PAUR Report

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 HumanRights @NDHRC.org and we will do our best to accommodate you.

Please Note: 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. The opinions expressed within the articles are those of the authors and are not endorsed by the NDHRC.

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You may qualify to receive quality dental care at Minnesota State Community and Technical College-Moorhead. Thanks to grants through the Minnesota State Depaertment of Health and the Dakota Medical Foundation, the college has opened a dental clinic for MN Care and MA recipients providing: dental exams, x-rays, dental cleanings, fillings, extractions, and dentures. The clinic provides staff who are Minnesota Board Certified, with student assistance. Second-year dental hygiene students provide x-rays and cleanings under close supervision. Open Tuesdays from 6-9pm, 1900 28^th Avenue South, Moorhead, MN 56560. For appointments or information call 218-299-6560.

An Eye for an Eye: Martin Luther King, Jr., and Reflections on the Death Penalty
Lecturer: Cheryl Bergian
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “The old law of an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.” In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Cheryl Bergian will reflect on King, Unitarian Universalist principles and the likely North Dakota Legislative debate around bringing back a state death penalty. Bergian is the executive director of the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition and is a past-president of the Fargo-Moorhead Unitarian Universalist Church.

The American Bar Association Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law will be accepting nominations for the seventh annual Paul G. Hearne Award for Disability Rights. The award is presented to an individual or an organization that has performed exemplary service in furthering the rights, dignity, and access to justice for people with disabilities. Interested applicants can apply online at http://www.abanet.org/disability/award/form.shtml, or download the Microsoft Word version of the form and e-mail it to Jonathan Simeone at simeonej@staff.abanet.org. For more information, contact Jonathan Simeone at 202-662-1576.

The Opportunity Agenda: Building the National Will to Expand Opportunity in America

Fellowship Position Announcement: Robert L. Carter Fellowship, September 2007

The Opportunity Agenda, a project of The Tides Center, seeks candidates for the first Robert L. Carter fellowship, to begin September of 2007. The Opportunity Agenda is a communications, research, and advocacy organization dedicated to building the national will to expand opportunity in America.

The fellow will participate in legal research, conduct legal advocacy, work with communities, and collaborate with local and national public interest organizations. The fellowship will focus on promoting universal, equitable access to quality health care for all communities, and combating barriers to care based on race, gender, immigration status, and other characteristics. Activities are likely to include administrative advocacy, reporting, policy advocacy, and litigation support. This work will be done in close collaboration with The Opportunity Agenda’s legal, research, and communications staff, providing opportunities for social science research and media experience, as well as legal work. Fellows may also work on The Opportunity Agenda’s nascent criminal justice reform activities, as well as efforts to apply international human rights principles in the United States.

The Opportunity Agenda has created a fellowship program named for acclaimed civil rights lawyer and jurist Robert L. Carter, a chief architect of Brown v. Board of Education and a champion for civil rights. The program will honor and continue Judge Carter’s legacy of unflinching commitment to justice, intellectual excellence, and the integration of law and social science knowledge to improve the lives of all Americans.

Law school graduates, law students who will graduate in 2007, and judicial law clerks who will complete their clerkships in 2007. We also are particularly interested in candidates with a background or additional degrees in social science research, journalism, and/or communications. Candidates must have a strong interest in working with advocates and communities in the field. The Opportunity Agenda is an equal opportunity employer. We value a work place that is diverse in terms of gender, race, class, geographic origin, sexual orientation, and other differences that enrich our society.

The fellow will receive a salary of $37,500 plus The Opportunity Agenda’s benefits package. The term is for two years. The position will be based in our New York City office.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. All application materials must be received no later than February 1, 2007. Interested candidates should e-mail a letter of interest, resume, transcript, writing sample, and two references to sardalan@opportunityagenda.org.

Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota has provided our community with

education and confidential reproductive health care at an affordable cost for more than 70 years.

Help us achieve our mission by participating in one of these exciting opportunities:

The Local chapter of the national campaign for the creation of a cabinet level Department of Peace is looking for a few good men and women volunteers, across the state, to team up to lobby for this bill. Please contact State Coordinator and District Team Leader Paddy McLaughlin to see how you might become involved with this powerful bill for peace. Meetings in Fargo at the Center, every 1^st & 3^rd Tuesday of the month, 8 p.m. Call 701-232-0694 for details. www.thepeacealliance.org

Parents are raising funds to attend the 15^thAnniversary Family Voices National Conference and Gala, May 23^rd-26^th. Our hope is to send a minimum of 8 parents to this awesome conference. North Dakota families will work with national policymakers and other parent leaders from around the country on critical issues for children with special health care needs. Parent leaders will return with a Leadership Curriculum to replicate upon return and much critical policy information for children with special health care needs. All donations for this effort are tax deductible, and will be announced in the next Family Voices snail mail newsletter. All names that make a donation will eligible to win one of 3 prizes and will be drawn before the families depart to the conference. If you would like to make a donation to help make this possible for families donations can be made to the “Family Voices of ND Helping Hands” account at Dakota Plains Credit Union, PO Box 248 Edgeley, North Dakota 58433 If you have questions please contact Family Voices of North Dakota Director at 701-493-2634 or 888-522-9654. Remember no donation is too small!

