Center for Intercultural Organizing
  2008 by the Numbers

• 5th year of uniting community members in support of immigrant and refugee rights.
  
  
• Recruited 171 new members from 60 different countries to join the Center for Intercultural Organizing. CIO now has a total of 319 members.
  
  
• CIO trained 81 new leaders to campaign against Ballot Measure 58 during 5 Oregon Voices trainings (between February and July).
  
  
• CIO collaborated with 65 organizations to plan our grassroots "No on 58" strategy and to organize joint events.
  
  
• Succesfully defeated Ballot Measure 58, protecting the rights of 64,000 non-English speaking students in Oregon.
  
  
• Between July 16th and September 10th, 40 CIO volunteers knocked on 690 doors during 8 canvasses.
  
  
• Between September 20th and November 2nd, CIO organized 7 phone banks, during which 49 volunteers called 1670 people.
  
  
• Between October 24 and November 1st, CIO Distributed 300 non-partisan Voter Guides to 13 different locations.
  
  
• In total, CIO educated over 2500 people through public forums, canvassing, phone banking and Oregon Voices dialogues.
  
  
• Graduated 15 immigrant and refugee leaders through our yearlong program, Pan-Immigrant Leadership and Organizing Training (PILOT). Leaders are now serving on City of Portland committees, organizing their communities, growing social justice organizations and empowering immigrants and refugees throughout the state.
  
  
• Organized dozens of immigrants and refugees to tell their stories to the media, elected officials and decision-makers.
  
  
• Mobilized thousands to demand change at rallies, protests, and public hearings.
  
  
• Co-convened a grassroots table of over 35 immigrant and refugee organizations and allied organizations throughout the state.

Established an Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs—Won a citywide resolution in 2006 to protect the rights and liberties of the immigrant and refugee community, to better include them in civic/public life and to provide specific strategies for improving government processes and services. This led to the creation of a task force and the eventual establishment of a Human Rights Commission and an Office of Immigrant & Refugee Affairs for the City of Portland (passed by City Council in January 16, 2008).

Conducting Community-Based Research—Trained immigrant and refugee organizers to conduct community wide surveys designed to surface immigrant and refugee issues and solutions. Organizers collected 1000 surveys from African, Latino, Arab, Slavic, and Asian/Pacific Islander communities. Results were published in a report, "Uniting Cultures in Portland: Bridging the Gaps in City Policy" and provided to elected officials, community leaders and media.

Developing New Immigrant and Refugee Leaders— The Center identified and brought together a unique group of fifteen first generation immigrant and refugee community members to participate in an intensive, year-long leadership development series, the Pan- Immigrant Leadership Organizing Training (PILOT) Program. The participants, who represented twelve countries and spoke a total of 31 languages, developed the skills necessary to testify in government hearings, hold press conferences, implement short-term issue campaigns and develop the analysis necessary for cross-cultural movement building. These leaders now have the skills and ability to train hundreds of their fellow community members (Graduation was April 2008).

Educating the Community—Produced dozens of forums featuring the voices of local immigrants, refugees, and people of color; launched a popular education program, Refugee and Immigrant Solidarity Education (RISE) Workshops, in which participants work together across cultural lines to develop a thorough knowledge of the dynamics of immigration, political influences on immigration policy and effective community organizing strategies.

Creating a Multicultural Community Gathering Center—CIO has worked with dozens of community-based organizations to push the City of Portland to build a shared space for organizing, leadership development and cross-cultural community building in Portland. The concept and feasibility study are currently underway with the assistance of Planning Bureau staff.