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
July 22, 2004
Hello members and friends of the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition!
In this week’s PAUR Report:
Announcements 1) Press Release: United Tribes Technical College, Poverty is topic of community discussion
Newspaper Articles 2) Associated Press, The Forum (Fargo), The Jamestown Sun, & Grand Forks Herald articles regarding the proposed constitutional amendment to prohibit gay marriage or civil unions in North Dakota 3) Grand Forks Herald, Higher Education: New chancellor impressed by UND 4) Bismarck Tribune, Two cultures, one parade 5) Grand Forks Herald, Dorreen Yellow Bird Column: Newcomers need a primer on Indian tribes 6) The Forum (Fargo), Barnes faces firing lawsuit 7) Bismarck Tribune, Migrant school tries to make learning fun 8) Bismarck Tribune, Volunteers come from far and wide 9) Bismarck Tribune, Town hall meeting will address diversity, discrimination
Events 10) Affordable, Accessible, Integrated Housing Workshop, August 9 & 11, Fargo
Reminders 11) Save the Date – North Dakota Human Rights Coalition Conference, November 5 & 6, 2004, Bismarck 12) Native American Pow-wows in July, ND Statewide 13) UFE General Assembly and Community Training, August 7, Moorhead 14) Filing a Discrimination Complaint with the Department of Labor, Human Rights Division 15) Contact the NDHRC if You Have Experienced Discrimination in ND 16) 2004 Training-of-Trainers Workshop: Human Rights as a Tool for Organizing, July 28 – August 1, Fargo 17) 2004 North Dakota Immigrant Access Forum, August 5, Fargo
********************************************* Announcements *********************************************
1.) Press Release: United Tribes Technical College, Poverty is topic of community discussion
Poverty is topic of
community discussion
BISMARCK, ND - A local group is interested in your thoughts about poverty in the area.
The Bismarck-Mandan Youth-Elder Coalition has scheduled a community discussion meeting for Thursday, July 22 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at United Tribes Technical College. The public is invited to attend.
"We hope to hear from all groups in the community," said Jayme Davis, an organizer with the coalition. "Anyone affected by poverty or who has concerns about it, is invited to join the discussion."
The session will focus on determining strengths and opportunities in the Bismarck-Mandan community to combat poverty.
The local coalition was formed last fall as a pilot project of the Ventures Program of the Northwest Area Foundation. The initiative is aimed at creating long-term community coalitions to reduce poverty. Similar efforts are underway in Billings, MT, Portland, OR, Rapid City, SD, and Seattle, WA.
The community discussion takes place in the James Henry Community Building gymnasium on the UTTC campus in south Bismarck. UTTC provides technical assistance to the coalition.
Transportation and daycare will be provided free of charge. Drawings will be held for door prizes and refreshments will be served.
For more information contact Jayme Davis, 701-255-3285 x 1217 or jdavis@uttc.edu.
View online press release here
********************************************* Newspaper Articles *********************************************
2.) Associated Press, The Forum (Fargo), The Jamestown Sun, & Grand Forks Herald articles regarding the proposed constitutional amendment to prohibit gay marriage or civil unions in North Dakota
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:
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.
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.
News on Federal Marriage Amendment, Wednesday, July 14, 2004:
The Federal Marriage Amendment has failed in the Senate by a bipartisan vote of 50-48. The Senate Republicans knew that the measure would not meet the 2/3 vote required for an amendment to the Constitution to begin its process to passage; nevertheless, they wanted a vote to be on the record. The House plans to take on the measure next week.
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Fargo group joins fight
Fargo's Human Relations Commission is taking a stand against a statewide effort to ban same-sex marriages.
Commission members discussed the issue Wednesday, one day after the state advocacy group Equality North Dakota announced it was taking the same position on the North Dakota Family Alliance's petition drive, which seeks to place the same-sex marriage issue on the November ballot.
The state's Human Rights Coalition also opposes the proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriages. Several members of the Fargo Human Relations Commission also are members of either Equality North Dakota or the coalition.
