Establishing a Workers Center in St. Cloud

AFL-CIO Labor Union Education for St. Cloud Somali Workers

(text and photos shared with permission of Stephen Philion)

On January 18th, a labor rights and union education session was held in St. Cloud, which featured a discussion with Garat Ibrahim, an organizer wtih SEIU Healthcare MN. A second meeting was held at the St. Cloud Labor Home, which discussed problems Somali workers face in the workplace and with temprary agencies in the St. Cloud region. Information about the non-profit support organization for refugees in Central MN, Hands Across the World, was also presented. These discussions are the beginning stages toward establishing a workers center in St. Cloud, MN.

The list of issues recorded on a white board that Somali workers raised at the meeting at the Labor Home in St. Cloud during the evening meeting.

 

Casey Hudek, AFL-CIO representative, explaining labor rights and law, with Abdul Kulane interpreting

  

Martin Luther King Jr. Day, 2013

On Monday January 21st, 2013, we celebrate the life and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and we reflect upon the civil rights we have earned since his time. 2013 will mark the 50th anniversary of Dr. King's famous "I Have a Dream" Speech and his March on Washington.


People still have big dreams for the United States, and for our children. The King Center allows all of us to add our dreams to their website using this simple form. Take a look at the collection of dreams here.

According to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service website:

" Dr. King believed in a nation of freedom and justice for all, and encouraged all citizens to live up to the purpose and potential of America by applying the principles of nonviolence to make this country a better place to live—creating the Beloved Community. 

"The MLK Day of Service is a way to transform Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and teachings into community action that helps solve social problems. That service may meet a tangible need, or it may meet a need of the spirit. On this day, Americans of every age and background celebrate Dr. King through service projects that strengthen communities, empower individuals, bridge barriers, and create solutions."

If you are interested in participating in Day of Service activities, visit this website for more information.

If you would like to get involved in social justice and community engagement more than one day out of the year, there is an open position on the St. Cloud Regional Area Human Rights Commission. You may fill out the following online application or email Mike Williams at michael.williams@ci.stcloud.mn.us
for a print application.

Human Rights Issues of 2013

2012 is over. I did not write a blog post highlighting Top Ten Human Rights issues of 2012; to be honest, I was overwhelmed by them. From the effects of environmental disasters on our daily lives to unsafe schools to human trafficking to all sorts of discrimination taking place in our own backyard, I did not know where to begin.

It is now 2013, a new year. Instead of looking back, I want to look forward, and identify some human rights issues that must be addressed by our state, as well as our nation, starting today.

1. Improvement of mental health services for all. Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek makes two statements: a. Multiple studies show a strong link between untreated mental illness and an increased risk of committing violent acts (when properly treated, even the severely mentally ill pose no greater threat than do those in the general population), and b. The state of Minnesota has the lowest number of psychiatric beds per capita in the nation. Failure to identify and help those who may be demonstrating symptoms of serious mental illness is a human rights abuse--first for the victim of mental illness, and second for the community. Heterosexual men are less likely to seek mental health services than women, and often cite that mental health services are promoted to women or LGBT communities--not to them. Meanwhile, all of the mass murderers in the United States in recent history have been boys or men suffering from serious mental illness.

2. Federal anti-discrimination policies that identify sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes. Until this comes to pass, federally recognized same sex marriage will remain a fairy tale, and incidents such as this one, where a restaurant manager in North Carolina hands a lesbian couple a letter condemning their lifestyle after they paid their bill, will continue. If that restaurant manager had handed such a letter condemning African-Americans, Jewish people, or any other minority to customers who fell into such identified category, he would have been served a lawsuit that the state of North Carolina could beat him with. The only thing a restaurant manager should say to customers paying their bill is "Thank you for your business--have a nice day."

3. Sexual harassment training and protection in all MnSCU institutions. Students and faculty remain at risk for sexual harassment in MnSCU institutions. This creates unsafe educational and work environments. Victims of sexual harassment do not get the justice they deserve, and faculty are not given the training or administrative directives to know the legal consequences of their actions. 

4. Creating sustainable lifestyles in an age of rapidly changing climates. Hurricanes, tornadoes and derechos, brush fires in Australia, record heatwaves, droughts, floods, and unprecedented cold snaps are putting an increasing human population at risk for homelessness and starvation. The world must work together to find sustainable solutions to life in unpredictable climates.

If you can think of any more issues, feel free to comment...for me, this is quite enough for one year. 

Hurricane Sandy Relief

I will just put it out there, for the record--I hate asking people for money. But a large chunk of our nation has been hit by the worst storm ever recorded in our history, and one week later people are still suffering from the aftermath. My own parents still do not have electricity or phone service. It is difficult to get gas and, in some places, basic groceries.

