage young people to socialize in a peaceful, healthy atmosphere. Over the years the tournament, which evolved into the Weekend Of Peace, expanded into many positive activities including health fairs, educational opportunities, employment opportunities, sexual health issues, positive entertainment and motivational speakers. It was from these efforts that The Coalition, Inc. was formed.
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Re-visit our Intro pages // Welcome // Celebrating Diversity // Facilitating Education
Wake Up Call // "S.O.S."! // Choices // 21st Century Signs of the Times
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