Empowerment Congress

Empowerment Congress 30th Annual Summit

The Empowerment Congress is pleased to celebrate 30 years of serving the Los Angeles community through our mission to educate, engage, and empowerThroughout the year, we will continue to celebrate this milestone by looking back on our advocacy through the years and setting the stage for a continued legacy of empowerment. Join our mailing list to learn about upcoming events and commemorations throughout the year.

Empowerment Congress History

Founded in the wake of the 1992 civil unrest, the Empowerment Congress is a distinctive and deliberate national model of civic engagement built on the core principles of participatory democracy, reciprocal accountability, and intentional civility. It is a dynamic partnership among neighborhood groups, residents, nonprofit organizations, businesses, religious institutions, and community leaders within diverse communities. The Empowerment Congress served as a model and precursor to the City of Los Angeles’ Neighborhood Councils. Read more about our history.

Community Empowerment Training Session

On Friday, January 14, 2022, the Empowerment Congress hosted its inaugural 30th anniversary celebration event with a Community Empowerment Training Session facilitated by Sarah ElRaheb of Harvard University. In this session, nearly 100 participants learned the immense value of leadership through story-telling. View the replay of the training and learn more about the art of public narrative.

100 Participants in a Community Empowerment Training Session

On Friday, January 14, 2022, the Empowerment Congress hosted nearly 100 participants in a Community Empowerment Training Session facilitated by Sarah ElRaheb of Harvard University. The training focused on the leadership development practice of public narrative, originally conceived by Marshall Ganz. In addition to the video featured below, you may consider these resources shared by the session facilitator.

Empowerment Congress Guiding Principles

The Empowerment Congress seeks to educate, engage and empower the community through six guiding principles that inform all of our advocacy efforts.

EC Guiding Principles