Houston Community News >> Asian/Pacific Convention News

5/10/2006 Houston-- Save the date! The National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (CAPACD) will be holding its 7th Annual Convention in Houston, Texas, from Thursday, May 18 through Saturday, May 20, 2006, at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

National CAPACD is a membership based network of local community based agencies who have been and are active players in various social and economic empowerment movements and range in experience, approach, and technique to community building, planning and empowerment. National CAPACD's annual convention is one of the largest gatherings of community-based practitioners, organizers, and advocacy agencies nationwide. This year's convention will be held in partnership with the City of Houston (Houston) and Partners for Livable Communities (PLC).

In 2005, Houston, PLC and the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies planned a historic "Cities in Transition" (CIT) forum, entitled "Asian Pacific Islander Americans: An Asset for America's Future" — and National CAPACD was an active co-sponsor of this event. CIT was a collaborative effort involving more than 40 national APA organizations to highlight the needs and challenges of growing AAPI communities in America's multicultural cities. Originally scheduled for September 21-25, 2005, CIT unfortunately was cancelled due to Hurricane Rita.

National CAPACD has engaged with Houston and PLC to expand its Convention offerings to include many of the CIT audience and topics. The 2006 Convention will continue to feature in-depth workshops, trainings and plenaries on current issues in community development and housing and engage diverse representatives from the business, government, philanthropy, education, science, arts, social services, and entertainment sectors.

Convention Goals
· Provide opportunities for networking
· Develop the capacity of those who serve APA communities
· Encourage the active participation of the APA community in advocacy initiatives
· Develop collaborations among diverse people working to improve the lives of APA’s and other communities of color

Special Convention Highlights
· Community Tours of Houston’s APA neighborhoods, institutions and centers, led by community organizers and leaders — exploring the growth of AAPI communities in Houston.
· OCA Starry Night Market & Festival in Southwest Houston's Chinatown, featuring APA and other diverse international community vendors and local agencies. Open free to the public. Please call OCA Greater Houston at 281-822-0261 or visit www.ocahouston.org for more information.
· Attendance at the Asian Pacific American Heritage Association Gala Dinner, featuring well known artists and entertainment. Visit www.apaha.org or call 713-784-1112.
· Regional and National Town Hall Meeting with elected and appointed officials to respond to issues on disaster preparedness and relief, housing and community development initiatives and other public concerns.
· Speakers including former HUD Director Henry Cisneros, Mayor Bill White, Council Member M.J. Khan and other elected officials from cities across the country.

For more information, please call 1-202-223-2442 or info@nationalcapacd.org.  You may also visit National CAPACD online at http://www.nationalcapacd.org to register or for exhibition details.