The Defense of Marriage Act, adopted in North Dakota in 1997, says states are not obligated to recognize same-sex marriages performed in another state but do not have to outlaw them. A constitutional amendment would take the law further by prohibiting same-sex marriage and banning civil unions of homosexual couples.
Commission member Janeen Kobrinsky said if people and groups across the state voice their concerns and go on the record as opposing the amendment, it sends an important message to the state.
<snip>
View online article here
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Senate debate brews on gay marriage ban: N.D.,
Minnesota senators offer opinions
The positions of North Dakota and Minnesota senators on the proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage have not changed of late.
Here are their stances:
Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D.: "My record to strengthen families, care for children and protect traditional marriage is clear. I believe marriage should be reserved for relationships between a man and a woman. That is why I voted for the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996. … It allows North Dakota and other states to decide whether or not they will recognize same sex marriages from another state. North Dakota has made clear it will not. The Defense of Marriage Act has never been successfully challenged in any court. Amending the Constitution of the United States is an extraordinarily serious step and I do not believe it is necessary in this circumstance."
Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D.: "I am opposed to gay marriage. I voted for the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage in federal law as between a man and a woman. That is now law of the land. I believe we should amend the Constitution only as a last resort. … The issue of preventing gay marriage is now being dealt with by individual states in an appropriate manner, including North Dakota, where gay marriage is not legal."
Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn.: Did not respond to inquiry Friday. In a May 20 news release he said he supports the existing 1996 federal law with the hope that the debate does not serve to generate intolerance or discrimination.
"I believe that the time has come for the Defense of Marriage Act to be officially ground into the impenetrable legal foundation that is the United States Constitution. I believe the Constitution will be amended on the question of marriage: The real question before us is whether it will be amended by unelected judges insistent upon overstepping their constitutional authority or by the true source of sovereignty in the United States, the American people."
Sen. Mark Dayton, D-Minn.: Dayton made a lengthy floor statement on March 1 in which he called the proposed amendment un-American, un-Christian and unwise. He said debate on the issue would be mean, ugly, dehumanizing and divisive. He said it would tamper with the Constitution's religious freedom guarantee.
View online article here
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Sen. Kent Conrad letter: Ad about marriage very
misleading
Recently, an out-of-state political action committee purchased an ad in The Forum that was very misleading. My record as a strong supporter of traditional marriage and strong family values is clear and consistent. I believe marriage should be reserved to relationships between a man and a woman.
That is why I voted for the Defense of Marriage Act, which became federal law in 1996. This law gives states the right to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. Many states, including North Dakota, have already passed laws to make it clear they will not recognize same-sex marriages.
Throughout my career, I have held the principled position that the Constitution should be amended only when all other legislative and judicial remedies have been exhausted. Because the Defense of Marriage Act is the law of the land and has never been found to have any constitutional problems, I do not believe a constitutional amendment on marriage is needed.
Sen. Kent Conrad
D-N.D.
<snip>
View full article here
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Marriage initiative: Churches to lobby members
Beginning this weekend, Catholics in North Dakota will be asked to support a state constitutional amendment that defines marriage as only a union between a man and woman.
The North Dakota Catholic Conference, which represents the state's two dioceses on public policy matters, asked parishes to collect petition signatures at least one weekend in July.
The Catholic Church isn't the only religious group actively supporting the petition drive that could amend the state's constitution.
Many of the 25,685 signatures needed for the initiative to appear on the November ballot are being gathered in places of worship across the state.
Members of First Assembly of God in Fargo can sign a petition on their way to or from worship services.
John Trombley, chairman of the state's Family Alliance and a member of First Assembly, said churches are a perfect place to pursue signatures.
"It's where people gather, and it makes sense," he said. "People of faith tend to understand the value of family, and they understand the importance of marriage being defined as between a man and a woman."
In a June 29 letter to priests in the Catholic Diocese of Fargo, Bishop Samuel Aquila directed priests to preach on the sanctity of marriage.
"All Catholics have a moral obligation to defend marriage and oppose efforts to legalize same-sex unions as equivalent to marriage," he wrote. "I want you through your parishioners to obtain signatures in your parish or parishes for this initiative.
