VIOLENCE PREVENTION SUMMIT and
SAFE SUMMER KICK-OFF

Friday, June 13, 2008
Stop the Violence:  Violence Prevention Summit - Part II
Omaha North High School
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Audience:  State and local elected officials, faith leaders, police officers,
neighborhood association leaders, social agencies, counselors, educators,
judges, business professionals, health and healthy family advocates, 
attorneys, crime prevention specialists, community advocates, parents,
guardians, grandparents, youth, and other concerned residents.


Saturday, June 14, 2008
Great Summer 2008
Youth Summit and Celebration to Kick-off a Safe Summer
Omaha North High School
Tentative Time:  Noon to 6:00 pm

Audience:  Ages 14 to 19

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On behalf of Empower Omaha! 
African-American Empowerment Network

Welcome to our home site!

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AREA OF FOCUS:

Covenant 10:  Love our Neighbor-Stop the Violence

Empowerment Network Crime Prevention Covenant

Over 100 participated in the Stop the Violence Conference and Summit held on Friday,
May 9th and Saturday, May 10th.  Thank you to everyone who took time to help
develop strategies and generate new ideas.

The ideas and recommendations that were discussed are even more important today
following a string of violence in May.  New plans and strategies are in the works.  Get involved.   
Everyone has a role to play in helping to reduce and stop the violence. 

The Empowerment Network Crime Prevention Covenant is outlined below.

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Stop the Violence Conference
Crime Prevention Summit
Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May 10, 2008

Black Men United, National Hip Hop Political Convention, ACLU, Douglas County, Malcolm X Foundation,
African-American Association (UNO), Circle of Brotherhood, and Empowerment Network hosted the First Stop the Violence Conference and 2nd Annual Crime Prevention Summit.  The event attracted over 100 leaders, community advocates and youth for two days of planning and networking.  Five national speakers were on hand to share information, success stories, and strategies for reducing youth violence.  Local experts also presented best practice strategies and successful ideas.

Elected officials, police officers, faith leaders, non-profit organizations, crime prevention specialists, parents, students, and others worked together to generate ideas to reduce violence.  Strategies are in development and the Empowerment Network Crime Prevention Covenant will be updated to reflect recommendations from the national consultants and speakers.  It's time to work the plan!

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Neighborhood Clean-up
April 26, 2008

The Empowerment Network partnered with the Highlander, Prospect Place, and Prospect Hill Neighborhood Associations during their annual clean-up day.  Partners from throughout the city worked alongside neighbors to fill up several city dump trucks.  We helped to remove trash, brush, furniture, and other items from the neighborhood.  Thanks to all of the volunteers.  Other efforts are being planned for later this year.

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Rebuilding the Village Conference
April 4, 2008

On Friday, April 4, 2008, the Empowerment Network and Empower Omaha! presented the 2^nd Annual Rebuilding the Village Conference.  Three nationally known speakers were on hand to deliver five power-packed sessions featuring real-life examples of how neighborhoods have been transformed through partnerships, networks, and various community-based efforts.  George Fraser, President/CEO of FraserNet, Denise E. Gilmore, President/CEO of the Jazz District Redevelopment Corporation (Kansas City), and Kenneth Dobson, an international Community and Economic Development Consultant, proved to be an incredible line-up. 

A diverse audience of over 160 leaders and community advocates, representing over 70 different organizations, participated.  All areas of the Empowerment Covenant were present, including disciplines of education, business, faith, crime prevention, cultural arts, political empowerment, economics, housing, youth development, health, healthy families, neighborhood development, and media. 

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2007 IN REVIEW

2007 was quite a year.  Empower Omaha!  The Poverty Series.  Building Bright Futures.  LB641.  North Omaha Development Project.  Luis Palau.  Omaha 20/20.  Crime Spikes.  Stop the Violence Initiatives.  Westroads Shooting.  Who could have imagined that all of these things would happen in just one year?

December 8, 2007 marked the one year anniversary since the first Empowerment Network Community Summit.  Progress has been made on many fronts.  New partnerships have been formed.  It’s time for all of us to do our part and take things to a higher level.  There’s a lot of work ahead. 

Since the first community meeting, over 600 leaders and community representatives have contributed to the development of the Empower Omaha! Covenant.  We’ve worked together and partnered to support African-American businesses and cultural events, led prayer walks and community outreach efforts in targeted areas, met with city leaders and elected officials to discuss plans to improve the quality of life in Omaha, partnered with churches to launch adopt-a-school and adopt-a-block strategies, hosted small and large groups summits and conferences, presented the State of African-Americans in person to over 1,000 individuals, distributed over 3,000 copies of the Empower Omaha! Covenant, coordinated an economic networking trip to Kansas City, and accomplished many other specific projects.  We have worked to raise the awareness of the issues faced by African-Americans and developed solutions to address those challenges.  Through our web-site, www.empoweromaha.com, participation in parades and other community events, and feature stories in the media, tens of thousands of people have been exposed to the Empower Omaha! message.

In 2008, we will take what we've learned, set specific goals for each area of the covenant, continue building partnerships, and work to make a tangible, measurable difference in our community. 

Thank you to all of those who have committed time and resources to this initiative.  We are on the move.  Get involved and Do Your Part...Live the Covenant.

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INTRODUCTION to the EMPOWERMENT NETWORK

African-Americans have made great progress in many areas.  Through many challenges, African-Americans have pressed on and persevered.  There are over 64,000 African-Americans in the Omaha metro area.  We spend an estimated $700 million dollars each year.  We have elected officials at the local, county and state level. We have administrators, principals and teachers in our schools.  We have  strong churches, large and small. We have professionals, business owners and skilled workers.  We have health care professionals, social organizations, churches and others who are working every day to minister to and help those who are impacted, yet, in some areas we are going in the wrong direction.  We have resources, organizations, ideas, visions, and much more.  We have many success stories.  Yet,  we still lag when it comes to education, employment, housing, wealth, health, voting and other core areas.  (READ MORE...)
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EMPOWERMENT NETWORK COVENANT KICKOFF...

It's time to come together and work together!

On Friday, April 27, 2007, The Empowerment Network launched the first phase of the Empowerment Covenants and Challenge.  Seven months of planning, testing, research, forums, summits and meetings have led to the creation of a comprehensive covenant (agreement) that can be used as a road map towards positive community solutions. 
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DO YOUR PART...LIVE THE COVENANT!

Visit the Covenant page on this site to learn more about what you can do to make this covenant a reality.  Every individual, every family and every leader can do something to help improve our community.  (COVENANT...)
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TAKE THE CHALLENGE!

Need some specific examples of how you can "Live the Covenant?"  Go to the Take Action Now page on this site and learn more about things you can do right now to Do Your Part!  (TAKE THE CHALLENGE...)
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WANT TO GET INVOLVED WITH THE NETWORK?

By working together, we can make a measurable difference.  Go to the Contact Us page and send an e-mail if you would like to learn more about the Network or if you would like to get involved!  We will need volunteers to develop and implement solutions. 
(CONTACT PAGE...)
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