Silicon Valley Allied for the Common Good Launches, Pledging Community Solidarity Beyond Election Outcomes

Santa Clara, CA - November 3, 2024 – On the eve of a pivotal national election, nearly 600 leaders and community members from 17 founding organizations and several guest organizations gathered to launch Silicon Valley Allied for the Common Good (SVACG), the first broad-based community organization in the region affiliated with the Industrial Areas Foundation. The event marked a new era of collective commitment to building power and fighting for concrete change in one of America’s most influential—and most unequal—regions.

The convention centered on a shared vision of "common good" in a region known for extreme wealth disparities. According to a recent report by the Silicon Valley Institute for Regional Studies, eight households in Silicon Valley control six times the wealth of the bottom 50%, or 500,000 households. In response to this stark reality, SVACG members made public financial commitments to a non-partisan agenda dedicated to creating a more equitable future.

Rabbi Heath Watenmaker, Senior Associate Rabbi of Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos Hills, delivered the opening blessing which reflected the groups’ commitment to this shared vision: “May our voices be the voice of justice, may our hands be hands of action and real change, and may our hearts and minds be open to hearing the stories of struggle and challenge that unite us all, as members of the broader Santa Clara County community. May this founding be just the beginning of bringing more justice and compassion into the community and into our world.”

Throughout the convention, speakers emphasized a vision of unity, resilience, and faith-led action. Bishop Oscar Cantú of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose invoked Pope Francis’ teachings, describing Silicon Valley as a “wounded” region. Quoting the Pope’s encyclical Fratelli Tutti, Cantú stressed the importance of solidarity: “[We] have to learn again how to be brothers and sisters to one another,” he remarked, “to build the sinews of relationships where we care for one another.”

San Jose Vice Mayor Rosemary Kamei shared what she saw to be the future work that lies ahead for SVACG: “ it is going to be that constant vigilance, and commitment to not only words but deeds,” she stated adding, “I commit to work with you closely to be able to make better outcomes for people in our community.”

Speakers also shared personal stories of resilience and hope for change. Ivonn Rivera from St. Lucy Parish in Campbell described the challenges facing immigrant communities and how her work with local officials through SVACG to improve neighborhood safety taught her that “we are not alone. Now more than ever we are united.” She described how SVACG “cares about the common good regardless of your legal status.” 

Local faith leaders reinforced the coalition’s expansive vision for unity and collaboration. Rev. Kris Rhude, pastor of Christ the Good Shepherd, celebrated the coalition’s success in bridging diverse communities: “This broad-based organizing has us working across the religious, racial, economic, and geographic lines that divide our region.”

Bishop Jeff Johnson of the Sierra Pacific Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America highlighted the power of collective action, saying, “God’s love is not just a good idea. It’s something we make real through our engagement in our neighborhoods and on the streets, in the chambers of City Hall, and at the ballot box.”

Rev. Aaron Klinefelter, rector of St. Jude’s Episcopal Church in Cupertino likewise underscored the importance of solidarity beyond Election Day: “We need each other if we are to create the Common Good and respect the dignity of every person. We commit to stay at the table together, regardless of what happens in Tuesday’s election.”

In the face of a contentious election season, SVACG members affirmed their commitment to embodying their values through concrete actions. The organization announced plans to begin a conversation campaign in the new year, the first step in determining the specific direction their work will take.

Reacting to the institutions sharing their commitments of financial support and engagement in the conversation campaign, Rev. Neal Presa, Presbyterian Church (USA) Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of San Jose shared with a poignant proverb that resonated with the group’s mission: “Vision without action is a daydream, action without vision is a nightmare. This, Silicon Valley Allied for the Common Good, offers both. Vision and action.”