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
June 22, 2004
Hello members and friends of the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition!
In this week’s PAUR Report:
Announcements 1) Press Release: North Dakota Human Rights Coalition Receives $2,000 Grant Award 2) Mayor’s Town Hall Meeting, Within our Grasp: Building a Better Bismarck Through Diversity, July 21, Bismarck 3) Contact the NDHRC if You Have Experienced Discrimination in ND?
Newspaper Articles 4) High Plains Reader, Decline to sign
Events 5) Women’s Foundation of Minnesota Informational Meeting, June 29, Moorhead, MN
Reminders 6) Status of Class Action Lawsuit Following June 15 Hearing 7) North Dakota Human Rights Coalition Position on Anti-Gay Marriage ND Constitutional Amendment 8) Fight the Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment Initiative! 9) 2004 Training-of-Trainers Workshop: Human Rights as a Tool for Organizing, July 28 – August 1, Fargo 10) 2004 North Dakota Immigrant Access Forum, August 5, Fargo 11) Save the Date – North Dakota Human Rights Coalition Conference, November 5 & 6, 2004, Bismarck 12) Knowing & Understanding Your Rights is the First Step in Receiving Equal Rights
********************************************* Announcements *********************************************
1.) Press Release: North Dakota Human Rights Coalition Receives $2,000 Grant Award
June 22, 2004FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Cheryl Bergian (701) 239-9323
RESIST CONTACT RESIST, Inc. Robin Carton, Grants Manager 259 Elm Street Somerville, MA 02144 (617) 623-5110 or robinc@resistinc.org; www.resistinc.org
North Dakota Human Rights Coalition Receives $2,000 Grant Award
Fargo – North Dakota Human Rights Coalition, located in Fargo, North Dakota, has just been awarded $2,000 by RESIST, Inc., a national progressive foundation located in Somerville, Massachusetts.
NDHRC is a diverse coalition of organizational and individual members, all of whom embrace the mission of NDHRC, to “work to effect change so that all people in North Dakota enjoy full human rights.” NDHRC hosts an annual human rights conference and engages in grassroots advocacy to enhance human rights in North Dakota. NDHRC is currently interviewing people who have experienced discrimination in North Dakota to document the level of discrimination and advocate for better enforcement of the North Dakota Human Rights Act. More information on NDHRC can be found at www.ndhrc.org.
NDHRC received funding for an accessibility grant to cover the costs of brailing documents and for sign language interpreters for people attending its conference and participating in its activities. According to Allan Peterson, Chair of the NDHRC: “we are very excited to have received this grant from RESIST. This will enable us to fulfill our commitment to full accessibility for people with disabilities for NDHRC activities, including interviewing people who have experienced discrimination in North Dakota.”
RESIST began in 1967 with a “call to resist illegitimate authority” in support of draft resistance and in opposition to the Vietnam War. RESIST has continued to fund movements for social justice including: civil rights; environmental; international human rights; reproductive rights, women’s rights, economic justice; prisoner’s rights; media and culture; and lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender rights. Over the years, RESIST has evolved into a national foundation providing small by timely funding for grassroots peace and social justice groups. RESIST has six funding cycles during the calendar year. RESIST gives grants and loans up to $3,000. In fiscal year 2002, RESIST gave almost $333,000 to 138 organizations across the country.
“Each year, RESIST funds groups like North Dakota Human Rights Coalition, because our mission is to support people who take a stand about the issues that matter today, whether its to resist corporate globalization, promote a woman’s right to choose, or develop activist leaders,” says Board Chair Marc Miller. “And we believe it’s especially important to help grassroots organizations that might be too small or too local – or too radical – for mainstream foundations.”
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NDHRC materials are available in alternative formats upon request.
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2.) Mayor’s Town Hall Meeting, Within our Grasp: Building a Better Bismarck Through Diversity, July 21, Bismarck
The second of a series of Mayor’s Town Hall Meetings on diversity issues in the Bismarck community entitled, “Within Our Grasp: Building a Better Bismarck Through Diversity,” will be held on Wednesday, July 21, 2004, 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. at the Best Western Doublewood Inn, 1400 E. Interchange Avenue, Bismarck.
This Meeting will focus on Race and National Origin Discrimination in Bismarck and build upon the Mayor’s Town Hall Meeting held in April.
