Our Industry Responds

The book industry has responded generously to the devastating effects of last fall’s Hurricane Katrina. The plight of all people in the areas affected by the disaster are overwhelming. Publishers, printers, and others in our industry have come to the aid of publishers and printers in the region as well as contributing to the overall relief efforts. There is still much to be done and many ways to contribute.

One way that Malloy has contributed is through The Future Search Network. They are launching a national, community-based program called Prosperous Communities, Prosperous Nation to change the way the United States addresses poverty. Their efforts are not as well known to the general population as the American Red Cross and other main line organizations. At Malloy, we think their vision is innovative and we want to share it with our industry peers.

Malloy is associated with the Future Search Network because we held a Future Search event in 2000. Many of our customers contributed to our Future Search, and our collective findings continue to shape our direction as a company.

The FSN frames their program as follows: “The United States has no overarching strategy for addressing poverty. This fact was made painfully clear by recent responses to Hurricane Katrina. We intend to create unprecedented cooperation among agencies, programs, funders, and citizens with the greatest stakes. In so doing we expect to see existing resources used more effectively, attracting funds both public and private that did not exist before, to help people develop sustainable lives. Increasing National Prosperity by Mobilizing Local Action envisions addressing poverty as a way to increase national prosperity and in so doing, enhance national security.”

There are significant benefits related with the success of this program. Some of the benefits include:

• Build a critical mass of individuals and organizations collaborating on new approaches for addressing poverty and creating prosperity in every region of the country.
• Help diverse communities create common ground, develop new anti-poverty strategies, and build true commitment for implementing the strategies they develop.
• Educate local leaders to effective ways of working with large diverse groups.
• Create a mentoring support system for community leaders to help them carry out successful implementation plans.

The FSN is working to secure a grant enabling them to launch this undertaking. Considering the stakes and potential impact, the sums required to produce consequential new social action are small. Their grant would accelerate perhaps by years efforts to leverage significant resources that already exist. If you are interested in more information regarding the Increasing National Prosperity by Mobilizing Local Action program, contact Nancy Polend, Program Director, at (540)937-4897 or nanjr@direcway.com, or Sandra Janoff at (610) 896-7034 or sjanoff@futuresearch.net.