*Photos Submitted

Press Release 10/25/19 

PERTH AMBOY – The Citizens Campaign today announced that Perth Amboy Trustees, Cesar Romero, a high school senior, and recent Perth Amboy High graduate Ismael Nunez organized the first ever Perth Amboy Civic Week to teach people in the City about the power they have to solve problems and become citizen leaders.

Civic Week featured 3 events: discussion at the library with Harry Pozycki, the author of Citizen Power; a forum on No Blame Problem Solving at the local community center; and a “Call to Service” at City Hall.   The events were designed to educate and empower residents and call them to the service of their community:

“A Civic Week in Perth Amboy serves as a prime opportunity for folks my age and younger to become the voices of our growing city. We’re almost 60,000 strong and one of the youngest cities in the state, yet we are absent when the time comes to make the big decisions.” said Ismael Nunez.

The events are summarized below:

Harry Pozycki Presents Citizen Power; A Citizen Leadership Manual

Harry Pozycki provided insights and how to-to-tips from his new book Citizen Power; A Citizen Leadership Manual to interested residents at the Perth Amboy public library.

Pozycki’s civic leadership manual provides regular citizens with the know how to use the full measure of their political power to better their communities and our Country. The book informs citizens about new legal rights they can use to participate in government decision making, proven political techniques for gathering results, and a menu of powerful citizen leadership positions that do not require a run for public office. It also teaches citizens how to operate the power levers of local politics and government, and identifies the primary political and government decision making bodies where citizens can introduce their own solutions.

Citizen Power is currently used as a course text at Perth Amboy High School and at high schools in Newark, Trenton and Plainfield. New Jersey colleges use it as well, including Rutgers-Newark, Thomas Edison State University and Middlesex County College. It is available for purchase or download on The Citizens Campaign website.

City Residents Trained in No Blame Problem Solving

Joel Rosa led an interactive No Blame Problem Solving training session. Held at the Jankowski Community Center, attendees learned how a step-by-step method in how to identify evidence-based solutions, adapt them for use in Perth Amboy and present them for adoption at the City Council or other government decision making centers.

The local issue in which the most attendees were interested was cleaning up the pollution in Raritan Bay, which would result in Perth Amboy beaches becoming safe for swimming. Attendees were pleased to learn that the Perth Amboy Civic Trust is now working on this issue, building on their successful effort to create a Green Team and secure grant funding for environmental improvements.

The Perth Amboy Civic Trust is developing a solution to clean up the Bay, using green infrastructure and a variety of other cost-effective techniques. Attendees expressed interest in becoming Trustees and several committed to attend the next Civic Trust meeting.

Citizen Service Opportunities Explained at Forum

Perth Amboy residents where introduced to accessible citizen leadership roles in their city at a “Call to Service” Forum held in the Council Chambers at City Hall. These included immediate opportunities to serve on Perth Amboy’s boards and commissions, with tips for interested citizens on how to apply.

Mayor Wilda Diaz introduced the forum, telling attendees about the City’s rich history and emphasizing the importance of the fact that Perth Amboy students, through the addition of Solutions Civics to their high school curriculum, are now educated to become public citizens who can contribute to leaving their city better than they found it.

The students who attended expressed an interest in participating in boards and commissions, even if they were not old enough to become formal members. Based on this feedback, The Civic Trustees are beginning to explore the idea of proposing a limited number of advisory positions on city boards and commission for those under 18.