In my years working in Social Purpose Real Estate, I’ve been to innumerable community gatherings, charettes, tenant meetings, openings, town halls, etc. None of this prepared me for the feeling I had while participating in the community visioning exercise hosted by the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA). Nearly 300 neighbors gathered for several hours this past Saturday in the City Heights area of San Diego to begin to set a vision for PANA’s Refugee, Immigrant and Cultural Hub (RICH). Present were multiple generations from immigrant communities from Somalia, Eritrea, Sudan, Ethiopia, Palestine, Afghanistan, Burma and elsewhere.
PANA fed the participants, provide real-time translation in six languages and provided on-site childcare to make sure folks were welcome and ready to participate. My co-consultants Chingwell Motombu and Rufaro Gwarada planned an executed an amazing event that resulted in deep conversation at all 26 tables and an amazing array of ideas for what could be created at the RICH.
This is what community engagement looks like. It is thoughtful, intentional, and inclusive. It is also messy, loud and not easy. It is a time for leaders to listen and for the community to be heard and to feel seen. Congratulations to Ramla Sahid, Daniela Alvarado and the rest of the PANA team. I look forward to future community meetings and the success that those will bring to the project.