One hundred American cities have now joined the National League of Cities? (NLC) Partnership for Working Toward Inclusive Communities, with the announcement today that Yuma, Ariz., has joined the Partnership. Since March, cities and towns representing more than 9.7 million people from across the United States have declared their commitment to building more inclusive communities by joining the partnership, posting ?welcome? signs, and working to increase citizen participation and engagement while promoting equal opportunity and fairness.
NLC President Jim Hunt, councilman from Clarksburg, W.Va., initiated the Partnership in response to growing divisions he saw developing across the country. In contrast, Hunt is urging cities to embrace their differences and seek more inclusive solutions to problems. ?Open dialogue among citizens can be the key to finding workable solutions to many of the problems facing cities and towns,? Hunt said. ?Cities like Yuma recognize this and are working to make sure every citizen?s voice has a chance to be heard ? regardless of race, economic and social status, disability or any distinction.?
?We are very proud of Yuma?s already diverse population and our current work to celebrate it,? said Yuma City Administrator Mark Watson, following action by the Yuma City Council in late September to join NLC?s effort. ?The Inclusive Communities Partnership will help our city make sure we continue to reach out to all our citizens, increase involvement by a wider representation of citizens and find new ways to embrace our unique diversities.?
Currently, the City of Yuma builds inclusiveness through such programs and events as the Yuma Coalition to End Homelessness; interaction with Sister Cities San Luis Rio, (Colo.) and Mexicali (Mexico); the Martin Luther King, Jr. Service Day; the Neighborhood Leadership Academy and numerous cultural activities and performances. In February 2007, Yuma will open the Stewart Vincent Wolfe Memorial Creative Playground, which will be built through a collaboration of municipal and private resources and volunteers, and is based on design input from more than 5,000 Yuma-area school children.
Launched in March 2006, the Partnership for Working Toward Inclusive Communities has grown to include 100 cities in less than nine months, signifying municipal leaders? recognition that ensuring all citizens feel they are valued is vital for the health and well-being of a community. Most of these cities have posted large-scale street signs stating, ?Welcome. We are building an inclusive community?, as a public symbol of their pledge to continually address issues of inclusiveness. The current list of partnership members represents the diversity and inclusiveness the program aims to foster, with members cities of varied sizes, demographics, geographic locations and economic situations.
Additional information, including a list of participating cities and how to join the Partnership can be found at www.nlc.org or by calling Laura Sweeney, 202-626-3051 or Sherry Appel, 202-626-3003.
The National League of Cities is the nation?s oldest and largest organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity, leadership and governance. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 U.S. cities, towns and villages, which collectively serve 218 million people.
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