<snip>
View full article here
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Possible ballot
measures hit hot button issues
Published: Bismarck Tribune – 07/12/2004
<snip>
View full article here
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Gerry Even letter: Family Alliance uses scare tactics
Gerry Even is a board member of the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition.
I'm curious for a response from the North Dakota Family Alliance to answer the question that I've seen asked repeatedly, but always seems to get dodged. How does any two people's commitment to each other by marriage affect anyone else's commitment to their spouse and marriage in general?
The group, along with Focus on the Family, is using a "protect the children" or "every child deserves a mother and a father" war cry, but their actions don't address this issue. Their proposed amendment includes no language related to children or their welfare at all.
Since when is marriage a prerequisite or decisive factor in raising children? There are children raised successfully every day by single parent households, as well as unmarried spouses, including same sex partners. On the same token, there are children raised every day by a mother and father that many would consider to be unsuccessfully accomplished.
I get the impression that many supporters of the proposed amendments would have us believe that children will be born or raised by a union of two adults that consist of other than a man and a woman. While I've seen no studies or statistics on the matter, I think the majority of same sex couples raising children are doing so by virtue of one of the partners having naturally conceived the children. The rest do so via adoption. I also suspect that the majority of same- sex couples in fact do not raise children or have a desire to do so.
You may argue that children conceived by one parent and raised by that parent and a non-biological parent are somehow disadvantaged, but then so is any child of a divorce and subsequent relationship, even if it doesn't involve a remarriage. The children are raised by at least one non-biological parent, yet the welfare of these children isn't addressed by the language of the proposed amendments. Is this group advocating that children be removed from the homes of what they consider to be a non-traditional family? What affect will that have on the child's welfare?
In summary, I see the North Dakota Family Alliance's message about children to be at best a diversionary and scare tactic. Answer the question: How does anyone else's commitment to marriage affect your own?
Gerry Even
Fargo
View online article here
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What is legal is not
necessarily moral for all people The Jamestown Sun – 07/09/2004
Sherri Paxon is a board member of the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition.
In endorsing a ban on same gender marriage, President Bush stated: “Marriage cannot be severed from its cultural, religious and natural roots without weakening the good influence of society.” Recently the North Dakota Family Alliance announced a campaign to protect “traditional marriage.” Then, in a letter to the Bismarck Tribune, the Cuseys advocate support for the ban “To protect marriage as it has served society for thousands of years.”
NDSU historian Dr. Larry Peterson is puzzled. “There have been numerous changes to the institution of marriage even in the history of the United States. Would President Bush and his allies turn back the clock to reverse those changes also because they “severed” marriage from its roots?
Through research, Peterson discovered many changes. In the 19th century, the minimum age for sexual intercourse was 10 and in Delaware, 7. By 1930, 12 states still allowed 14-year-old boys and 12-year-old girls to marry. We doubt many would support such lenient age laws today. As late as 1940, 12 states did not allow married women to make a legal contract. Women would rise up in protest if this were reinstituted in 2004. In 1952, interracial marriage was outlawed in 30 states, including North Dakota. It wasn’t until 1967 that the Supreme Court struck down interracial marriage bans. Though it was not a popular opinion, in the interest of equal rights the bans were overturned. Amazingly, by 1990, only 10 states outlawed rape in marriage.
We agree with Peterson that, “What is legal is not necessarily moral for all people,” but the constitutional tradition of separating church and state is a building block of American thought. If American law followed Jesus’ teachings, remarriage after divorce would be equated with adultery and be given the appropriate biblical censure. Today, the Roman Catholic Church is not forced to marry divorced persons, though it is legal according to state law.
Churches are given the privilege of performing legal marriages. Yet religious sanction is not a requisite for a civil marriage recognized by government. As supporters of same gender marriage, we aren’t interested in forcing any religious denomination to bless our unions, but we do want the same 1049 Federal legal protections and over 300 state rights that heterosexual couples and their families enjoy.
