WHAT'S HAPPENING INDEX

**[more] - Board Nominations Sought

***June 14 - The Human Race. Support your community and WHRTF

** [more]June 19, Thursday, 7pm - WHRTF General Meeting -Bloedel Donovan Pavilion
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** [more] July 17, Whatcom Civil Rights Project volunteer meeting, 2pm
Fairhaven College, Room 314

** [more] July 24-25, Undoing Racism Workshop in Seattle

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Board Nominations Sought
~a message from the Vice Chair of the WHRTF

The Board of Directors of the Whatcom Human Rights Task Force consists of eleven members. These eleven folks have volunteered their time, energy, and skills to help guide the organization.

The Board members are elected to terms of two years, with six positions one year and five the next. Elections are held at the June quarterly meeting of the general membership. In 2003 that meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 19.

The Board is charged, by the general membership, with guiding the Task Force in upholding the mission statement, "to promote and protect the rights of all members of the human family. Those rights include the right to be treated with dignity and to live without fear of violence, intimidation or discrimination…"

The Board members work to have the Task Force fulfill its commitment to: "Educate the community about tolerance, honor diversity and identify commonalties. Organize unified, non-violent response to those who condone human rights abuses. Provide support and referral for victims of bias crimes. Monitor malicious harassment, community and government responses."

Please respond ASAP.

Please give us your name and contact information along with your nominee's information. We will then contact you and them.

Sincerely,

Joe Deeny
Vice-Chair, Board of Directors

Contact, Board Nominating Committee
WHRTF P.O. Box 2191
Bhm., WA 98227-2191
360-733-2233
nominees@whrtf.org

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WHRTF General Meeting and Board Elections
June 19, Thursday-7pm
The Whatcom Human Rights Task Force will hold an ice cream social and Board elections on Thursday, June 19th. Bring your comments and ideas for the future of WHRTF.
Information:
please contact the WHRTF
office at 733-2233 or whrtf@whrtf.org.
Location:
Bloedel Donovan Pavilion, North Lake Whatcom area, Bellingham

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Whatcom Civil Rights Project, training session
July 17 - 2 pm Fairhaven College, Room 314

The Whatcom Civil Rights Project (WCRP) has scheduled a training session for intake volunteers in July 17 - 2pm Fairhaven College, Room 314. The training, conducted by local attorneys and Fairhaven College Law and Diversity Program faculty, will prepare volunteers to conduct intake interviews for the Civil Rights Project.

The Whatcom Civil Rights Project was founded in the fall of 2001 as a joint endeavor of LAW Advocates, the Whatcom Human Rights Task Force, and the Law and Diversity Program of Fairhaven College, Western Washington University. WCRP provides legal assistance and advocacy for victims of discrimination and civil rights abuse in the greater Whatcom County region.

Anyone who is interested in volunteering with the Civil Rights Project is welcome to attend. For more information, please contact Dustin Till at (360) 671-6079 ext. 15
or wcrp@whatcomcivilrightsproject.org.

Undoing Racism Workshops in Seattle
When: July 24-25 2003, 9:00am - 5:00pm
The People's Institute Northwest presents...
Undoing Racism Workshops in Seattle

The Undoing Racism workshop is two days in duration and typically geared to 30-40 participants. Participants are asked to commit to the full two days of the session.

The Undoing Racism Workshop is an intensive two-day workshop designed to educate, challenge and empower people to "undo" the racist structures that hinder effective social change. The training is based on the premise that racism has been systematically erected and that it can be "undone" if people understand where it comes from, how it functions and why it is perpetuated.

This workshop is offered by The People's Institute for Survival and Beyond, a national multiracial, antiracist collective of veteran organizers and educators dedicated to building an effective movement for social change. The People's Institute was founded in 1980, has trained thousands of people in hundreds of communities throughout the United States, and is recognized nationally for the quality of its training.

• The workshop addresses the following areas:
  Analyzing Power - Effective organizing requires accurate analysis. Analysis includes the systems that keep racism in place. The training examines why people are poor, how institutions and organizations perpetuate the imbalance of power, and who is responsible for maintaining the status quo.
  
  
• Defining Racism - In order to undo racism, it must be understood. Organizers and educators who intend to build effective coalitions need to be very clear about what racism is and what it is not in order to avoid serious strategic and tactical errors.
  
  
• Understanding the Manifestations of Racism - Racism operates in more than just individual and institutional settings. The dynamics of cultural racism, linguistic racism, and militarism as applied racism are examined.
  
  
• Learning from History - Racism has distorted, suppressed and denied the histories of people of color and white people as well. A correct knowledge of history is a necessary organizing tool as well as a source of personal and collective empowerment.
  
  
• Sharing Culture - One of the most effective methods of oppression is to deny a people its history and culture. The training process strongly emphasizes "cultural sharing" as a critical organizing tool.
  
  
• Organizing to Undo Racism - How can communities achieve concrete results in dismantling the structures of racism? The principles of effective organizing, the process of community empowerment, the techniques of effective strategizing and the internal dynamics of leadership development are explored.

Registration:
Please call the Institute to check for availability and a registration form.
Cost: $300.00. Make checks payable to The People's Institute Northwest.

Questions?
Call The People's Institute Northwest: 206-938-1023
Email address: pinwseattle@yahoo.com
Location:
Freedom Church of Seattle, 7551 35th Avenue SW (West Seattle)

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