NCVA eREPORTER
- March 29, 2005
In this NCVA eReporter:
EVENTS
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
JOBS/INTERNSHIPS
TIPS/RESOURCES
NEWS
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EVENTS
COMMUNITY BASED VOTER STRATEGIES: BUILDING POLITICAL POWER FROM
THE GROUND UP
The Center for Community Change in Washington, DC, wants to
announce our upcoming conference: “Community Based Voter
Strategies: Building Political Power from the Ground Up.”
(Agenda just released! Please go to
http://www.communitychange.org/issues/cvp/savethedate/)
The Community Based Voter Strategies conference will take place
from April 11th to 13th, at Gallaudet University\'s Kellogg
Conference Center in Washington, DC. The conference, attended by
community organizations, grassroots voter projects, and
community leaders, will promote the importance of building power
for poor and working people in the long-term by increasing
electoral capacity at the grassroots level.
Through plenaries and workshops, the conference will offer
community organizations a chance to share lessons from the last
election; examine best practices from other grassroots voter
projects; and discuss ways to link effective community-based
voter work to securing improved public policies for poor and
working people in the future. While the electoral organizing
conducted by grassroots community organizations in last year's
election cycle was historic, we still have much to learn about
the best practices for mobilizing historically disenfranchised
communities. The investment in learning that we make in the
coming years will be critical for truly broadening our democracy
to more fully reflect the diversity of our communities. Please
join us as we learn and strategize together with some of the
best minds in the electoral and community organizing sectors!
For more information, please see the link from our homepage
(www.communitychange.org)
or go straight to:
http://www.communitychange.org/issues/cvp/savethedate/index.php
Registration will be closing soon, so please take the time to
register online. Some scholarships are still available. For any
additional questions, please feel free to contact 202-339-9327.
(http://www.communitychange.org/issues/cvp/savethedate/index.php)
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FREE
WORKSHOP FOCUSES ON MAJOR GIFT PROGRAMS
FundraisingINFO.com: 'Major Gifts Today!'
FundraisingINFO.com is an Internet-based, fundraising company
dedicated to helping nonprofit organizations worldwide raise
more money by providing interactive training, advice and
information about fundraising techniques, prospects, products
and services. "Major Gifts Today!" is a free workshop that
explores the techniques, tools and talents needed to build and
sustain a major gift program. The workshop addresses such issues
as assessing if your organization needs a major gift program and
how to continue a major gift program before, during or after a
capital campaign. This workshop is offered at various locations
throughout the U.S.
(http://www.fundraisinginfo.com/fristore/seminarmain.asp)
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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ANNOUNCES $1 MILLION FOR GRANTS FOR
GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS
Summary: The Employment and Training Administration
(ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announces the availability
of $1,000,000 to award grants to eligible "grassroots''
organizations with the ability to connect to the local One-Stop
delivery system. The term "grassroots'' is defined under the
Eligibility Criteria.
ETA has identified $1,000,000 from the FY 2005 appropriation for
One-Stop/America's Labor Market Information System. The agency
expects to award approximately 40-50 grants. The grant amount
for each grassroots organization is expected to range between
$20,000 and $25,000. The period of performance will be 12 months
from the date of execution by the Department.
Eligibility Requirements: For purposes of this
announcement, eligible grassroots organizations must be
non-profit organizations which: Have social services as a major
part of their mission; Are headquartered in the local community
to which they provide these services; (a) Have a social services
budget of $350,000 or less, or (b) Have 6 or fewer full-time
equivalent employees. Neutral, non-religious criteria that
neither favor nor disfavor religion will be employed in the
Department's selection of grant recipients and must be employed
by grantee recipients in the selection of sub-recipients.
Due Date: The closing date for receipt of applications
under this announcement is *April 28, 2005*. Applications must
be received no later than 5 p.m. (Eastern Time). Application and
submission information is explained in detail in Section IV of
this SGA.
