Civic Engagement Priorities

This week we discuss the need for making informed decisions as we listen to politicians' campaign speeches or read news stories about the people running for office.  Part of being an informed voter is being familiar with down ballot candidates and understanding the referendums which impact local elections.  Has your family discussed a vote plan?  Are you an early voter intending to mail your ballot?  Have you checked to ensure you are registered to vote in your district?  These and other timely considerations will be part of the Profound Conversations.Show Topics and HighlightsThe system is broken. My passion is getting more social workers engaged in doing something to change the system.Can Social Workers help change Democracy?The people that are most affected by climate change are the same people most affected by Covid-19.We have to engage in our local elections because so much impacts our daily lives.We have a lack of adequate healthcare in our communities.Civic engagement is participation.We have to develop relationships with our representatives so they know what our concerns are.In the history of the united states we have never had an equitable system.Many immigrants are living in fear and are afraid to open their doors to census takers.The census is supposed to include immigrants and undocumented persons just as you do citizens. It’s in the constitution to do that.First and foremost we need an administration that is interested in the truth.The biggest issues we have is lack of trust, especially in certain communities. We are talking about power, and resources are power.Try to identify a group that wants to make change.Bureaucracy is very scared of community participation.We are a party of the people and I don’t know if we always live up to that.“Counseling Not Criminalization in the Schools Act” is a bill to provide federal funding for schools who would like to have more social workers and other service providers but they have to get rid of the police from the schools. The word “defunding” scares people its really more of a reimagining and putting money towards other services.Profound Conversations Executive Producers are the Muslim Life Planning Institute, a national community building organization whose mission is to establish pathways to lifelong learning and healthy communities at the local, national and global level.   MLPN.life The Profound Conversations podcast is produced by Erika Christie www.ErikaChristie.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.