An experienced community organizer and trainer, Ivan Kohar Parra cofounded three organizations that engage hundreds of grassroots leaders in social change. He is cofounder of the Latino Credit Union, a member-owned non-profit financial institution offering a full package of ethical, bilingual financial services, affordable credit options and financial education to thousands of immigrants.
The North Carolina Congress of Latino Organizations strengthens the leadership, voice and participation of immigrants in local, statewide and federal issues. It is a broad-based, multi-issue coalition of grassroots Latino congregations, neighborhood associations, unions, community centers and sports associations.
Durham Congregations Associations and Neighborhoods aims to strengthen congregations and community institutions by developing the skills and capacity of their leaders to be change agents in the public process.
A native of Bogota Colombia, Parra arrived in the United States 20 years ago with his family. He serves on the board of the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation.
In this video, Parra describes how his early experiences in Bogota informed a lifetime of advocacy.