Sydney Alliance 2019

THE YEAR IN NUMBERS & PICTURES John, thank you for being along for the journey in 2019. We hope these images of some of our highlights of the year offer a short distraction from today's heat and ash!   "Get it done!" 1901 assembly participants call for affordable housing & energy ahead of March NSW Election. "Arriving... and being applauded! That is monumental for our community" 152 Sikh leaders from the Glenwood Gurdwara enter their first Alliance Assembly to cheers and applause.  "Its a yes". Don Harwin, NSW Energy Minister joins 9 Politicians of all parties; LIB, LAB, GRN, CDP & IND, in negotiations for a better Sydney. "This is... not what I expected."Federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor summarises his meeting with 5 leaders of Voices For Power about a Community Energy Hub in Western Sydney. "It's so different, hearing it direct. It made me grateful and empathetic." 9300 Sydneysiders have participated in  ‘Changing the Conversation’ to date; hearing directly from a person seeking refuge or asylum. 1118 of those in 2019.  "Making this commitment is one of the proudest moments of my life... Thank you to Sydney Alliance for this campaign" Karl Asfour, Mayor of Canterbury-Bankstown commits to 9 Early Childhood Education places in Bankstown Preschools, to be made available for children of people seeking asylum. By year's end a total of 15 Childcare Centres & Preschools have joined the program, including private providers and Catholic Early Education. More to do in 2020! Photo Credit: Danish Ravi.   "It takes organised people to overcome violence. Muslims in Christchurch, Catholics in Sri Lanka and Jews in La Halle and San Diego, we all bleed red. We must strive to make Sydney different" 305 Sydneysiders gathered throughout the year for “The Power of Love”. Building long term, honest and frank relationships across the city’s diversity in the wake of the terrible attacks in 2019. "Sure, they are dense reading, dull as sawdust. But jeez those submissions makes a difference" 155 Sydneysiders fought, planning jargon and tight timeframes to supporting Affordable Housing in submissions to Local-Strategic-Planning-Statements (LSPS). 30 of 33 of Sydney's local councils were targeted. Hundreds of affordable homes will be made available, thanks to your action this year. "I will tell my children - do your power analysis in the playground!" 195 Leaders trained in community organising in 2019. New skills, new power, new leaders ready for action in 2020.   "I felt something had changed within me. I felt like I was a different person. I had grown, matured, aged in some way and was no longer the boy I was merely 24 hours ago" Raul sharing his journey as one of 11 graduating interns in 2019. They join 161 Alumni of the Sydney Alliance Interns program. "Changing the world starts in our own backyards. In Plumpton, Turella, Drummoyne, Greenacre, Cronulla and Pymble..." 247 Postcodes in the Sydney Basin. Your postcode needs you! CALL TO ACTION: In 2020 the Alliance is supporting local leaders like you to listen, discern and act in their own postcodes. If you are keen to be part of "Postcode2020" reply to find out more in the new year! Or support this work with a donation. For the common good of Sydney, David Barrow http://www.sydneyalliance.org.au/