living I.N.T.A.C.T.

Opportunities for People Who Have Been Incarcerated

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative

Currently many social justice issues are impacting in minor ways while people are becoming more disenfranchised from the democratic processes. With grassroots organizers coming together, in these Charrettes, sharing their advantages and disadvantages invisible conflicts become evident due to the intersectionality of their experiences (ie. incarcerated threads through domestic abuse that threads through pay inequality that threads through immigration rights, etc.) These Charrettes are teaching the theory of change I.N.T.A.C.T. an acronym for ways to acquire and maintain physical, mental and financial health. Targeted audience are the community grassroots organizers, advocates of the 12 Pillars (Domestic Violence,DisABILITIES,Reproductive Justice, Maternal Mortality,Campus-Rape Culture, Environmental Racism, Homelessness, Human Trafficking,Immigration Rights, Incarcerated,Pay Inequality,Sexual Harassment) to learn I.N.T.A.C.T. at quarterly Charrettes as Trusted Collectives emerge.

A major issue the Charrette addresses and solves is the pervasive mindset that treats the symptoms but not the cure. Many nonprofit activities seemingly entrenched in the constant needs of communities were problems continue to maintain their sense of despair that can become more of a 'customer base' than solvable solutions. For example, as homelessness continues to increase, though much financial assistance has been channeled to solve it, few homegrown experienced organizers come together to facilitate change. The Charrettes are to implement exactly that... safe spaces to solve the conflicts from the perspective of people who have 'lived' it and map 'real' solutions. With enough traction from the evidence of issues that intersect, coming forth in these Charrettes, it provides the empirical based statistics to validate that the problems are shared not individualistically rather collectively. And this brings 'asset based communal agreement and development'. Solutions come out of sincere and authentic processes that address direct issues over proposed suggestions. With each Charrette, Trusted Collectives (final step in the I.N.T.A.C.T. theory of change) are formed. This is where opportunity to share perspectives and revitalize urban living with the resiliency of diversity, building Trusted Collectives in the 10 cities where the Charrettes take place (now virtually interface forthcoming) and democratizing social justice virally.

Within the 12 Pillars the County of Los Angeles can implement change with solution-based empiricism and statistics making issues evident that without solutions Los Angeles will suffer (ie.Council for Criminal Justice says Domestic Violence has increased 8%). More disabilities with the continued awareness in mental health current legislation is outdated and suspect to organizations that work with disabled communities. The rise in cesarean births contributing to maternal mortality rates with Los Angeles having the highest C-section rates, in California, the Charrette serves as a welcoming community where 'trusted' conversations for change can take place. The University of Southern California has a 31%, reports Los Angeles Times, sexual assault rate. The Charrette provides campus organizers a community that shares, prevents & intervenes to make systemic changes to the campuses culture. Naming just a few of the many dynamics the Charrettes embrace and foster within its Trusted collective.

By polling all the Charrette participants via a Qualtrics Survey to gather relevant data and compare the similarities and differences within each of the 12 Pillars, in each Charrette in every city (10 in total and quarterly), comparisons and contrasts will be compiled. Since, the information needs to be relevant and current, the survey questions will be both general to all the social justice issues and in-particular to the specificity of the context within each individual pillar. This is just one of the exciting concepts that the Charrette brings to bear as this compiled information will be useful to a broad scope of agencies and institutions to improve their outcomes. We anticipate this to be a mode of sustainability within our for-profit stakeholder objectives.