As part of its commitment to climate justice and as an integral link in the fight against the scourge of COVID-19, the 10 January 2022 California Governor Gavin Newsom announced in a statement that a new Office of Community Partnerships and Communications will be formed (Office of Community Partnerships and Strategic Communications).
This office will be part of the Office of Planning and Research (OPR), under the direction of Samuel Assefa and will report directly to the Governor.
The budget proposal presented that same day to the Legislature includes a package of 65 million dollars from the current General Fund for this office, which among other activities, it will provide grants to community organizations and other partners.
Thus, the new institution will be in charge of organizing, developing and coordinating “public awareness campaigns” and “community participation”
The impact of this initiative will take time. The Legislature generally approves state budgets around 15 July, and in Assefa’s own words, the office won’t be up and running until the middle or end of 2023.
The governor’s office organized this January 12 a Zoom meeting with community organizations and the media of ethnic communications from all over California, in which he presented the vision, expectations and hopes of the new office.
Part of the event included Maricela Rodríguez, Director of Civic Engagement and Strategic Partnerships at Governor Newsom’s Office, as well as Assefa, as well as legendary Latina leader Dolores Huerta.
Emily Breslin, deputy director of communications for the governor’s office, stressed at the beginning of the meeting that the proposal is still in its early stages, so “this is an opportunity for us to collaborate and Let’s get in touch if you have questions.”
Samuel Assefa
“California not only tolerates but celebrates its diversity and respects the rights and responsibilities we have towards our diverse communities,” Assefa said. “The proposed office is a clear indicator of the administration’s recognition and respect for its communities by formalizing the unique critical role community-based organizations can play and advancing the state’s goals for reaching out to and building trust with California’s diverse constituents and increase access to culturally competent information and critical resources”.
“Part of your task will be the administration of priority public awareness and outreach campaigns throughout the state, as determined by California law…on a number of critical environmental and land use… through coordinated outreach.
…We have a deep respect for California communities and the resources they bring to the many issues we address. And we understand that this respect implies building relationships of trust, listening to them and supporting them all”.
“You”, said Assefa addressing the leaders community members present, “have a deep knowledge of their communities, so we must formalize a structure of mutual association.”
Marisela Rodríguez
After expressing his “gratitude to those present for having been part of our state efforts in response to COVID-19” , Rodríguez explained that “this initiative focuses on community participation and public education. This includes efforts to combat disinformation and provide the community with the information they need, that is reliable, up-to-date, culturally relevant, in the language they speak.”
“This is precisely,” he continued, “the work being done by our community partners and people active in philanthropy.”
“Of the 65 millions, 15 millions are for state operations and others 15 millions for local assistance. From now on we need to really assess the total cost of this effort and then break down those costs,” Rodríguez added.
Dolores Huerta
The co-founder of the peasant union expressed that “this is not only a brilliant idea but also a very practical and effective one. It is something that has been needed for many years. I have been in community activity for the last 70 years of my life and this is a dream come true, because in this way… we will elevate to a new level the work that community benefit organizations they do in the community.
“This will make our work much better and stronger, because most nonprofits always struggle to get the funds they need to do their work, which really supports the policies
Community-based organizations feel the pulse of the community. They know what the challenges are, what needs to be done so that government programs are implemented effectively.
This will result in savings for taxpayers. We save the government money because volunteers do vital work, and because they don’t ask for payment but for recognition and advancement of their cause.
California Latino Media
Martha Ashkenazy, editor of the San Fernando Valley Sun who circulates in the San Fernando Valley and a member of the Latino Media Collaborative, said that although community newspapers are not CBOs (community-based organizations) “we are reliable messengers of information. We are very close to the field of events. And we also need support, because the messages come out through our newspapers in the language used by the people of our community. These people trust us, because we have been with them for many years. They listen to what we have to say, and we influence their views.”
“I just want to make sure”, he added “that we will be included in everything and that there is a way to maximize cooperation, with announcements or operations joint. We are ready to transmit the message. We know that people will listen to us.”
In her response to Ashkenazy, Marisela Rodríguez said that “there is an intention that public education, communication, be a component of what we are doing. We will continue to refine the proposal in that regard. It will be a question of how we can provide adequate resources in our current situation. We know we have the most impact when outreach works, and when communication work is done with coordination and collaboration, and when there is a feedback loop to send messages and respond to questions and concerns from the community.”
A step forward
By defining his functions in terms of “priority public education” and especially “ongoing support for community organizations,” Newsom’s proposal to the Legislature could constitute a watershed in the relationship between the state government and Latino organizations and media.
While each of these elements traditionally works in parallel, the tasks facing the media are ever greater but the resources at their disposal are increasingly insufficient.
The proposal would then reflect a recognition by the state government that in order to get closer to the state’s ethnic communities, to better inform them, collaboration with ethnic organizations and media is essential.