The Office of Problem Gambling, in partnership with UCLA Gambling Studies Program, is happy to announce registration for the 2012 Problem Gambling Training Summit. Registration is open. The Summit is an annual training to provide the latest information on problem and compulsive gambling and is open to anyone who is interested in attending. This year’s theme is “Building a Foundation for Multi-cultural Problem Gambling Prevention and Treatment Services.” The Summit will include presentations appropriate for: health care providers, CPGTSP providers, nonprofit organizations, community leaders & organizations, alcohol & other drug agencies, the recovery community, gambling industry personnel, governmental leaders, law enforcement personnel and the general public. The Summit will be held in San Diego, CA and the deadline to register is February 17, 2012.

Attached, you will find a flyer and registration form for the 2012 Problem Gambling Training Summit Registration in San Diego.

FREE Registration
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California Asian Pacific Islander Policy Summit
April 30 – May 1, 2012 Sacramento, California

Call for Skills & Strategy Workshops

The California Asian and Pacific Islander (API) Policy Summit is searching for a variety of groundbreaking skills-building workshops and trainings that will provide community members the tools to address the broad range of issues impacting Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities. The API Policy Summit will be held at the Sacramento Convention Center from April 30th to May 1st, 2012.

The 2012 California Asian and Pacific Islander Policy Summit's workshop proposals must move our communities to a higher level of advocacy. Summit Conveners and Track Chairs will only consider proposals that demonstrate how participants will be better equipped with concrete advocacy skills. Priority will also be given to proposals that strengthen each participant's ability to strategically impact local, state, and federal public policy.

Your Voice Is Needed

Every year, over 300 API leaders, community organizers, and students come to Sacramento to learn about the legislative process and lobby lawmakers on state budget funding and pending legislation that affects API communities.

By J.K. YAMAMOTO, Rafu Staff Writer

Three legislators, two nonprofits and a corporation were honored for their work with the Asian Pacific Islander community by APIsCAN (Asian and Pacific Islanders California Network) at a recent reception in Little Tokyo.

The July 22 fundraiser, held at East West Players, brought together API elected officials, government employees, and community leaders, many of whom participate each year in the API Policy Summit in Sacramento.

APIsCAN Chair Peter Vang gave opening remarks. He came all the way from Fresno, where he is refugee community liaison for the county’s human services system.

State Sen. Carol Liu (D-Glendale) presented certificates from her office to the evening’s honorees. For Assemblymember Mike Eng and Rep. Judy Chu, who are married, Liu had a special gift — theater tickets and popcorn for their “standing date to go to the movies.”

Speaking for the City of Los Angeles were BongHwan Kim, general manager of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE), and Mike Fong, East Area director for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Kim, a co-founder of APIsCAN, recalled that members of Los Angeles-based A3PCON (Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council) saw the need for a statewide network. Noting that APIsCAN has had a “branding problem,” he clarified that it is not pronounced “Apiscan” but rather “APIs can,” as in “We can do it.”

Fong presented APIsCAN with a proclamation from the mayor and announced that John Choi of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor had just been confirmed by the City Council to the Board of Public Works.

APIsCAN Executive Director Diane Ujiiye recalled that APIsCAN has evolved over the years. Starting out with the most well-established ethnic groups — Chinese, Japanese and Korean Americans — it later included Southeast Asians, then Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, then South Asians. “As the state changes, we’ve had to adjust,” she said.

Ujiiye personally selected the evening’s presenters and said that they also deserved to be honored.

Click here to read the rest of the article on the Rafu Shimpo website.