North Dakota Human Rights Coalition
Working to effect change so that all people in North Dakota enjoy full human rights
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North Dakota Human Rights Coalition Working to effect change so that all people in North Dakota enjoy full human rights |
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~North Dakota Human Rights Coalition~ PAUR Report
Programs ~ Announcements ~ Updates ~ Resources
Visit our Website at www.ndhrc.org
May 12, 2004
Hello members and friends of the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition!
In this week’s PAUR Report:
Announcements 1) Message from the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition 2) North Dakota Help America Vote Act 3) Reward for Information Concerning Russel Turcotte 4) Press Release: Fischer names UTTC Student of the Year
Newspaper Articles 5) Bismarck Tribune, Agency proposing anti-discrimination rules 6) The Forum (Fargo), Human rights advocates say N.D. needs better rules 7) Bismarck Tribune, Mailbag: Commencement already honors one culture 8) Bismarck Tribune, National Guard soldier suing Sykes over return to employment 9) Wahpeton Daily News, Jury clears Williams of harassment claim 10) Minot Daily News, Prairie profile: Carol Juneau, Native North Dakotan holds second highest post
Events 11) Northern Plains Outreach Ministry Holds Emergency Meetings, May 13, Bismarck
Reminders 12) We need your help! North Dakota Human Rights Coalition Development Committee Seeks Volunteers 13) 2005 Reebok Human Rights 14) SAVE THE DATE, North Dakota Human Rights Coalition Conference, November 5 & 6, 2004, Bismarck 15) Knowing & Understanding Your Rights is the First Step in Receiving Equal Rights
********************************************* Announcements *********************************************
1.) Message from the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition
We were recently notified of a form letter from Focus on the Family that we posted in our April 28, 2004 PAUR report (Published 4/18/2004 in the Bismarck Tribune by Rachel Haidle of Bismarck).
The Focus on the Family is an anti-GLBT rights organization. More information about the Focus on the Family can be found on their web site at www.family.org.
The NDHRC is committed to addressing the human rights of all people in our state, including the GLBT residents of the state.
The NDHRC distributes a weekly PAUR report to inform our members and friends about news, events, and other human rights related information around the state. We in no way approve of all the information printed in the articles/letters.
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2.) North Dakota Help America Vote Act
The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA), Public Law 107-252, 42 U.S.C. 15301-15545, was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 29, 2002. The purpose of HAVA is to significantly improve the administration of elections throughout the United States. To accomplish this, Congress allocated nearly $3.5 billion dollars to fund the requirements of HAVA. To date, Congress has appropriated $1.5 billion.
Because every state has different needs, HAVA requires each state to create and implement its own plan for compliance and submit it to the newly created federal agency, the Election Administration Commission, by September 30, 2003. The primary deadline for states to comply with HAVA is January 1, 2006. What does HAVA mean for North Dakota?
HAVA is designed to ensure equal and "fail-safe" voting opportunities for all eligible voting citizens. Major priorities of HAVA include:
More about ND HAVA is available on their web site at http://www.state.nd.us/hava/news/.
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3.) Reward for Information Concerning Russel Turcotte
The North Dakota Attorney General’s office has posted a link for a reward for information concerning Russel Turcotte on their web site at http://www.ag.state.nd.us/index.htm.
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4.) Press Release: Fischer names UTTC Student of the Year
United
Tribes Technical College News <snip>
View full press release here
********************************************* Newspaper Articles *********************************************
5.) Bismarck Tribune, Agency proposing anti-discrimination rules
Cheryl Bergian, Director for the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition provided comments on the ND Labor Department’s proposed rules on processing grievances. Agency proposing anti-discrimination rules Bismarck Tribune – 5/5/04 North Dakota's Labor Department,
which faces a lawsuit over its handling of discrimination complaints, is
drafting rules that outline how to file grievances, although activists believe
the proposals do not go far enough. The proposed rules, which were the
focus of a public hearing Tuesday, are intended to flesh out the law and give
North Dakotans a clearer view of how the complaint process works, Labor
Commissioner Mark Bachmeier said. <snip>
View full article here
********************************************* 6.) The Forum (Fargo), Human rights advocates say N.D. needs better rules Cheryl Long Feather, Board Member for the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition comments on the ND Labor Department’s proposed rules on processing grievances. Human rights advocates say N.D.