<snip>
View online article here
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Sand hits the streets to get signatures to vote to ban
same-sex marriages Published: Grand Forks Herald – 07/16/2004
FARGO - Republican U.S. House candidate Duane Sand mingled with people at food and craft booths during a downtown street fair here Thursday, asking them to sign petitions to allow a state vote on banning same-sex marriages.
Sand said he decided to take up the state's cause because a proposed federal constitutional amendment that would define marriage as a union between a man and woman is not getting enough support. He said other states have been issuing same-sex marriage licenses and said he expects "liberal activists" to take up the issue in North Dakota.
"The bottom line is that I would like to know North Dakotans' opinions on this issue because I truly believe it's different from our current federal delegation," Sand said.
Sand is running against incumbent Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D., who said he believes that marriage is a union between a man and a woman, but does not favor a constitutional amendment.
"I supported the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996, which put this traditional definition into federal law," Pomeroy said.
Sand began the afternoon by going door to door in a south Fargo neighborhood, but found few people at home. While at the street fair, he approached about a dozen, and all but three of them signed the petition.
"I think we should be allowed to vote on a lot of things we don't get to vote on," said Barb Walen, 69, who signed the form. "I'm also in favor of this amendment."
Opponents of the proposed amendment have started their own "decline to sign" campaign, saying the measure would promote discrimination and keep young people out of the state.
<snip>
View full article here
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3.) Grand Forks Herald, Higher Education: New chancellor impressed by UND
The North Dakota Human Rights Coalition opposes the use of nicknames, mascots and logos that refer to Native American tribes at educational institutions in North Dakota. The NDHRC is committed to working to effect change so that all people in North Dakota enjoy full human rights, those basic standards without which people cannot live in dignity. The human rights of Native Americans who are students at and work at such schools are being violated by the continued use of these nicknames, mascots and logos by being subject to derogatory T-shirts and chants while attending sporting events, and otherwise on and off campus. This also includes those who are not Native American and who deserve to not be subjected to the T-shirts and chants. View the Coalition’s full position statement here.
HIGHER
EDUCATION: New chancellor impressed by UND Potts cited
growth in enrollment, research-grant applications and awards, and staff and
faculty pay at UND as achievements the school should be proud of. "They're doing
a great job," Potts said. "It's obviously a university on the move." Bright spots
UND is projecting another record enrollment this fall with student numbers approaching the 13,500 mark, according to UND President Charles Kupchella. UND also is expecting to top $80 million in annual research awards for the first time in school history.
Potts
visited Lake Region Community College in Devils Lake on Wednesday and will be at
Mayville State University today. During his
UND visit, Potts took a tour of the campus, making stops at places such as the
School of Medicine and Health Sciences and the John D. Odegard School of
Aerospace Sciences. Potts
highlighted the Energy and Environmental Research Center and the Center for
Innovation as operations at UND that benefit all of North Dakota. "These are
the kinds of entities that are going to make a brighter future for Nickname
issue
Potts said campus
cultural diversity was something that he stressed at his last post as president
of the University of North Alabama.
However, he said, American
Indian issues aren't as prevalent in Alabama as they are at North Dakota
colleges. Potts said
he is aware of the controversy that has existed at UND over the Fighting Sioux
logo and nickname. He said he also knows about the firm stance taken by the
state Board of Higher Education in 2001 when it voted to keep UND's Fighting
Sioux nickname.
He said not to expect
any changes along those lines under his leadership.
"I was strongly advised
that wasn't an issue that the chancellor should get involved in, at least early
on," Potts said.
Potts is calling his
visits to state campuses a listening tour and not an occasion to talk about what
he thinks should be changed in the university system.
Kupchella said that UND officials spent the day with the chancellor talking about various concerns with the university system, such as implementation of the new ConnectND computer software network, and the chancellor's philosophies for the future of the system.
Article no longer available online
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4.) Bismarck Tribune, Two cultures, one parade
Two cultures, one parade By Laura Schreier Bismarck Tribune – 07/09/2004
Two annual parades will join forces this year to tie cultural events together and make room for Folkfest street vendors.