Details of the grant announcement can be found in the Federal
Register
(http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/05-5907.htm)
******************
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING
AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT ANNOUNCES FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR
YOUTHBUILD, RURAL HOUSING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, NEIGHBORHOOD
NETWORKS, AND RESIDENT OPPORTUNITY AND SELF SUFFICIENCY
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has
published its FY 2005 Notice of Fund Availability. Several
program investments reflect a workforce development and/or
economic development emphasis. For more information visit: (http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/fundsavail.cfm).
Among them is *Youthbuild*:
The purpose of the Youthbuild program is to assist disadvantaged
young adults between the ages of 16 and 24 years of age in
distressed communities to: (1) Complete their high school
education; (2) provide on-site construction training experiences
which result in the rehabilitation or construction of housing
for homeless persons and low- and very low-income families; (3)
foster leadership skills; (4) further opportunities for
placement in apprenticeship programs; and (5) promote economic
self-sufficiency for program participants.
HUD has identified approximately $56,444,800 in appropriated
funds and carry over is available for FY 2005, plus any funds
available through recapture, minus any amount needed to correct
errors.
HUD lists various performance outcomes that should be addressed
by the applicant, including number of jobs created; percentage
change in earnings as a result of employment for those
participants; number of participants trained; and, percent of
participants trained who find a job.
Deadline: The application submission date is *May 17,
2005.*
The March 21 Federal Register (http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/21mar20051300/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/05-5041.htm)
summarizes the background on these funding opportunities. The "SuperNOFA"
also addresses funding opportunities under the Resident
Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency program ("which addresses the
needs of public housing residents by providing supportive
services, resident empowerment activities and/or assisting
residents in becoming economically self-sufficient") and the
Public Housing Neighborhood Networks (whose centers "offer
comprehensive services designed to help public housing residents
achieve long-term economic self-sufficiency").
(http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/fundsavail.cfm)
(http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/21mar20051300/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/05-5041.htm)
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MATCHING
FUNDS FOR CONSERVATION PROJECTS
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation: General Matching Grant
Program
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is a nonprofit
organization dedicated to the conservation of fish, wildlife,
and plants, and the habitat on which they depend. Through the
General Matching Grant Program, the Foundation awards grants
utilizing federal funds at the ratio of $2 raised in matching
funds to every federal dollar awarded. Grants are awarded to
projects that: address priority actions promoting fish and
wildlife conservation and the habitats on which they depend;
work proactively to involve other conservation and community
interests; leverage Foundation-provided funding; and evaluate
project outcomes. Eligible applicants include federal, tribal,
state, and local governments; educational institutions; and
nonprofit conservation organizations. The next pre-proposal
deadline is May 13, 2005.
(http://www.nfwf.org/programs/guidelines.htm)
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FEDEX SUPPORTS
COMMUNITY EFFORTS
FedEx Global Community Relations Program
The mission of the FedEx Global Community Relations Program is
to actively support the communities the company serves through
financial contributions, in-kind shipping services and volunteer
services of employees. The company's core giving areas include:
emergency and disaster relief, pedestrian and child safety,
education, health and human services, and critical community
needs. FedEx is especially interested in supporting
organizations that request 5% or less of the total project
budget, contingency grants, or seed monies with the thought that
other sources will contribute matching amounts. The company also
gives emphasis to organizations that company employees are
involved with. Applications are accepted throughout the year.
(http://www.fedex.com/us/about/responsibility/community/guidelines.html?link=4)
******************
SUPPORT FOR
NATIVE CULTURAL PROGRAMS
Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services Program
The Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services Program,
administered by the Institution of Museum and Library Services,
enables Native American tribes and organizations that primarily
serve Native Hawaiians to benefit their communities and
audiences through strengthened museum services in the areas of
programming, professional development, and enhancement of museum
services. Grants are intended to support activities in museums
and museum related organizations, such as cultural centers.
Eligible applicants are Indian tribes or organizations that
primarily serve and represent Native Hawaiians. Museums are not
eligible to apply for this grant program, although they may be
involved in the administration of this program and their staff
may serve as project directors, in partnership with an eligible
applicant. The deadline is May 15, 2005.
