Catalyst Miami Launch
6-9pm on Thursday, December 9
800 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach
Food and Catalini Cocktails will be served
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Human Services Coalition Launches new capacity building initiative for non-profits: Catalyst Miami.
The Human Services Coalition (HSC) will officially announce the organization’s new name and a new model for social change: Catalyst Miami. For the past 15 years, this Miami-based non-profit has promoted civic engagement, economic prosperity, and increased access to healthcare for Miami-Dade residents.
HSC accomplishments include founding the Prosperity Campaign, now a statewide effort to link eligible residents in need of economic stability with financial services and healthcare programs that has tapped into more than $100 million in federal funding set aside for Florida; establishing the Civic Life Academy, training more than 500 residents to be advocates for their communities at every level of government; and coordinating the Pennywise Campaign, which this year successfully convinced Miami-Dade County government to preserve funding for social services in the current budget by rolling back the property tax rate to prior levels.
Catalyst Miami recognizes the role of the Human Services Coalition as a catalyst for social change, helping diverse individuals and organizations work together to improve health, education, and economic opportunity in all our communities.
The new name also reflects a new model for social change:
1. Catalyst Miami prepares individuals to serve as community leaders.
2. Catalyst Miami builds stronger organizations through capacity building: incubating new nonprofits; helping established nonprofits innovate; and brokering shared services (from accounting to marketing to IT) that allow nonprofits to focus on their mission.
3. Catalyst Miami provides structures and practices that that make it possible for diverse partners to work together, from grassroots organizers and fellow nonprofits to major foundations, schools, hospitals, and financial institutions.
The launch party for Catalyst Miami, held at ArtCenter/South Florida on Lincoln Road, celebrates HSC’s 15 years of social change by awarding the first annual Catalyst Awards to community leaders in children’s well-being (David Lawrence, The Children’s Trust); civic engagement (Cesar Conde, Univision); economic prosperity (Eduardo Padron, Miami Dade College); education (Isaac Prilletensky, University of Miami); and healthcare (Jacqui Colyer, Department of Children and Families).
The Catalyst Miami launch also recognizes HSC as an innovator by introducing to Miami the BeeTagg, a new communications technology that delivers online messages to smart phone users who swipe a special bar code. Guests at the launch will test this new technology by swiping BeeTaggs that will direct their phones to messages about HSC history and Catalyst Miami’s future.
To help guests grasp the concept of Catalyst Miami, the launch party will feature a collaborative art installation where each guest will add a “particle” to a molecular model that represents coming together for social change. For more information about Catalyst Miami, please visit their website.
Andres Viglucci wrote in the Miami Herald that the Miami Art Museum held a ceremonial ground-breaking on their $200,000,000 Herzog & DeMeuron structure on Tuesday. The actual dirt movement will be on or around December 15th. Viglucci says:
If it happens as scheduled, that initial phase would mark a consequential milestone in plans to transform the barely used park into a cultural centerpiece for downtown Miami — a strategy that has been dogged by some degree of controversy and doubts over its feasibility.
The Urban Environment League has been divided on the use of Bicentennial Park to house museums. As the article states:
But the plan has come under criticism from parks activists who say the buildings would eat up too much open space, while some prominent art-world figures question whether MAM, with a relatively small collection of contemporary art and a low profile, merits a $200 million, taxpayer-financed building. Others have questioned whether the art and science museums can meet ambitious private fundraising goals for construction and subsequent operation of the large, complex new buildings, especially amid the economic collapse of the past couple of years.
The Art Basel website says:
Art Basel Miami Beach is the most important art show in the United States, a cultural and social highlight for the Americas. As the sister event of Switzerland’s Art Basel, the most prestigious art show worldwide for the past 41 years….
We are lucky to have a show of this caliber in Miami. It is open from noon till 8 pm. On Sunday the show is over at 6 pm.
(pictured below: Adel Abdessemed’s ‘Mappemonde,’)
UEL Co-President Fran Bohnsack and Board Member, Nancy Liebman have teamed up to resurrect the UEL bus tour. The tour is scheduled for a Friday in early February and will make stops around the upper-east side of the city, taking in a gallery or two. Our bus tours were one of our most popular events. The people who attended has a great time and friendships were forged among the group, out for a day of exploring.
The UEL monthly dinner schedule will resume in January.
The UEL Dinner on November 17th on the proposed 25 to 35 story Media Towers (developer Mark Siffin) became a circus in itself.
The forum had a mixed panel to discuss the issue — With Mr. Siffin himself on it. Nonetheless, the Siffin camp found it necessary to bring protesters to the event, holding signs and chanting in favor of the project. People who were attending simply to learn more about the public policy aspect of the project were made to feel uncomfortable as they walked the guantlet of protestors who seemed determined to inhibit thoughtful dialogue. The developer also filled the room with supporters who did not pay for dinner, but did hiss when something was said against the project. Miami rudeness at its finest!
The UEL has not taken a position for or against the project as our membership is divided. However, an open dialogue should not have been used by the developer’s camp as a chance to shut down dissenting opinions. In addition, the developer offered very little of substance to the discussion.
Whereas I am normally very pleased with the quality and substance of UEL’s programs,
this one left me with a bad taste — so much so that I am contemplating asking the UEL Board to
reconsider our policy of free admittance to the program portion of our monthly dinners
I would like to know what others think.
The Miami International Book Fair came to a close on Sunday. It was a terrific line-up of speakers including George W. Bush. The Fair took place at the Wolfson Campus of Miami Dade College. It was well attended and considered a success. This was the 27th edition of this event.
Here is a photo history of the event. The Miami International Book Fair is an event that gets people downtown to see that it is a friendly, safe place to go. One disappointment, most of the surrounding shops were closed.
About 75 people attended the dinner forum on Economics vs. Visual Pollution: Mega Ad Towers and Public Media in Miami-Dade’s Future.
Miami Dade County Commissioner Carlos Gimenez makes a point that media towers might have a place in downtown, the question is where are they appropriate. Gregory Bush, Moderator, looks on.
Mark Siffin listens as Dusty Melton makes a point about Miami Dade County signage law.
Gregory Bush, Mark Siffin and Eston “Dusty” Melton.
District 8 and District 2 County Commissioners were sworn in today. Jean Monestime will replace Dorrin Rolle in District 2 and Lynda Bell will replace Katy Sorenson in District 8.
We hope to have a good working relationship with both County Commissioners.
The mayor contends that recalls are part of the Democratic process, but the Mayor will not stand by and watch a campaign of misinformation and opportunism unfold without putting up a fight.
The main reason people are clamoring for the recall is that Mayor Alvarez proposed a budget that raised taxes. He did not vote on the budget or approve it, the County Commissioners did that.
Mr. Norman Braman has financed the recall effort and recently submitted the required number of petitions, and then some, to recall the Mayor. The Mayor promptly filed a lawsuit questioning the assistant clerk’s approval of the original petition form (the Clerk was required to sign according to the Mayor’s attorneys and the Home Rule Charter. Harvey Ruvin, the clerk, said he could appoint someone to sign other than himself).
Alvarez contends that if something was done inappropriately – if the proper process wasn’t followed or if there was fraud involved in the collection of signatures he would like it to be known.
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