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Broadening Citizen

Engagement

Engaging the Unengaged

Keith Barker

City Manager

City of Clarkston, GA

Engaging the UnengagedStrategies

• Learn what diverse groups are in your community

• Learn the challenges faced by the diverse groups in your community

• Discover what services are available to assist immigrants with integration into your community

• Ask unengaged residents what would make them feel more a part of the community

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Engaging the UnengagedStrategies

• Brainstorm innovative ways to reach out to

diverse groups

• Plan ways to increase the cultural competency

within your city “family”

• Examine city regulations to see whether they

pose barriers to immigrant/refugee families

• Lead by example

• Use your networks and learn from others

Clarkston Speaks…. the City Listens

• Community Survey & Focus Groups

• GA. Tech. School of City & Regional Planning

• Team of Graduate City Planning Students

– Clarkston Studio

• Recommendations to Improve

– Communications

– Services

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Survey Methodology• Survey Questions

– English, Amharic, Arabic, Burmese, Karen, Nepali, Tigrinya

• Street Intercept Surveys & Focus Groups– 736 Respondents

• 74% Foreign Born

• 26% Native Born

• Community Partners: Somali American Community Center, Eritrean-American Community Association, Bhutanese Community Association, Advancing Justice Atlanta

Learn What Diverse Groups are in Your

Community

• 56% of Clarkston’s population is black or African American

-52% for DeKalb County -32% for the Atlanta MSA

• 24% of Clarkston’s population is Asian

-2 to 4 times the county and regional rate

• 14% of Clarkston’s residents are white

• 3% of Clarkston’s population is Hispanic or Latinos

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Learn What Diverse Groups are in Your Community

• One half of Clarkston Citizens are foreign-born

- compared to 16% in DeKalb County

• One third, 35%, are not United States citizens- over four times the regional proportion of 8%

• Nearly half speak a language other than English at home- compared to 19% for DeKalb County

• One-third of Clarkston residents speak English “less than very well”

“The Most Diverse Square Mile in America”

• Burma

• Nepal

• Bhutan

• Vietnam

• Thailand

• Cambodia

• Iran

• Iraq

• Sudan

• Somalia

• Ethiopia

• Eritrea

• Congo

• Sudan

• Croatia

• Bosnia

Countries of Origin Countries of Origin

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Learn the Challenges Faced by the Diverse Groups in your Community

• Cultural Assimilation

• Language Barriers

• Fear of Government Officials & Police

• Transportation

• Housing

• Low Educational Attainment

Learn Service Agencies that Assist

Immigrants with Community Integration

• Refugee Resettlement Agencies

• State Department (DHR)

• Clarkston Community Center

• Various Non-Profit Organizations

• Mosques, Temples and Churches

– Opportunities to Partner

– Established Credible Relationships

– Access to Religious and Community Leaders

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Ask Unengaged Residents What Would Make them Feel More a Part of the Community

• Increase transparency and accessibility of City’s

police force to increase feelings of safety and

comfort

• Obtain “Welcoming City” designation and implement

policies that demonstrate commitment

• Create a “language assistance” plan and offer

translation resources to break down language

barriers

Traditional Public Engagement

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Brainstorm Innovative Ways to

Reach Out to Diverse Groups

Streetscape Public Information Open House (PIOH)

Brainstorm Innovative Ways to Reach Out to Diverse Groups

Clarkston Streetscape PIOH

• Identified Interpreters (6 languages)

– Networked with community leaders

• Conducted Interpreter Training & Orientation

– Goals & Objectives

– Project Details

• Translated meeting notices & flyers

• Utilized ethnic radio stations & magazines

• Understand “oral culture”

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Clarkston Streetscape PIOH

• Collaborated with immigrant advocacy groups

• Provided transportation & child care

• Used RSVP type notice

• Follow up: Phone.. Texts.. Email.. Social media,

• Get out of the Courthouse…Take it to the streets!

– Tactical Urbanism

Brainstorm Innovative Ways to Reach Out to Diverse Groups

Public Engagement

Challenges

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Brainstorm Innovative Ways to

Reach Out to Diverse GroupsOvercoming Fear of Police

• Strive for Police Officer Diversity

• Strategic Plan/Mission Statement– “Celebrate the Difference”

• Cultural Sensitivity Training– Developed with input from the community

• Citizen Education– Clarkston 101

– Police Ride Along

Brainstorm Innovative Ways to Reach Out to Diverse Groups

Overcoming Fear of Police

• Minority Youth Violence Programs

• National Night Out

• Coffee with a Cop

• Code Enforcement

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Minority Youth Violence Prevention Programs

National Night Out

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Coffee with a Cop

Clarkston

Culture Fest

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Cross Cultural

Community Building

Lessons Learned• Learn what diverse groups are in your community

• Learn the challenges faced by the diverse groups in your community

• Discover what services are available to assist immigrants with integration into your community

• Ask unengaged residents what would make them feel more a part of the community

• Brainstorm innovative ways to reach out to diverse groups

• Plan ways to increase the cultural competency within your city “family”

• Examine city regulations to see whether they pose barriers to immigrant/refugee families

• Lead by example

• Use your resources and learn from others

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ClarkstonConnectsNewsletters

ClarkstonSpeaksRadioProgram

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Thank You!