(http://www.imls.gov/grants/museum/mus_ntams.htm)
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FUNDING FOCUSES
ON REGIONAL ISSUES
Bank of America Foundation
The Bank of America Foundation focuses resources on helping
children and families succeed in life and neighborhoods flourish
by supporting nonprofit organizations in the communities where
the bank does business. The Foundation's funding focus is
defined market by market to ensure key community priorities
specific to each market are addressed. However, in general, the
Foundation's areas of funding interest include education, youth,
community development, and financial literacy. Visit the website
listed above for information on specific focus areas and
application procedures for each of the regions served by the
bank.
(http://www.bankofamerica.com/foundation/index.cfm?template=fd_funding&statename=New%20Jersey)
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SUPPORT FOR
ANTI-HUNGER ADVOCACY
MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger
MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger is a national, nonprofit
agency that allocates donations from the Jewish community to
nonprofit organizations providing food, help and hope to hungry
people of all faiths and backgrounds. Grants are awarded
principally in the United States, though support is also
provided for vital hunger-relief efforts in Israel and
impoverished countries around the world. Some MAZON grants
provide assistance to food programs serving hungry people, but
the largest grants support organizations whose efforts go beyond
the immediate provision of food. Although applicants are not
required to request funding for anti-hunger advocacy and
education, all proposals must evidence a strong commitment to
and participation in this kind of work. The deadlines for
letters of inquiry are May 15 and November 15, annually.
(http://www.mazon.org)
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NATIONAL
PROGRAMS SUPPORTED BY METLIFE
MetLife Foundation
The MetLife Foundation was established by MetLife for the
purpose of supporting educational, health, and civic and
cultural organizations. The primary objective of the Foundation
is to assist nonprofit organizations through a program of
financial support, with priority given to organizations and
programs that are national in scope. Limited support is also
given to organizations located in the cities in which MetLife
has a major presence, particularly New York City. Applications
are accepted throughout the year.
(http://www.metlife.org)
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SBC
EXCELERATOR 2005 APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE
The SBC Foundation is now accepting applications for its 2005
SBC Excelerator grants program. The Program will provide $9
million in grants to help nonprofits fully integrate technology
into their ongoing operations and community outreach. Under the
program, $6 million will be awarded in competitive
technology-related grants to help organizations in the SBC
13-state region build stronger communities. SBC Excelerator will
provide the remaining $3 million in invitational grants to
support exceptional national organizations and programs. The
application deadline is June 15, 2005.
(http://www.sbc.com/gen/corporate-citizenship?pid=58)
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GRANT FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR INVESTOR EDUCATION
AND INVESTOR PROTECTION
The NASD Investor Education Foundation’s 2005 General Grant
Program is accepting grant proposals from eligible organizations
for research projects and/or educational programs that address
the Foundation's investor education and investor protection
priorities. Priorities include projects that better prepare
Americans for saving for or handling finances during retirement;
educate consumers on ways to avoid investing pitfalls, encourage
women to take control of their financial future; and/or
encourage investors to check the background of financial
professionals. Applications will be accepted beginning April
4th. The application deadline is June 3, 2005.
(http://www.nasdfoundation.org/)
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MARSHALL FIELD’S SUPPORTS CHILDREN
AND FAMILIES
Marshall Field’s supports education initiatives that inspire
children to read and learn, art and cultural organizations that
stimulate that imagination, and health and welfare programs that
improve the lives of children and families. Applications are
accepted through April 29, 2005.
(http://www.fields.com/common/fl_gives.jsp)
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NOMINATIONS INVITED FOR REEBOK HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD
Established in 1988, the Reebok Human Rights Award provides
recognition and financial support to young people from the
United States and around the world who have made significant
contributions to the cause of human rights, often against great
odds. A $50,000 grant is given to further the work of each award
recipient.
Nominees must be thirty years of age or younger on December 31,
2005. Award candidates cannot advocate violence or belong to an
organization that advocates violence and must be working on an
issue that directly relates to the United Nations Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. Women and men of all races, ethnic
groups, nationalities, and religions are eligible. The award is
given to an individual, based on that individual’s personal
achievement and commitment; it is not given to groups,
organizations, or as a memorial award to people who have died.
