HUMAN RIGHTS OBSERVER - The Advocates for Human Rights

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Observer Page 10ALSADU, Inc., member of FairTrade FederationTom ArndtAvant Hair & CosmeticsAvedaZaheer and Zarina BaberLynn Bachman with theSanctuary SalonspaBarna, Guzy, & Steffen, LtdChris BercawBibelotRamla BileBlack Forest InnBrave New WorkshopAviva BreenJenny BreenBryant Lake BowlCafé LatteCalhoun Beach FramingBill, Connie, and Todd CameronCanterbury ParkCathy CarlsonHoward M. Christopherson andIcebox Quality Framing &GalleryAloysuis ChuMany Thanks to Our Silent Auction DonorsCarolyn CollinsCosi IDSDancers StudioSteve and Jean DankoThe DepotEcopolitanFairmont Hotel San FranciscoFree Spirit PublishingHawks View CottagesMaria HerderThe Hub Bike Co-opSarah HuntLoan HuynhIvy Spa ClubIchiban Japanese Steak HouseCindy JacksonJawaahir Dance Company andThe Cassandra School of MiddleEastern DanceRachel Johnson HamlinSandy JohnsonThe Jungle TheaterJulia KashaevaMarlene KayserHyder Khan and NazneenKhatoonDavid Kistle and JerryZiertmanNancy KleemanPatrick Kugmeh and VictoriaKporJohn LewisMall of AmericaRochelle MareshMaynard’s RestaurantMinnesota Children’s MuseumMinnesota Fringe FestivalMinnesota OrchestraMinnesota TwinsJim MartineauDahabo MohamedDipankar Mukherjee andMeena NatarajanMy GymNorthwest AirlinesOld Log TheaterOrdway Center for thePerforming ArtsThe Outing Lodge at Pine PointPangea World TheaterHong Sik Peter ParkDavid ParkerAdvocating with Liberia DelegationThe Advocates for Human Rights traveled to Washington, D.C.in May with Liberian leaders and advocates. The delegation metwith key legislative offices and allies to develop a strategy forbringing permanent resident status to the thousands of Liberianswho have been under temporary protection in the U.S. since theoutbreak of the Liberian conflict in 1991.The delegation was spearheaded by the Coalition for PermanentResidency, a Minnesota-based group working for fairimmigration policies for communities affected by long-termtemporary protected status designations. Throughout 2008, CPRhas worked to raise awareness of the urgency of Liberianimmigration status. The Advocates for Human Rights is anactive member of the Coalition for Permanent Residency, agroup that also includes Jewish Community Action, theMinneapolis Urban League, the State Council on BlackMinnesotans, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, theOrganization of Liberians in Minnesota, as well as many others.Liberian community leadership from Minnesota and around thecountry took part in the trip. Emmanuel Wettee, president of theUnion of Liberian Associations in the Americas (ULAA), andLiberian leaders from Atlanta, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, andRhode Island joined Deputy Chief of Mission to the LiberianEmbassy, Edwin F. Sele, to educate lawmakers on the need forcontinued protection of Liberians.Peace CoffeeRobin PhillipsJennifer PrestholdtHon. Kathryn L. QuaintanceRadisson Plaza Hotel MinneapolisJudith RieseRocco Altobelli Salons & Day SpasEllen SampsonScience Museum of MinnesotaSebastian Joe’sA.J. SiddiquiSmart Women CompanySolimar Wellness SpaChelli and Rick SorelNancy SpeerSt. Paul SaintsTheatre de la Jeune LuneRuth UsemWalker Art CenterDavid WeissbrodtThe Wellness CenterWild MountainRoberta WalburnHeidi WitteChristine YangAccompanying thedelegation wereMelanie Nezer ofHebrew ImmigrantAid Society, and EricSigmon of LutheranImmigrant andRefugee Services. Thetwo also organized alunch briefing atAmnestyMichele Garnett McKenzie, Michael Wreh,International USA, Kerper Dwanyen, and Edwin F. Selewhich was generously hosted by the Refugee Council USA.The United States has extended temporary protection toLiberians since they began arriving nearly 20 years ago. Everyyear, Liberians have been required to re-register for TPS, payingfiling fees to renew their status and work permission. InSeptember 2006, the Department of Homeland Securityannounced the termination of Liberian TPS, effective October 1,2007. On September 12, 2007, President Bush announced thatLiberians who were registered under TPS would be permitted toremain and work in the U.S. under Deferred Enforced Departure(DED) until March 31, 2009. The Advocates hopes that themany Liberians who are now such an integral part of our societywill find relief with an option for permanent resident status.August 2008 Volume XX, Issue 2