The United Tribes' Parade of Champions and the Bismarck Folkfest parade, traditionally held about a week apart, will combine for the first time this Sept. 11.
Kelvin Hullet, president of the Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce, and Karen Paetz, United Tribes Technical College spokeswoman, announced the combination Thursday morning at the campus.
Since both events have to do with culture -- Northern European and American Indian -- Hullet said it made sense to put them together.
"This came to light as the one thing that would really (expand) both our events," he said. The Parade of Champions is part of the United Tribes' annual powwow. The combined parade won't alter the usual powwow schedule, with events taking place after the parade's completion.
<snip>
View online article here
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5.) Grand Forks Herald, Dorreen Yellow Bird Column: Newcomers need a primer on Indian tribes
DORREEN YELLOW BIRD COLUMN: Newcomers need a primer on Indian tribes
Grand Forks Herald – 07/10/2004
Why do I say here we go again?
Because it is usually a re-education process. Yes, it snows in North Dakota as it does in many of the Northern states, and it gets down right chilly during some parts of the winter months - some years. North Dakota is a Plains state, but it is not a treeless land with few people and billions of mosquitoes.
It is a land of rolling plains, where you can see gigantic, ebony thunderheads that flash with lightning. The storms can build hundreds of miles away yet you can feel their power moving toward you. Ahead of the deluge is a clean scent of wet earth.
In midsummer, it is a land where the big bluestem, Indian and sweet grass and side oats roll like the waves on an ocean. It is a land where the lush green of the Red River Valley sits smartly on the flat floor of what once was a lake so large, it invaded land of three states and Canada.
And yes, some of us have a rather unique way of speaking, "you betcha we do." But we are understandable - most of the time - as are, "ah say," most of the Southerners who come our way. I had lunch with one of those new Southerners who is joining North Dakota's population. Robert Potts is the new chancellor of the North Dakota higher education system. Potts will be the new Larry Isaak, who moved on to a new job in Minnesota.
Potts has settled in Bismarck, not far from the Missouri River, he said, and seems wide open to learning about our state.
For me, what I would like him to know - he will learn about our weather, some of the people and land soon enough - is the uniqueness and importance of the state's largest ethnic or minority population, American Indians.
<snip>
View full article here
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6.) The Forum (Fargo), Barnes faces firing lawsuit
Barnes faces firing lawsuit
A former Barnes County, N.D., corrections officer is suing the county for more than $350,000, claiming wrongful firing and discrimination.
Marvin J. Shape claims his supervisor demoted him for having attention deficit disorder and later fired him for filing a grievance.
The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court alleges Sheriff Randy McClaflin violated the state Human Rights Act for demoting Shape after learning he may have ADD.
After Shape filed a grievance in response to the county's refusal to provide a copy of complaints explaining the demotion, McClaflin fired him in retaliation, the lawsuit alleges.
Shape is seeking more than $50,000 in damages for each of the suit's seven counts, which include discrimination, retaliation and violations of his free speech.
Reached at home Friday afternoon, Shape and McClaflin referred all questions to their attorneys.
Phone messages left for Shape's attorney, Thomas Fiebiger, and Barnes County State's Attorney Robin Huseby were not returned Friday.
Court records say:
Shape told McClaflin in November he suspected he had attention deficit disorder. McClaflin was Shape's supervisor at the Barnes County Jail.
On Dec. 30, McClaflin demoted Shape from chief correctional officer to corrections officer and reduced his pay by $400 per month.
<snip>
View full article here
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7.) Bismarck Tribune, Migrant school tries to make learning fun
Migrant school tries to make learning fun By Associated Press Published: Bismarck Tribune – 07/14/2004
9:55 a.m. - MANVEL, N.D. (AP) -- The number of students at summer school migrant programs in North Dakota has declined in recent years, but that doesn't make geography any less important for junior high students here who are working on a giant mural of the United States.