The Forum will be Wednesday, December 27 from 7:00 to 8:30 PM at the YWCA Shelter Community Room at 3000 S. University Drive Fargo, ND.

The forum will focus its attention on the work of Waking the Sleeping Giant, national trends for the Nonprofit Sector, and the client/consumer perspective. There will be a dozen clients/consumers giving testimony connected to their lives with emphasis on the issues in the Human Service system which are impacting our community. The Theme of the forum will be “Put People First,” and will include the participants of the forum making a pledge to put people first.

"Sharing Wisdom, Building Strengths for the Cultural Well-Being of Youth and Families” January 23-25, 2007 Seven Seas Inn & Conference Center Mandan, North Dakota For more information, or to register by phone, please call 701.255.6374 Or fax form to 701.255.6394 or you can register online at http://www.nativeinstitute.org

NDCPD will offer Ethics: A Professional Perspective from 2-4 p.m. 12/13/06 and Supporting the Participation of Students with Disabilities in IEP/Person Centered Planning Meetings on 1/23/07 from 2:30-4:30 p.m. for more information contact Mary Mercer or Vickie Brabandt at 800-233-1737

Nonprofits Assistance Fund Launches Blog
A newly launched blog by Kate Barr, Executive Director of the Nonprofits Assistance Fund, can be found here . The blog focuses particularly on nonprofit organizations, large and small, that must work to raise funds each year. In a weekly one-pager, Kate shares her thoughts and insights on nonprofit management. The subscription is free and you’ll find very practical, relevant information on what all NPO’s face every day to help make your organizations successful.

Local Peace Circle takes place every Tuesday at 7:00 P.M. at The Center for Peace, 411 11th St. N., Fargo, ND. Please join us as we meditate on, prayer for and envision the conditions necessary for healing and peace on Earth. Contact Paddy McLaughlin, 701-232-0694

Family Voices of North Dakota Compiling Information for Publication: FVND is compiling a list of support for families in areas around ND. If there is a support group regarding a specific disability, grief counseling, etc. we are tracking this with the end result a publication that can be updated annually If you know of support in your areas, please let us know at fvnd@drtel.net thanks in advance.Make your voice heard about health issues concerning your children. Use the Family Voices Legislative Action Center (LAC) to contact your senators and representatives: http://www.familyvoices.org/lac Help support Family Voices of ND, Shop online at www.cafepress.com/fvnd

Family Voices of North Dakota has 17 workshops available coming to a site near you. Look for announcements regarding workshops that will be held in your area. We plan to hold workshops regionally, however, if you in rural ND and want to hold a workshop in your area just let us know. Additionally, if you participate in a support group and would like us to attend with one of our workshops, let us know and we are also happy to accommodate. Just give us a call. We can post your events through the weekly Share the Wealth: Contact fvnd@drtel.net OR 888-522-9654

Gophers-UND rivalry hits a big snag
Chip Scoggins, Star Tribune
University of North Dakota athletic director Tom Buning had hoped to schedule football and basketball games against the University of Minnesota in an effort to provide a financial boost to his school's transition to Division I in 2008. http://www.startribune.com/512/story/886984.html

College Athletics: Nickname becomes D-I issue
By Joseph Marks and Wayne Nelson, Herald Staff Writers - 12/19/2006
The University of Minnesota won't compete against UND in any sport except men's and women's hockey because of UND's continued use of the Fighting Sioux nickname, the school's athletic director said Monday. http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=20977&section=News

ACA (Advisory Committee on Athletics) competition and anti-discrimination policy
Grand Forks Herald - 12/19/2006
The University of Minnesota Athletics Department strongly endorses the NCAA Principle of Nondiscrimination: "The Association shall promote an atmosphere of respect for and sensitivity to the dignity of every person. It is the policy of the Association to refrain from discrimination with respect to its governance policies, educational programs, activities and employment policies." http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=20991

Fighting Sioux Debate: NCAA pass won't sway Minnesota
By Joseph Marks, Herald Staff Writer - 12/20/2006
Any future exception to school policy against playing teams with American Indian nicknames shouldn't be based strictly on which teams the NCAA considers "hostile and abusive," members of the University of Minnesota's Advisory Committee on Athletics said Tuesday…That means the committee may recommend not scheduling games against UND even if the the North Dakota school wins its lawsuit against the NCAA… http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=21081&section=News

