‍Alianza Americas 2024 Leadership Assembly ‍

Alianza Americas will convene our member organizations to our Leadership Assembly on November 8-10, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois. We will gather in the city where the idea for the organizing project we are today was born to celebrate with our membership and allies 20 years of working to achieve a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable way of life for immigrant communities of Latin American origin living in the United States and throughout the Americas. 

We will kick off the assembly with a public event on November 8th. We invite the public to our open event, co-hosted by the Latin American and Latino Studies (LALS) program at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), entitled Latinos and Latin American Futures. 50 years of LALS and 20 years of Alianza Americas 

‍Consistent with our transnational perspective, we will have two public panels: 

These two panels will offer elements to reflect on our work and shared struggles, taking time to recognize and celebrate what we have achieved and discussing visions and strategies to direct our action and organizing power. 

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PUBLIC EVENT DETAILS

Latinos and Latin American Futures

50 years of LALS and 20 years of Alianza Americas 

• 9:00 a.m. The Way Forward in Latin America. In this first panel, we will explore the way forward in Latin America, considering the multiple challenges facing the region. We will include a historical perspective and consider the impact of inequities, violence, and failed economic “recipes,” democracy and the rule of law, the realities of Indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples, and migration in Latin America and the Caribbean. There will be time for questions after the panel presentation.

• 11:00 a.m. Dreams and Aspirations of Latinos In this second panel, we will discuss the aspirations and dreams of people of Latin American origin in the United States to invite you to reimagine how to build and strengthen their political and economic presence and power, their leadership, the inequities they face, the culture and power of the masses; and immigration policy. We will have time for questions after the panel presentation.

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EXCLUSIVE SESSIONS FOR ALIANZA AMERICAS MEMBERS

MEMBER REGISTRATION‍

From the afternoon of November 8 through November 10, we hold exclusive sessions for our members only. The agenda includes:

• Workshops to strengthen leadership skills and abilities in different areas of interest.

• Accountability: programmatic and financial work report to the membership from the Alianza Americas staff.
• Strategize for the year ahead: a space to prioritize needs, stakes, and shared objectives for our network ahead of 2025.
• Board Elections: the membership will elect five Board of Director seats, including the treasurer officer position.

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PROGRAM

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November 8

8:00 - 8:50 a.m. Breakfast and check-in

9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Latinos and Latin American Futures. 50 years of LALS and 20 years of Alianza Americas.

We open our Assembly with a conference organized in conjunction with the Latin American and Latino Studies (LALS) Program at the University of Illinois Chicago, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

The conference will have two panels.

• Latinos and Latin American Futures
• Latinos/Latinx’ Dreams and Aspirations

1:00 p.m. Lunch

2:00 p.m. Welcome

Welcoming remarks by Guadalupe de la Cruz, President of the Board of Directors, and presentation by Executive Director Dulce Guzmán.

‍2:30 p.m. Funders Panel: the perspective of program officers

We invited program officers to share their perspectives. They will tell us what they expect to find in a funding request and more.

3:45 p.m. Coffee break

4:00 p.m. Alianza Americas staff work reports

We will open the space for questions and comments from the membership.

5:00 p.m. Affinity groups meetings

México

LGBTQ+

Indigenous peoples and Afro-descendants

TPS

November 9

8:00 - 8:50 a.m. Breakfast

8:50 a.m. Welcome

9:00 a.m. River of life 

Our 20th anniversary is an opportunity to remember and celebrate our work, our struggles, our triumphs, and our challenges.

10:30 a.m. Coffee break

10:45 a.m. 2025 Priorities

A new administration requires us to identify how we can move forward and what we must contain in the face of the new composition of Congress and the election of the Presidency, and to consider the impact on our countries of origin and our transnational work.

12:30 p.m. Lunch

2:00 p.m. Workshops. Each attendee will be able to choose one workshop.

• Building the base
• Grassroots education
• Cultivating individual donors
• Narratives
• Advocacy with legislative bodies

4:00 p.m. Coffee break

4:15 p.m. Recognition and celebration

Space to recognize the people who met 20 years ago in Chicago to create the idea of the project that today is Alianza Americas, and in particular Oscar Chacón for his leadership in the organization.

5:00 p.m. Closing

6:00 - 10:00 p.m. Party

Together with Sones de México we will continue our celebration

November 10

8:00 - 8:50 a.m. Breakfast

8:50 a.m. Welcome

9:00 a.m. Financial Report

Review of our financial performance in 2024 and where we stand for 2025.

10:00 a.m. Board of Directors Report

The board will present a 2024 work report and answer questions from the membership.

10:30 a.m. Coffee break

10:45 a.m. Candidates introductions

Meet the people who are running for the positions of Treasurer, Secretary, and Members of the Board of Directors.

11:10 a.m. Candidates panel

Candidates will answer questions from the membership.

11:45 a.m. Elections

12:15 p.m. Election results and formation of the Board of Directors

12:30 p.m. Farewell and thanks. Lunch.

MEMORIES FROM PAST ASSEMBLIES

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