Eduardo Martinez, 13, is one of the Manvel migrant school students who has taken his turn drawing major cities, highways, lakes, rivers, Indian reservations and state parks for North Dakota, Montana and Idaho. He said history is one of his favorite subjects and studying those states has enabled him to research the travels of Lewis and Clark.
"I know they went through Montana in 1805 and it took them a whole year to get back," he said, proudly.
Martinez is the answer to some critics who believe the migrant program is nothing more than a glorified day care, said migrant school director Richard Ray, who also is the principal for the Manvel School District.
"Sometimes you hear, 'Oh, they just baby-sit them,' and that's not true," Ray said. "It's a little bit different atmosphere, but it's an academic atmosphere."
There are three sites in North Dakota for migrant school students, in Grafton, Hillsboro and Manvel. Most of the students are sons and daughters of seasonal farm workers, mostly from Texas, Ray said.
Students from Minnesota and North Dakota attend the Manvel school, though the enrollment changes from day to day. Some of the students also work in the fields and are allowed to do most of their schoolwork at home.
<snip>
View full article here
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8.) Bismarck Tribune, Volunteers come from far and wide
Volunteers come from far and wide By Natalie Storey Bismarck Tribune – 07/15/2004
FORT YATES -- Before the 11 Volunteers for Peace came to the Standing Rock Indian Reservation to work they were given a packet of information telling them what they would find here; unemployment, alcoholism and idleness were to be expected.
After being here for a week they say they've seen many of the things they prepared for, but they've also been pleasantly surprised.
"The people here, the Indians, some of them are very poor," said Ji Hyun Lee, from South Korea. "But also very nice. That was very impressive for us."
Lee and three other volunteers from Korea were out at the Lake Oahe Group Home for girls cooking for the six at-risk girls who live in the home. They are part of a group of 11 volunteers from across the world who have come here to work and interact with the reservation's children. Besides the volunteers from South Korea, others come from Denmark, England, Spain and New York.
The group is a Vermont-based nonprofit that coordinates projects for international volunteers in the United States. It has no political or religious affiliation, according to its Web site.
The Volunteers for Peace spent their first week painting and cleaning at Standing Rock Junior High. This week they were supposed to work at a youth camp. The camp was postponed, however, and they have branched out into other parts of the community instead.
<snip>
View full article here
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9.) Bismarck Tribune, Town hall meeting will address diversity, discrimination
Town hall meeting will address diversity, discrimination By Angie Buckley Bismarck Tribune – 07/16/04
Paul Lyles' friends wanted to leave a local bar one night after another customer approached him and said he didn't like Lyles because of the color of his skin. But Lyles, who is black, wanted to stay. He sat down with the man and talked with him. While the pair weren't friends by the end of the conversation, Lyles' new acquaintance said he "understood a little more."
While his life here has been mostly good, those are the kinds of experiences Lyles, a 34-year old sociology major at Bismarck State College from Maryland, will talk about at a Bismarck Human Relations Committee meeting next week. The success of an April town hall meeting prompted the HRC to host another one at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Doublewood Inn.
The meeting, described by HRC president Kameran Ali as "part two" of the Building a Better Bismarck discussion, will focus on race and national origin. Aruna Seth will moderate the discussion. Lyles, Sia Ranjbar, Paul Baird and Grady Martin will talk about their experiences with discrimination in Bismarck, positive and negative.
When Lyles moved here, his friends in Maryland wondered why he'd come to North Dakota -- "there's nothing there," they said. But Lyles was surprised by the amount of diversity. By attending International Society meetings, and as the leader of a new multicultural club at BSC, he's met people from around the world.
"I never would have guessed there'd be so much diversity here," he said.
A new element of the town hall meeting will include small group sessions, in which audience members will provide feedback to the HRC. The information will be used to create an action plan for improving human relations, which the committee plans to take to the city commission. The HRC was created in 2002 by Mayor John Warford for people to voice concerns about discrimination, prejudice or other human relations issues.
<snip>
View full article here
********************************************* Events *********************************************
A calendar of events is available on the NDHRC web site at http://www.ndhrc.org/Events/Calendar/July.htm.