UND v. NCAA: Dec. '07
By Joseph Marks, Herald Staff Writer - 12/16/2006
UND's lawsuit against the NCAA over the Fighting Sioux nickname won't hit courtrooms until at least December 2007, officials decided today. http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=20635&section=News&freebie_check&CFID=11557894&CFTOKEN=55973623&jsessionid=8830d086d55850631724

Program aims to keep dying dialects alive
Patrick Springer, The Forum - 12/18/2006

People gather every other Tuesday for soup and a bit of conversational Dakota language instruction inside the gym of the tribal college in Fort Totten, N.D. … The idea is to create an informal educational setting for members of the Spirit Lake Reservation who aren’t fluent in their native language. http://www.in-forum.com/articles/printer.cfm?id=149889

Organizers of a proposed international marketplace in Fargo-Moorhead faced scrutiny this week from Moorhead city officials over the project’s budget and location. http://www.in-forum.com/articles/printer.cfm?id=149627

Children sat riveted as the familiar story of a curious monkey with a pal in a big yellow hat echoed off the Moorhead Public Library’s walls…But there was a twist at this recent library story hour…For youngsters who gathered around a rocking chair to hear H.A. Rey’s classic children’s book read aloud, “Curious George” was “Jorge el Curioso.” http://www.in-forum.com/articles/printer.cfm?id=149888

Ex-police chief speaks out
Associated Press - 12/13/2006 - Fargo Forum

LARIMORE, N.D. – Steven Jones says racism was a key reason he was fired from his job as this community’s police chief and is considering legal action against the city. http://www.in-forum.com/articles/printer.cfm?id=149241

Former police chief accused of discrimination
Mike Nowatzki, The Forum - 12/14/2006 -- Former Fargo Police Chief Chris Magnus, widely regarded as a champion of diversity and human rights during his tenure in Fargo, has been accused of racial discrimination by six members of his command staff in Richmond, Calif. http://www.in-forum.com/articles/printer.cfm?id=149385

Senate bill bans funeral protesters
12/08/2006 - Grand Forks Herald
The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bill Thursday sponsored by Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., that prohibits protesters at the funerals of fallen U.S. soldiers. ... The legislation was largely in response to the funeral protests led by the Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas. Church members have been picketing the funerals under the belief that U.S. soldiers are dying because of America's acceptance of homosexuality. http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/includes/printer.cfm?id=19732

Claimants reapplying for disability benefits have the burden of showing a significant change in their compensable medical condition and an actual wage loss caused by the significant change in their condition. http://www.ndcourts.gov/court/opinions/20060185.htm

René and Frankie Clausen, Moorhead, letter: Forum poll question offensive, intolerant
The Forum - 12/16/2006

We are writing in response to the “Today’s Poll” question of Friday, Dec. 8, taking particular issue with the line of reasoning that supported The Forum’s decision to even ask such a question as “Would you object to the construction of a mosque in your neighborhood?” http://www.in-forum.com/articles/printer.cfm?id=149603

North Dakota state senator says he'll try to repeal cohabitation law.

Round 3 of cohabitation repeal planned
Janell Cole, Forum Communications Co. - 12/20/2006

BISMARCK – Freshman state Sen. Tracy Potter, D-Bismarck, said he’ll sponsor a bill in the 2007 Legislature to repeal the state’s prohibition on cohabitation. http://www.in-forum.com/articles/printer.cfm?id=150055

Lutheran Peace Fellowship of the Red River Valley Steering Committee letter: Help to establish Department of Peace

….support the establishment of a United States Department of Peace. House Bill 3760 has been introduced with 75 sponsors in the House of Representatives. This measure would bring practical, nonviolent solutions to problems of domestic and international conflict. It would apply the international weight of our government to a serious effort to avoid war by applying other ways to solve disputes. It would have our country wage peace as an alternative to war. http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=150139

Executions halted in 2 states after botched injection

POSTED: 10:34 p.m. EST, December 15, 2006, OCALA, Florida (AP) -- Gov. Jeb Bush suspended executions in Florida after a medical examiner said Friday that prison officials botched the insertion of the needles when a convicted killer was put to death earlier this week. http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/12/15/diaz.execution.ap/index.html

Shortly before adjourning, the Senate and House passed legislation to prevent early 2007 shortfalls for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). SCHIP provides health insurance to more than four million children, including children with disabilities, in low-income families across the country. Unspent SCHIP funds from fiscal years 2004 and 2005 will be redistributed to states expected to run out of SCHIP funds in the 2007. The redistributed funds should defer shortfalls in those states’ SCHIP programs through early May 2007. This bill also heads to the President’s desk for his signature, before it can become law.

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Programs ~ Announcements ~ Updates ~ Resources

Announcements

Events

Reminders

NEWS: Native American Nicknames / Mascot

NEWS: Tribal

NEWS: Race & National Origin

NEWS: Sexual Orientation

NEWS: Disabilities

NEWS: Religion

NEWS: Miscellaneous

Executions halted in 2 states after botched injection