Attendance is free but advance registration is required to ensure adequate seating and materials.
Additional meeting and registration information is available here.
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3.) Contact the NDHRC if You Have Experienced Discrimination in ND?
Have you experienced discrimination in North Dakota?
Do you know someone who has experienced discrimination in North Dakota?
Please call the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition!
Please forward freely!
The North Dakota Human Rights Coalition is currently interviewing people in North Dakota who have experienced discrimination to document those experiences.
Our focus is on discrimination involving:
We encourage individuals who have experienced discrimination to allow us to document those experiences to present before the North Dakota Legislature to provide information on:
If you have experienced discrimination, if you know someone who has experienced discrimination, or if your organization has members who have experienced discrimination, please contact Michael Brown, summer intern for the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition.
Thank you,
Michael Brown North Dakota Human Rights Coalition P.O. Box 1961 Fargo, ND 58107-1961 (701) 232-2554
********************************************* Newspaper Articles *********************************************
4.) High Plains Reader, Decline to sign
Decline
to sign High
Plain Reader – 6/17/2004
Right ought
to be right. This will be one of those litmus tests of such tenets in our state.
It will also be a test of the muster of our civic, political, religious and
community leaders, not to mention our own fortitude. We only hope
the vast majority of North Dakotans have the constitution to decline to sign on
to such efforts which are destructive, mean-spirited, and downright backward in
a supposedly modern, civil society. The reality
for gays and lesbians is they already face enough discrimination and prejudice.
Why it is that supposedly religious people insist on bashing so condescendingly
is incongruous with their purported tenets of unconditional love? So, what else
is new? All of us
will have ample opportunities to thwart this petition drive effort in its
tracks, if we rise to the occasion. <snip>
View full article here
********************************************* Events *********************************************
A calendar of events is available on the NDHRC web site at http://www.ndhrc.org/Events/Calendar/June.htm.
5.) Women’s Foundation of Minnesota Informational Meeting, June 29, Moorhead, MN
Message from the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota:
The Women's
Foundation of Minnesota is working with the White House Project to promote a
national nonpartisan mobilization initiative to activate young American women to
engage
A
representative will be in the Fargo-Moorhead area on Tuesday June 29th for
informational meetings on the initiative. If you are in the area, please
consider attending the meeting at 4:00 p.m. at Atomic Coffee in Moorhead. If you
are unable to attend at that time, you may also catch her at a meeting at 12:00
at the PEPP building (116 12th Street South, Moorhead). If you plan
to attend, please contact Deb White at 218-477-2041 or
whitede@mnstate.edu
so that she can give the Foundation representative a rough estimate of how many
to expect.
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6.) Status of Class Action Lawsuit Following June 15 Hearing
The North Dakota Human Rights Coalition is pleased that the class action lawsuit will advance, despite Judge Herman's decision that the NDHRC will not be directly involved as a plaintiff. Judge Herman's decision means that some complainants will receive the administrative hearing that the 2001 legislation mandated, overturning the decision of the North Dakota Department of Labor and the North Dakota Attorney General that those complainants were not entitled to administrative hearings. And, Judge Herman was very clear that the underlying purpose of the North Dakota Human Rights Act, to eradicate discrimination "root and branch", must be fulfilled.
Cheryl Bergian
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The Forum published the following front-page article about the hearing:
Human rights case upheld: Judge says 2 denied
discrimination hearings
North Dakota Labor Commissioner Mark Bachmeier wrongfully denied at least two people the right to have discrimination complaints formally heard, a judge determined Tuesday.
East Central District Judge Douglas Herman ruled Richard Folstrom and Christopher Beeter should be granted administrative hearings in an attempt to settle their grievances – a stipulation required by a 2001 state law.
Folstrom and Beeter were part of a class-action lawsuit filed in March against Bachmeier and the Labor Department for failure to properly enforce the state's Human Rights Act.
In 2000, the state created a division of human rights within the Labor Department to handle certain kinds of discrimination complaints.
Mark Schneider, the Fargo attorney who filed the lawsuit, said Bachmeier isn't doing his job and isn't enforcing the law.
The case was heard Tuesday in the Cass County Courthouse's smallest courtroom, which could barely accommodate the 20 or more people inside, including two wheelchairs that had to squeeze between the aisles.
