Groups Celebrating Human Rights Day
Two local groups are spreading a message of racial harmony as 1995 - a year dedicated to tolerance by the United Nations - comes to an end.
The local United Nations Association and the Spokane Human Rights Commission are pairing up to offer a program today to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Human Rights Day.
Internationally celebrated, Human Rights Day began as a way of promoting unity among the races, said Masi Raven, a member of the United Nations Association, Spokane Chapter.
Raven said Human Rights Day is a chance for people to work on racial harmony.
“It’s better to say, ‘Look, we are here, we are culturally diverse, we are an important part of this community,”’ Raven said.
This year’s program is called “Unity in Action” and will include guest speakers and group discussions on personal experiences of adversity and ways to make this community more culturally tolerant, said Cherie Berthon, a commission member and one of several event planners.
The program will run from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 4340 W. Fort Wright Drive. Those who attend are asked to bring a dessert from their ethnic background.
Guest speakers will include Valerie Marshall, director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, O.J. Cotes, coordinator of equity training/staff support with School District 81, Vickie Countryman, regional recruiter for American Express Financial Advisers, and Bilal Hashmi, president of the Southeast Asia Cultural Association.
For information, call 625-6263.
The program’s theme is tolerance - something which organizers say needs a closer look in this community. Human Rights Commission members said they are concerned with people’s blindness to race problems here.
“The issue of diversity and the issue of upholding human dignity for people of color has been marginalized for a long time,” said Ben Cabildo, another commission member.
He said the event provides an opportunity for various cultural communities to find common ground.
About 200 representatives from more than two dozen local organizations, businesses and educational institutions are expected to attend.
Although the event is aimed at local agencies to make connections, organizers hope to attract anyone who is interested in human rights issues.
Unity In Action comes at a time when commissioners say hate crimes and discrimination appear to be on the rise.
, DataTimes