People
Community
Lasting Change
Our Story
Where It All Began
INVLA’s roots go back more than three decades — to the Empowerment Congress, founded in 1992 by then-Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas in the aftermath of the LA civil unrest, and to the original Days of Dialogue, convened in 1995 by Ridley-Thomas and Avis Ridley-Thomas after the O.J. Simpson verdict exposed how differently Angelenos saw the same event. Both were built on the same conviction: that communities in conflict need real spaces to talk, to listen, and to act — not just once, but as an ongoing practice.
A Legacy That Continues
In the decades since, Days of Dialogue and Empowerment Congress each did the work they were built to do. Days of Dialogue facilitated understanding in communities facing real division. Empowerment Congress engaged residents directly with their government and helped develop community leaders — in neighborhoods, in government, and in faith communities — who have facilitated change across the community. Alongside them, the African American Voter Registration and Education Project (AAVREP), founded in [XXXX], registered and educated voters across Los Angeles for years before evolving into what is now the Community Voter Education Project.
Coming Together, Going Further
In 2026, INVLA became the single organization uniting all three programs—Days of Dialogue, Empowerment Congress, and the Community Voter Education Project. Each program continues its distinct work, but under one organization, their impact now builds on and strengthens the others—guiding people through difficult conversations to more thoughtful civic engagement, to casting a deeply informed vote. Together, the three programs can create a compounding individual, community, and organizational impact that simply wasn’t as possible when they operated independently.
What we mean by nonviolence
For INVLA, nonviolence isn’t just the absence of conflict — it’s a way of practicing democracy. It means pursuing change without stripping away the humanity of those we disagree with. It means building power together with people, not exercising power over them. It means treating conflict as a normal part of civic life, not a reason to see the other side as an enemy. And it means creating spaces where people have real say — not just being organized to advance someone else’s cause. Each INVLA program — Days of Dialogue, Empowerment Congress, and the Community Voter Education Project — is that practice in a different form. Working together, they carry someone further than any one program could alone: from navigating tough conversations, to building the confidence to lead, to ensuring a vote that’s deeply informed.
Fast Facts
1992
Empowerment Congress founded by then-Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas
1995
Days of Dialogue convened by Mark and Avis Ridley-Thomas
2026
Community Voter Education Project — built on the legacy of AAVREP (xxxx), one of California's largest African American voter engagement efforts
2026
INVLA became the single organization uniting all three programs
Vision
A society where all people can move from disengagement to participation, from division to understanding, and from isolation to collective impact.
Mission
To strengthen communities through nonviolent dialogue, civic engagement and leadership development, and collaborative action that empowers people to participate in creating lasting community change.