ACTIVIST GROUPS PLAN CONVENTION TO GET OUT VOTE.

Byline: Luz Villareal Daily News Staff Writer

More than 5,000 people from mostly poor and working class neighborhoods are expected to gather inside the Grand Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles on Sunday for a voter empowerment convention.

Member groups of the Industrial Areas Foundation said they will use the convention as a platform to take positions on key political issues.

Topping their agenda will be the campaign against the California Civil Rights Initiative, an anti-affirmative action proposal on the November ballot; campaigning for a state increase in the minimum wage; and increasing funding for the Hope in Youth anti-gang program.

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros will be the keynote speaker. But an appearance by Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan will also be a key event in the conference because organizers say they intend to challenge the mayor to take a position on the controversial CCRI ballot measure.

``We look at CCRI as being divisive,'' said Orinio Opinaldo, a member of the Southern California Organizing Committee in South Central Los Angeles, an IAF group. ``It will affect people in our community. We want everybody to take a stand against it. This is a public agenda issue. If he comes out against it, it would give more hope to our people.''

The proposal would ban race- and gender-based considerations in hiring, contracting and admissions at all state agencies, including the California State University system.

Riordan has not taken a stand on CCRI but supports the IAF groups and many other goals on Sunday's agenda, said Jason Greenwald, a press aide to the mayor.

``I do not expect (the mayor) to take a formal position on CCRI on Sunday,'' said Greenwald. ``The mayor does have a long history with these groups. He is an active supporter of many of the things they are doing and believes they are an important part of the fabric of Los Angeles.''

Other scheduled speakers and conference attendees include Immigration and Naturalization Service District Director Richard Rogers and Mike Roos, president of the Los Angeles Educational Alliance for Restructuring Now.

Organizers say they will ask all prominent officials to take a stand on the CCRI initiative, which will be on the Nov. 5 ballot.

This is the first convention for West Coast IAF members. Organizers expect about 1,500 San Fernando Valley residents to attend as part of Valley Organized In Community Efforts, or VOICE.

VOICE is one of the four organizations under IAF sponsoring the event, which begins at 2:30 p.m. at 1801 S. Grand Ave. The other groups are SCOC in South Central Los Angeles; the East Valleys Organization in the Pomona and the San Gabriel valleys; and the United Neighborhoods Organization based in East Los Angeles.

The grass-roots organizations draw most of their membership from local churches. Their mission is to train leaders and empower neighborhoods frequently ignored by government officials.

``This is a `Get Out to Vote' campaign,'' said Rosalinda Lugo, a member of UNO and convention organizer. ``The people that are committed to come to our event are coming because they want to take back the election process. They want elections to be determined by what's best for the people. They are not cynical about the electorial process, but they have some healthy skepticism that if they don't get involved, then our communities are in danger of being neglected.''

The convention, which will also draw IAF members from Oregon and Washington, is free and marks the 20th anniversary of United Neighborhoods Organization, the oldest of the four organizations in Los Angeles.

``Sunday is a celebration of many victories, of 20 years of people defending their rights and taking charge of their own lives,'' said Cecelia Barragan, a VOICE member from Mary Immaculate church.

During the convention, organizers will introduce 750 soon-to-be sworn-in citizens who were helped though an IAF outreach campaign. They will also unveil a precinct program designed to motivate new and occasional voters to practice their civil right. They hope to attract 96,000 new voters to the polls Nov. 5.