Senior citizens, people who depend on public transportation, and the homeless especially need assistance during this time. Some kids will still be home from school on Monday if there is no electricity and no way to get to school. For some of those kids, their school lunch may be the only meal they get to eat all day.

If you have the time to volunteer, or the money to donate, please consider the following opportunities:

1. The Ali Forney Center for LGBT Homeless Youth in NYC is under four feet of water and all computers, food, phones, and electricity wiped out. Thousands of kids depend heavily on this center for food, education, and personal safety. Please click here to learn more about how you can help. 

2. Top 12 ways to donate time, money, etc. to Hurricane Sandy victims in NYC.

3. General donation/volunteering sites:
     AmeriCares Hurricane Sandy Donations
     American Red Cross

Even spreading the word about what is happening and how to help is huge. Thank you for listening.

High School Students and Human Rights

I co-facilitated a workshop with Eunice Adjei-Bosompem  called “Human Rights in Your Community” for middle and high school students at a Civic Engagement conference at St. Cloud State University on Thursday October 25^th. The students who attended this conference did so voluntarily, and chose this topic of human rights as their first choice and main interest. When I asked the students why they decided to attend this workshop, all of them claimed that they believed in equal rights for all people and that they wanted to learn more about fighting for human rights. We asked them to define the term “human”; students used terms such as “flawed”, “unique”, “imperfect”, and “alive” to describe “human”.

We conducted an experiment. We gave the students photographs of all different kinds of people cut out from newspapers, and asked them to choose three photos of people whom they would want to befriend, and three photos of people they would not want to be friends with. Students “liked” people who appeared happy, and possibly shared a common interest. They were likely to “like” athletes, dancers, and singers, regardless of whether or not they knew of their celebrity status. Students “disliked” people who were featured in photos with cigarettes or firearms. They also were more likely to “dislike” people with glasses, factory/construction workers, protesters, and the elderly.

After this experiment, we had a valuable conversation about where human rights in the community begin: empathy in the heart, and realizing that one day all humans will grow old, can become disabled, can become poor, can become disenfranchised. We talked about the global community and the local community. We talked about opening spaces for all human beings in one’s community, and to start with those spaces where others do not have access (ex. non-handicapped accessible spaces). The workshop was a wakeup call for the students, and a reality check.

Are we recognizing the human “imperfections” that are distinct from our own? Do we have the capability to identify and address our own individual imperfections? While we can never teach people to be perfect, as the attainment of human perfection is impossible and not universally defined, then how do we create a space where we recognize and acknowledge those “imperfections” in order to build bridges and provide the best service that we can, to each other and to our users? Before we can define human rights and fight for them, we must first accept and fight for a universal definition of humanity.

Open Forum

On Wednesday October 17th, the St. Cloud Regional Human Rights Commission held an open forum for the community to discuss discrimination. We had a great turnout--at least 40 people showed up--and everyone had a chance to voice their questions and concerns.

Some common concerns that people shared:

1. Employment discrimination in the region. People released from prison, unaccompanied youth (often young adults out of the foster care system), youth under 18 years old, transgender people, and people with disabilities have a difficult time finding employment in central Minnesota. While times are hard for everyone, some employment applications still ask questions that are against state law. Forum attendees asked what groups in the region assist disenfranchised people in finding employment, and they wanted to know how they could find out more.

2. Discrimination against people of color. Somalis who live in a particular section of St. Cloud live in fear of their apartment manager and a security force. In the St. Cloud 742 school district, a clinical study of 25 African-American boys is being conducted without parental consent. Not all of central Minnesota is as diverse as St. Cloud; some children of color feel isolated in their schools because they may be the only ones.

3. Communications and connections. While the St. Cloud Regional Human Rights Commission meetings are open to the public, they have not been advertised. Some people requested future updates to issues brought up at the forum. Commissioners reminded attendees about the blog and Facebook page.

4. Forum as Safe Space. Some of the most at-risk populations in central Minnesota who would benefit from some support and guidance from the Human Rights Commission may not feel safe in a public forum outside of their comfort zone. People suggested that, to attract more participation from groups in need, Human Rights Commissioners should organize population-specific forums in those places where those groups feel safe.

Please watch this space--as well as our Facebook page--for information about upcoming forums.

Out in the Community

Members of the Saint Cloud Regional Human Rights Commission were at St. Cloud Pride on Saturday September 22nd, meeting the community and advertising our Open Forum in October!

The Saint Cloud Regional Human Rights Commission Open Forum will be on Wednesday October 17th from 6 pm - 7:30 pm in St. Cloud City Hall Council Chambers. Meet the commission members, learn about what we are doing to fight for human rights, and join us in conversation on how we can work together in ending discrimination in the region. Become a member of our Facebook page and join our event!