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10.) Affordable, Accessible, Integrated Housing Workshop, August 9 & 11, Fargo
Affordable, Accessible, Integrated Housing WorkshopPutting the Puzzle Together When the Pieces Don't Fit
Part I-Monday, August 9, 2004 (1:15pm - 3:30pm)Part II-Wednesday, August 11, 2004 (1:15pm - 3:30pm)
Offered to you Free Of Charge by: Freedom Resource Center2701 – 9th Avenue SW Fargo, ND 58103 478-0459 1-800-450-0459 V/TTY
Affordable, accessible, and integrated housing issues can be overwhelmingly complex when trying to obtain housing for consumers. This two part Webcast/Teleconference will provide you with information and materials related to 504 and the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988, types of HUD housing, low-income housing tax credits, Olmstead and home ownership and much, much more!
So join us to learn about: --Accessible requirements of 504 and the Federal Housing Amendments Act of 1988; --The 5% accessible housing rule; --How "HOME" programs work and who benefits; --How to find out if your state is using a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) fund for affordable, accessible housing; --Housing programs for low to moderate-income people with disabilities living in rural America; and --Statewide housing strategies every advocate can utilize.
Limited seating so call today (478-0459) to reserve your spot
This webcast/teleconference is brought to by IL Net, in partnership with the National Council on Independent Living and Freedom Resource Center for Independent Living
********************************************* Reminders *********************************************
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.) Native American Pow-wows in July, ND Statewide
Native American Pow-wows in July
July 30, 31, & August 1 - Spirit Lake Oyate 37th Annual Pow-wow, Fort Totten, ND July 30, 31, & August 1 - American Legacy Traditional Powwow, Mandan, ND
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13.) UFE General Assembly and Community Training, August 7, Moorhead
WHAT: UFE
General Assembly and Community Training by Salvador Miranda
Message from UFE:
NOTE: Due to the possibility of chemical sensitivities, please refrain from wearing fragrances and colognes.
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14.) Filing a Discrimination Complaint with the Department of Labor, Human Rights Division
This following information is from the Human Rights Division guide on “How to File a Discrimination Complaint in North Dakota.”
The first step in filing a discrimination complaint with the Human Rights Division is to complete the “intake” process. This simply means to provide the Human Rights Division with initial, specific information about what happened to you. The intake process can be completed in any one of three ways:
1. You can describe what happened to you in writing using an Intake Questionnaire form. You can obtain the form by contacting the Human Rights Division or you can print it from the division’s web site. Once you have filled out the form, return it to the Human Rights Division.
2. You can contact the Human Rights Division and ask to have your intake information taken by telephone.
3. You can have your intake information taken in person. Division staff are regularly available to meet with you to take your intake information in person:
During regular office hours at the Human Rights Division in the State Capitol; or
On the first Wednesday of each month in the City of Fargo at 2624 9th Avenue SW, in the Southeast Human Service Center building.
If you wish to have your intake information taken in person, you should call the Human Rights Division in advance to schedule an appointment.
If you need any additional assistance with the intake process, contact the Human Rights Division.
After the intake process is completed, the Human Rights Division will assess the information you provided to determine whether there is a basis to file a formal discrimination complaint for investigation.
The division may need to request additional information from you to make this determination. If the intake information you provide does establish a basis for a formal complaint, the division will draft a complaint for you to sign. A discrimination complaint is considered filed when the signed complaint is returned to the Human Rights Division.
View additional information on the Department of Labor, Human Rights Division web site at http://www.state.nd.us/labor/services/human-rights/.
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15.) 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
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16.) 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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17.) 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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***Member Reminder*** Please keep us in mind for your group or church social action/social justice meetings! We’d be happy to provide a presentation at a meeting or provide newsletter articles for your organizations.
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Do you have a Program, Announcement, Update or Resource that you would like shared on our weekly PAUR report? If so, please send an email to AndreaDeegan@NDHRC.org and we will do our best to accommodate you.
If you are not yet a member of NDHRC, what are you waiting for? Sign up now! The membership form is available on line at http://ndhrc.org/membership_form_revised.htm.
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