<snip>
View full article here
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7.) North Dakota Human Rights Coalition Position on Anti-Gay Marriage ND Constitutional Amendment
The NDHRC Board of Directors has established a position on the proposed anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment. The position and proposed amendment is as follows:
North Dakota Human Rights CoalitionPosition onProposed Constitutional Amendment to Prohibit Gay Marriage or Civil Unionsin North Dakota
The North Dakota Human Rights Coalition opposes the proposed North Dakota constitutional amendment to prevent the recognition of marriage or civil unions for same-sex couples.
The NDHRC supports full civil rights for all residents of North Dakota, including gay/lesbian/transgender/bisexual residents of our state. Neither enshrining discrimination in our Constitution nor stripping families of basic protections would serve our state’s best interest. The North Dakota Constitution protects and ensures equal treatment for all people. It should not be used to single out a group of people for harmful and detrimental treatment.
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Text of proposed North Dakota Constitutional Amendment
Marriage consists only of the legal union between a man and a woman. No other domestic union, however denominated, may be recognized as a marriage or given the same or substantially equivalent legal effect.
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The information that the NDHRC Board of Directors used to adopt this position is available on the NDHRC web site at http://www.ndhrc.org/Goals/NDHRAct/GayMarriageAmmendmentPosition.htm. Please note that the NDHRC position is regarding the status of marriage in our civil society; this will not affect how religious bodies view gay marriage within their theologies.
The NDHRC views this as a civil rights issue, squarely within the civil rights issues of recent times, including those of black Americans and Native Americans. It is on that basis that this position was adopted.
Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions. We appreciate your continued support for our work.
Cheryl Bergian
North Dakota Human Rights Coalition
The North Dakota Human Rights Coalition works to effect change so that all people in North Dakota enjoy full human rights.
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8.) Fight the Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment Initiative!
Message from Equality North Dakota:
PLEASE DISTRIBUTE
WIDELY AND FREELY!
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9.) 2004 Training-of-Trainers Workshop: Human Rights as a Tool for Organizing, July 28 – August 1, Fargo
Date: Wednesday July 28th thru Sunday August 1st Location: Cultural Diversity Resources, Human Rights Center, 303 Roberts Street, Fargo, ND
Who should apply: Educators, students, community organizers, social activists, or those engaged in human rights training in the United States. A particular interest exists for the participation of minorities and refugee/Immigrants.
Workshop goals: To practice deep listening and understanding of diverse perspectives and experiences with regard to the role organizing plays in our life and work
To share effective techniques and processes for building healthy communities and alliances for organizing
To enhance understanding about methodologies used in human rights education
To expose the diverse ways human rights education is occurring in the United States
To explore the connection between human rights education and community organizing theory and practices
To expand knowledge of human rights framework, concepts, theory, and practice
To share human rights education, and organizing, materials and strategies for training and advocacy
To explore effective practices for facilitating conflicts
To increase the network of qualified human rights trainers in the United States
Most people in the United States don’t understand that human rights apply to them. Human rights education facilitates social change organizing through action-oriented sharing that is connected to and built upon people’s everyday lives. Human rights education encourages people to frame injustices as human rights violations. From many struggles, human rights education can help us build ONE MOVEMENT.
For more information and an application contact Tai Leathers at Cultural Diversity Resources, (701) 526-3000.
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10.) 2004 North Dakota Immigrant Access Forum, August 5, Fargo
Date: Thursday, August 5, 2004
Location: Holiday Inn, 3803 13th Avenue South, Fargo, North Dakota
Sponsors: Lutheran Social Services, Center for New Americans; North Dakota Department of Public Instruction; North Dakota Department of Human Services; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food & Nutrition Services; Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Federal and State speakers will discuss: 1. The rights of immigrants to access Federally subsidized services and programs 2. The protections afforded immigrants under Federal civil rights laws pertaining to employment/labor; TANF; HIPAA; food assistance; Medicaid; INS issues; education; housing limited English proficiency; and Medicare/prescription drug program.
Expected participants: Social service and health care providers, immigrant advocates, and beneficiaries.
Contact information: For questions contact Anna Spradlin (1-800-368-1019 or 1-303-844-7902 or anna.spradlin@hhs.gov) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights.
Cost: Estimated cost $25, CEU’s pending, and brochures forthcoming
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11.) 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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12.) 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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