PathStone Presents –Provok!ng Thought , is an exciting opportunity for Western New York community builders of all kinds to hear local and national thought leaders around one of the most compelling and difficult issues of our time – poverty. We hope to be able to feature trends, innovations and policy topics to provoke new ways of thinking about poverty and to stimulate partnerships to address the challenges that poverty brings to the creation of a vibrant and healthy community.
This Year's Event
Action and Accountability: Unpacking Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing” delves into the principles of Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH). This initiative serves as a beacon for individuals and communities committed to dismantling barriers to fair housing.
Our theme centers on the notion that achieving fair housing requires deliberate and sustained effort. Through discussions, attendees will be empowered to deepen their understanding of AFFH and its implications for inclusive communities.
Key elements of our theme include:
- Education and Empowerment: Participants gain a comprehensive understanding of AFFH, its historical context, and its relevance in contemporary society. Armed with knowledge, they become agents of change, equipped to challenge discriminatory practices and promote fair housing for all.
- Action-Oriented Approach: We emphasize the importance of proactive steps to advance fair housing goals. From grassroots activism to policy advocacy, participants explore various avenues for effecting meaningful change within their communities.
- Accountability and Oversight: Building a culture of accountability is essential for sustaining progress in fair housing. Through dialogue and reflection, participants learn how to hold themselves and others accountable for upholding the principles of AFFH and addressing disparities in housing access and opportunity.
- Collaboration and Coalition-Building: Realizing the vision of fair housing requires collaboration across sectors and stakeholders. Our program fosters partnerships among community members, housing advocates, policymakers, and industry leaders, amplifying collective efforts to create more inclusive and equitable housing environments.
- Measurable Impact: We believe in measuring what matters. Participants are encouraged to set goals, track progress, and assess the impact of their actions on advancing fair housing objectives. By evaluating outcomes and sharing best practices, we strive to continuously refine and improve our collective approach.
PathStone Presents is more than a program—IT’S A CALL TO ACTION. Together, we can dismantle systemic barriers, challenge inequities, and build a future where every individual has access to safe, affordable, and dignified housing. Join us in this vital journey towards housing justice and equity.
The Goal
The goal of PathStone Presents! is to create a forum where key issues and hot-button topics affecting all citizens in the region are discussed. The series will feature both local and nationally recognized speakers from a wide variety of venues involved in addressing the impacts of poverty. PathStone hopes to bring attention to the struggles and issues all industries face that are inherent with working to alleviate the impacts of poverty be they nonprofits or for-profits involved with workforce development, education, health, housing, racial diversity, and/or economic development.
Our format for PathStone Presents! is flexible in order to support involvement by as many people and organizations as there are diverse opinions, profound insights and fascinating discussion on this topic. Pulitzer Prize winners, community builders, local activists, political figures, distinguished journalists, authors and other celebrated personalities will present and stimulate our audience. Each event will be followed by a Call to Action to either showcase and continue the good work already being done by groups and/or to form new partnerships to tackle issues.