needs better rules BISMARCK – Complaints to the state Human Rights Division are short-circuited by a lack of rules on how allegations are investigated, human rights advocates said Tuesday. Cheryl Longfeather of Bismarck, who is on the board of the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition and often speaks or writes on American Indian issues, said she sees within her community little faith in the division. "What's being said now is that the process cannot be trusted," she said Tuesday at a hearing on a set of administrative rules the division proposes for future investigations. They're long overdue and, as now proposed, flawed, said Cheryl Bergian of Fargo, executive director of the Human Rights Coalition, after Tuesday's hearing. "We've been asking for administrative rules for several years. The division needs rules – what happens next and how does this (process) work." The state Labor Department was given the job of enforcing the state's housing discrimination laws in 1999 and the job of enforcing the rest of the state's Human Rights Act in 2001. The Human Rights Division is part of the Labor Department. <snip> View full article here ********************************************* 7). Bismarck Tribune, Mailbag: Commencement already honors one culture
MAILBAG: Commencement already honors one culture Bismarck Tribune – 5/5/2004
As a Native American, I was dismayed to hear the rationale for protesting the use of the honor song for graduating UND law students. The letter states, "The problem is not the drum song. The problem is treating one class of persons as being more important than others. Whether it's meant to celebrate or disparage a culture, this action still has the same message: We are more important and special than the rest of you, whom we walk among." To me, this clearly illustrates the extreme bias of the letter-writer. For, in fact, the message that one group of persons is more important and special than the rest of us already is evident in every graduation ceremony in North Dakota. The graduation ceremony used by every public school and college in the state uses a white, Euro-American sequence of events, dress, language, speakers and, yes, song. If the letter writer truly values "the land where all men are created equal", where was the indignation at the exclusion of Native American presence prior to this one ceremony, this one song? Our society needs to learn to value diversity by being inclusive and, more importantly, recognizing our own biases. Cheryl Long Feather View online article here ********************************************* 8.) Bismarck Tribune, National Guard soldier suing Sykes over return to employmentNational Guard soldier suing Sykes over return to employment By Tony Spilde Bismarck Tribune – 4/5/2004
A National Guard soldier is suing Sykes Enterprises, saying the company's Bismarck branch violated a federal law that guarantees soldiers their job back when they return from deployment. Ron Vander Wal, a member of the South Dakota National Guard, was a telephone customer service technician with Sykes prior to his unit's January 2003 mobilization. His 200th Engineer Company was deployed to Iraq; it returned to South Dakota last month. Upon his return, Vander Wal said he notified Sykes of his intent to go back to work there. He claimed he was told to submit an application, which he did. He returned to the Bismarck office a few days later, when a human resources official allegedly told him there were no positions available for him, and that other returning veterans were "in the same boat." Vander Wal's attorney, John Gosbee, claims that violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994. Among other things, USERRA protects soldiers' jobs while they're deployed. <snip>
View full article here ********************************************* 9.) Wahpeton Daily News, Jury clears Williams of harassment claim
Jury clears Williams of harassment claim By Staff and Wire Reports Wahpeton Daily News – 4/30/2004
FARGO, N.D. (AP) -- A federal court jury has rejected the sexual harassment claims of a former Wahpeton High School cook. Jurors deliberated about two hours Wednesday before ruling against Janet Faye Nelson. The trial lasted seven days. Nelson filed a civil lawsuit in September 2002, claiming the school's now-retired principal, Clark Williams, sexually harassed her for 12 years. Williams represents District 25 to the N.D. House of Representatives. Nelson also sued the school district and Superintendent Mike Connell, saying they did nothing to stop the abuse. She had sought more than $250,000 in damages and lost wages. Connell said Thursday he was relieved the trial was over, but would offer no other comment regarding the verdict. The nine-person jury decided Williams did not sexually harass Nelson, and that Connell appropriately handled her sexual harassment complaint. <snip> View full article here ********************************************* 10.) Minot Daily News, Prairie profile: Carol Juneau, Native North Dakotan holds second highest post
Prairie profile:
Carol Juneau
By Eloise Ogden Minot Daily News – 5/2/2004
<snip>
View full article here
********************************************* Events *********************************************
A calendar of events is available on the NDHRC web site at http://ndhrc.org/Events/Calendar/April.htm.
11.) Northern Plains Outreach Ministry Holds Emergency Meetings, May 13, Bismarck Northern Plains Outreach Ministry is holding a special emergency public safety meeting to address the current risks and human rights violations of the state's incarcerated, group and foster home young adults. The meeting will be held on Thursday, May 13, 2004 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Veterans Memorial Library, 515 N. 5th Street in Bismarck. ********************************************* *********************************************
12.) We need your help! North Dakota Human Rights Coalition Development Committee Seeks Volunteers
NDHRC development committee volunteers will provide support for activities which promote the financial stability for the Coalition, and support the mission of the NDHRC by working to effect change so that all people in North Dakota enjoy full human rights.
Volunteers may choose to assist in fundraising and event support activities and/or community outreach and donor/member solicitation activities.
For more information, view the development committee and volunteer description here.
If you are interesting in serving as a development committee volunteer for the NDHRC, please contact Andrea Warren-Deegan at andreadeegan@ndhrc.org or at (701) 793-1134.
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13.) 2005 Reebok Human Rights
The Reebok Human
Rights Award Program seeks nominations of young human rights activists. Members
of the international community of human rights and non-governmental
organizations are urged to nominate young men and women to honor for their
courage and contributions to further human rights. The Reebok Human Rights Award
was established in 1988, and has since then, provided 76 young activists from 35
countries support and encouragement at a critical time in their advocacy work.
The award, which seeks to shine a positive, international light on the awardees
and to support their work in human rights, provides recipients with a $50,000
grant from the Reebok Human Rights Foundation for the human rights organization
of their choice. Human rights and non-governmental organizations are urged to
nominate young men and women to receive the award.
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14.) SAVE THE DATE, North Dakota Human Rights Coalition Conference, November 5 & 6, 2004, Bismarck
!!! SAVE THE DATE !!! Friday, November 5 & Saturday, November 6, 2004 North Dakota Human Rights Coalition 2nd Annual Conference“Human Rights: The Economic Impact of Discrimination”
Location: Best Western Ramkota Hotel 800 South Third Street Bismarck, ND 58504
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15.) Knowing & Understanding Your Rights is the First Step in Receiving Equal Rights
Learn how to attain your rights
1st Thursday of
Each month 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
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North Dakota Human Rights Coalition P.O. Box 1961 Fargo, North Dakota 58107-1961 Phone: (701) 239-9323 Fax: (701) 478-4452 Email: humanrights@ndhrc.org
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