NDHRC Receives Thank You Letter from The Presentation Peace & Justice Collaborative Council

March 6, 2012 by  

 

North Dakota Human Rights Coalition Releases 2011 Legislative Report Card

September 16, 2011 by  

North Dakota Human Rights Coalition is a broad-based group of individuals and organizations with an interest in the furtherance of human rights in North Dakota.  To that end, the organization has completed its 2011 Legislative Report Card and will present its findings at a statewide Human Rights Summit to be held October 28-29 in Fargo. Anyone wanting to receive a copy, in advance of the Summit, can download a copy here or call 701-239-9323.  More information on the upcoming Summit will be available soon on the website and Facebook page for the organization.

NDHRC to Hold Annual Meeting: March 8, 2011

February 4, 2011 by  

Fargo, ND – North Dakota Human Rights Coalition will hold its Annual Meeting on Tuesday, March 8, 2011 at Prudential Premier Real Estate, 1815 38th Street South, Fargo at 6:00 p.m.  This annual event provides an opportunity for members and others interested in human rights issues to learn about the coalition’s current activities and provide input about what projects and issues should be addressed in the current year.  Dinner will be provided and transportation may be available to those who request it, in advance.  Please RSVP to 701-239-9323 or rsvp@ndhrc.org.

2011 ND Legislative Action Alert: SB 2051 & SB 2052

February 4, 2011 by  

There are certain behaviors and indications of character that have nothing to do with an affiliation to a political party or specific religion–practices that are about doing the right thing–personal traits transcending all political and religious beliefs, as well as an understanding that some things are just plain wrong and not reflective of the values of the citizens of North Dakota.

 For example:

  • Intimidating someone or a group of people trying to enter a public space because of where they go to church is wrong.
  • Threatening harm to someone or a group of people in a public space because of their perceived racial ancestry is not acceptable.
  • Injuring or interfering with the ability of a physically disabled individual or group of people trying to enjoy an activity taking place in a public space is nothing short of despicable.

 Situations of this type will be addressed by North Dakota Senate Bill No. 2051, a bill condemning the actions and assigning accountability to individuals who attempt to disrupt or to prevent the enjoyment of public places by certain others based upon their perception of those individuals.

 There are other behaviors not in keeping with North Dakota Values:

  • Allowing damage to property based on the age or gender of those owning the property.
  • Ignoring the destruction of property because the owners are or are thought to be gay.
  • Saying it’s okay to vandalize property because the owners are or appear to be of a different nationality.

 Situations such as this will be addressed by North Dakota Senate Bill No. 2052, which assigns specific accountability to those who willfully damage property specifically based upon who owns that property.

 But, don’t we already have laws in place that address these behaviors? Do we need to enact yet another piece of legislation that would only apply to such a small group of North Dakotans?

 In a word—yes. This legislation is not only about the victims of these crimes, it’s about assigning accountability to the even smaller group of individuals who behave in a way that is not reflective of the values of the citizens of our state.

 We each may have different opinions of the people upon whom these crimes are committed, but we all share the same opinion of the crimes themselves—they are despicable acts and will not be tolerated by the citizens of the state of North Dakota.

 Please, take a moment and contact your senator and let them know you do not support looking the other way any longer.

 Bernie Erickson, Director

North Dakota Human Rights Coalition

NDHRC Moving Forward …

October 23, 2010 by  

Greetings from the NDHRC Board of Directors!

Several new NDHRC board members joined existing board members for an active and spirited Strategic Planning session recently held April 30th and May 1st at the Dakota Medical Foundation offices in Fargo. The planning session was funded by the Impact Foundation and facilitated by Rose Stoller of the Consensus Council. We set out our plan to move the NDHRC forward in the wake of the economic realities of no new grant funding sources. This had  resulted in the elimination of  paid NDHRC staff in late 2009.
We have returned to our roots as a true volunteer organization with all of its opportunities and challenges. We encourage each of you to “jump in.”
The draft Strategic Plan crafted by the NDHRC Board sets out six goals with activities and strategies under each of our goals. The goals are:
  1. To speak out consistently, both proactively about human rights issues as they occur, and in a timely manner.
  2. To obtain the services of an intern to design, develop and implement the E-newsletter.
  3. To establish and maintain the routine public presence on human rights issues.
  4. To increase the NDHRC membership.
  5. To establish an annual plan of work and programs.
  6. To assure a sound organizational structure for the NDHRC.
As you can see we continue to have much work to do together in North Dakota as the NDHRC.
The NDHRC  board is also working to update and keep current our website and Facebook page to stay connected with members.  We need your input and ideas and encourage your voice.  The NDHRC board meets the third Thursday of the month.
You may have noticed the recent Op/ed piece written by board members Amy Phillips and Jeannie Camarillo that spoke out against the  discriminatory Arizona law on immigration and that appeared in newspapers around the state.  We continue to encourage members to be advocates for human rights and speak out when they see or hear about actions that do not respect the rights of all individuals.
We will be in contact again soon.  We look forward to a fall workshop, dinner and speaker and the presentation of the NDHRC Arc of Justice Award.
Martin Luther King, Jr. said “We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope.”
Tom Fiebiger
NDHRC Board  Chair