More than 300 Sydneysiders from community organisations, faith groups and unions converge on Punchbowl Boys High School tonight in the next phase of the Sydney Alliance’s campaign to make Sydney a better place to live.
“From 5.30 to 7pm representatives of our 52 Sydney Alliance partner organisations will attend a Leaders Assembly to set specific targets in our campaign areas,” said Sydney Alliance Coalition Director Amanda Tattersall.
“Our research teams in transport, social inclusion, and community support have been working since last year on how best to make a difference in their field.”
“The teams will present some compelling testimonies and campaign actions for Alliance partners to endorse.”
The areas on which Sydney Alliance partner organisations have decided to focus on are:
| Transport: | Safer train travel Drop-off zones around medical facilities in the Liverpool area |
| Community health: | A best practice model of cultural inclusion in community support and health Better access to interpreters, bilingual and Aboriginal support workers in Parramatta |
| Social inclusion: | Greater youth engagement with police in the Marrickville area |
The Alliance is Australia’s first attempt at the kind of broad scale community organising pioneered by American organiser Saul Alinksy and his Industrial Areas Foundation and made famous in recent times by US President Barack Obama among others.
Two thousand people attended the Sydney Alliance Founding Assembly at Sydney Town Hall on 15 September last year. Since then Alliance groups have been talking with and listening to their growing membership to determine priorities for Sydney.
“The Alliance is rolling up its sleeves, working across communities to present constructive local solutions to the problems facing Sydney,” said Ms Tattersall.
“We are continuing to grow strongly with new partners coming on board week by week to work together for the common good.”
“We are a truly diverse coalition – from groups as small as local church congregations to large organisations like the Cancer Council.”
“Any non-partisan organisations committed to the Sydney Alliance values are welcome to join.”
Sydney Alliance research teams are scheduling are number of campaign actions on transport, community support and social inclusion themes in July, and will put their asks to decision-makers at a City Assembly at Sydney Town Hall on 28 October.
