Touching the Dream - why your gift matters
ALF Oregon’s Executive Director, Sarah Greenman, made an impassioned call at the 2023 Reunion to Senior Fellows and community partners to support leaders whose voices have been systemically and historically under-represented in the state of Oregon. The need is still great and your gift matters.
From Sarah Greenman’s address:
Joe Jaworski’s founding impulse for the American Leadership Forum was that relationships are the core element of systems change. He knew then what we know now: that old ways of being, doing and problem-solving are no longer working. Polarization has swept through every corner of civic life and we are living through multiple “once in a generation” disruptions.
ALF was built for this moment.
We convene leaders from across the state who are striving both to dismantle systemic inequalities and resource their resilient communities. We create spaces to practice civic intimacy. We believe in getting close and bearing witness to each other’s stories. This expands our sense of what’s possible and fosters a culture of mutual care. We build relationships of respect and empathy across difference – where leaders are empowered to collaborate and lead in this new paradigm. And in our current climate, that kind of relational leadership is revolutionary.
US Representative Ayanna Pressley says, “The people closest to the pain, should be the closest to the power.” We understand that to foster the kind of generative dialogue ALF Oregon is known for we need engagement from leaders who serve communities most impacted by policy – communities closest to the pain. This means centering the voices of leaders of color, leaders experiencing disability, LBGTQIA leaders, leaders from rural communities, leaders from Indigenous communities, leaders from communities that have mixed citizen status, and other communities that have been historically underserved by our state.
ALF was built for this moment.
Tonight, we’re asking you to invest in the future of ALF relationships. Help us fulfill our long-term commitment to support and resource leaders from Oregon’s most impacted communities.
If we are to enact lasting and positive change in Oregon, it will only happen when everyone, regardless of geography, identity, affluence, or political affiliation, has a seat at the table.
Prentis Hemphill, a somatic therapist and activist who came to prominence during the Black Lives Matter movement, refers to something they call. “touching the dream,” which is the idea that we are practicing in real time the future we wish to bring into existence. ALF Oregon is a place where we practice touching the dream together.
ALF was built for this moment.
Tonight I’m calling on the senior fellow network to support this work. Join us in giving back to ALF what ALF has given to us.