We Are All Brooklyn, Annual Conference, 2003 – This first conference held at the Brooklyn Borough President's Office launched We Are All Brooklyn, in May 2003, and created the coalition that, to this day, continues to leverage its strength to maintain cohesion in a vital borough to our city. Attended by 250 top ethnic leaders, the conference clearly illuminated the diversity of Brooklyn and the challenges and opportunities the borough faced then, and continues to face today, following the devastating events of 9/11. If one single message emerged, it was that the events of 9/11 should not tear apart the fabric of Brooklyn. We used this first conference as a day of celebration and solidarity. Community and government leaders gathered to develop inter-community strategies in the aftermath of the trying post-9/11 period and the ongoing war with Iraq. The goal was to take steps to ensure that Brooklyn remains a safe and nurturing home for all residents.