Observer Page 11A Retrospective Look at Human RightsKeynote speaker Bill SchulzThe Advocates for HumanRights held its sixth annuallaw and policy conference,"Human Rights and theUnited States: the Past,Present and Future ofDignity and Justice for All,"on June 30th. Each year,The Advocates holds aday-long CLE conference onimportant human rightsissues at the offices of cosponsorDorsey andWhitney.This year, in celebration of a quarter-century of promoting andprotecting human rights, the annual law and policy conferencetook a retrospective look at the human rights movement andlooked ahead to the future of human rights in the 21st century.In addition to the many distinguished speakers, The Advocatesintroduced its latest educational initiative, the Discover HumanRights Institute, representing a step forward in human rightseducation and an important long-term improvement in humanrights worldwide.Former Executive Director of Amnesty International USAWilliam F. Schulz delivered the keynote address, entitled“Restoring America's Credibility: The Future of Human Rights.”Currently a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress,Dr. Schulz is credited with working tirelessly to make humanrights issues known in the United States.The afternoon plenary address was delivered by Peggy Hicks,international advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. Heraddress, “A New Age in Human Rights: The UN Human RightsCouncil,” examined both the challenges and the opportunitiesfor the future of human rights enforcement.Kim Condon with event attendeeIn addition, participants chose from four workshop sessions,each focusing on a specific area of human rights. Workshopsessions included: 1) Women and Human Rights, 2) Conflict andHuman Rights, 3) Using Domestic and International Law toAdvocate for Human Rights, and 4) Human Rights Issues forthe 21st Century.Participants also observed the launching of the Discover HumanRights Institute. The Institute is an online educational resourceaimed at helping Americans “get informed, get involved, and getothers interested” in human rights issues. Through the Institute,The Advocates provides educational resources and tools to helppeople learn about and apply international human rightsstandards in their daily lives, their families, their workplaces,and their communities. Information about the conference,including a full schedule and conference materials, speakerbiographies, notes on the sessions, and PowerPoint presentationsis available on the website: www.discoverhumanrights.org.This year’sconference wasmade possiblethrough thegenerosity of itssponsors, Dorsey& Whitney LLP,the Human RightsCommittee of theMinnesota StateBar Association,the MinnesotaDepartment ofHuman Rights,Fact Fair on ImmigrationThe Advocates forHuman Rightspartnered with theFaribault DiversityCoalition and otheragencies to sponsor afact and resource fairentitled “The Immigrantand Refugee Story froma Human RightsPerspective” onPanelists Angela Bortel, Mary Ellingen,Alena Chaps, and Aviva BreenWilliam Mitchell College of Law, the University of MinnesotaHuman Rights Program, the Midwest Coalition for HumanRights, and the University of Minnesota Human Rights Center.For information about future conferences and other educationalevents, please visit us at www.discoverhumanrights.org.Saturday, April 26, 2008 from 10 am to 2 pm in the Great Hallof Buckham Library in Faribault, Minnesota. The purpose of theevent was to help shed light on the facts surroundingimmigration to the U.S. and Minnesota, as well as provideinformation about the rights of immigrants and refugees whoreside in the Faribault community.The event was open to the public, drawing approximately 50community members throughout the day. Delicious food wasprovided by Somali and Latino communities in Faribault.August 2008 Volume XX, Issue 2
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HUMAN RIGHTS OBSERVER - The Advocates for Human Rights

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