With strong support from organized labor, African American activists and progressive scholars, the Georgia Strategic Alliance for New Directions & Unified Priorities (STAND UP) to promote economic justice, worker rights, and sustainable economic development.

In February 2006, STAND UP worked with Building Partnerships to launch its first Policy Institute for Civic Leadership (PICL). The institute in Atlanta brought together more than 30 of the region’s progressive leaders for six sessions. As a result of the institute, union officials, members of the faith community, African American leaders, Latino activists and others are now exploring new opportunities to reform local development policies and promote collective bargaining.

Since then, a second PICL occurred in September-October 2006 that trained neighborhood leaders about the regional political economy. A third policy insitute will launch in April 2007.

Course Objectives:
* To develop a common language of analysis to understand the New Economy and its impact on regional development.
* To create the opportunity for leaders working across constituencies (e.g. labor, community, government, faith) to develop new coalitions and strategies for advancing community center public and economic policy.

Module Topics
Module 1 -- Building Civic Capacity: Overview and Purpose of the Policy Institute
Module 2 –- New Labor and the New Economy
Module 3 –- Public Finance and Public Subsidies
Module 4 -- Regional History and Civics 101
Module 5 -- Race, Power and Politics in the Region
Module 6 -- New Organizations, New Organizing Strategies