(http://www.reebok.com/Static/global/initiatives/rights/awards/)
******************
JOBS/INTERNSHIPS
Job Opportunities at
the JACL
The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), the nation's
oldest and largest Asian Pacific American civil rights
organization, seeks to fill two positions: Director for Public
Affairs (located in Washington, DC) and Membership Coordinator
(located in San Francisco, CA). We offer an excellent benefits
package; salary commensurate with experience. Both positions
are open until filled. JACL is an equal opportunity employer.
For more information about the Japanese American Citizens
League, please visit
www.jacl.org.
Interested applicants should mail resume, cover letter,
references and salary history to:
JACL
1765 Sutter Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
attn: (job sought)
1. Director of Public Affairs (Washington, DC)
The JACL seeks an energetic, resourceful individual for the
position of Director of Public Affairs in the Washington, DC
office. Under the direction of the National Executive Director,
the Director for Public Affairs maintains the public affairs
office of the JACL in Washington, DC and is responsible for the
organization's government affairs as legislative liaison to
Members of Congress and the Senate, as well as interactions with
the administration and coalition partners. Specific duties
include tracking legislation; monitoring regulatory decisions;
writing press releases; interacting with the public and the
media; working in coalitions and with membership to effectively
advocate issues of concern; creating and disseminating action
alerts; maintaining the legislative function of the JACL
website; convening and directing an annual leadership training
program and implementing other programs throughout the year.
The candidate must be a self-starter with the ability to work
with minimal supervision and must have substantial knowledge of
and familiarity with APA community issues to represent the
organization in meetings with elected officials and members of
the administration. Excellent written and oral communication
skills required. Four or more years of proven leadership in
nonprofit/public sector management preferred; Bachelor's degree
required, JD preferred. Legislative experience a definite plus.
Salary commensurate with experience.
No phone calls please. All inquiries should be sent by email to
natdir@jacl.org with "DC Rep" in the subject line.
2. Membership Coordinator (San Francisco, CA)
The JACL seeks a Membership Coordinator for the overall
coordination and administration of membership functions,
including database and membership services on a national level.
We seek a highly motivated individual who is a self-starter and
problem-solver with good computer skills and who can assist with
developing and implementing a marketing plan/program to increase
membership as well as develop membership outreach strategies.
The general responsibilities of the Membership Coordinator are
ensuring that the database of membership information is
maintained and current; generating monthly membership reports
for dissemination to our chapters, board, and staff; and helping
assimilate membership revenue information into our budget
reports developed by our business manager. The Coordinator
supervises a data entry staff member.
The ideal candidate will also coordinate and administer
membership marketing and fundraising programs such as the
Midyear and Annual Giving programs. College graduate and/or
experience in nonprofits preferred, with excellent writing and
oral communications skills. Experience and competency in the
use of database software a must, including database management
programs. Experience with Blackbaud/Raiser's Edge a plus.
Salary commensurate with experience.
No phone calls please. All inquiries should be sent by email to
natdir@jacl.org with "Membership coordinator" in the subject
line.
(www.jacl.org)
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RESEARCH
FELLOWSHIP IN SOCIAL JUSTICE
The Research Fellowship in Social Justice is a one-year
fellowship with an annual stipend of $30,000 in which the Fellow
will support the Social Justice work of the National Network of
Grantmakers, working with and supervised by a Research Scientist
of color at the Wilder Research Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The NNG Fellow will provide research support and assistance in
the development and proceedings of the National Network of
Grantmakers Annual National Conference and regional meetings.
The NNG Fellow's responsibilities include:
1. From May until August (full-time), provide high quality,
supervised research assistance (literature reviews and secondary
data analysis) to the planners of NNG's annual conference, and
to designers and presenters involved in the conference.
2. Drawing from that research, the Fellow will develop a
pre-conference issue paper for publication, which will be
credited to the Fellow. The pre-conference issue paper will be
included in the conference registration packet.
3. Following the conference, the Fellow will work on NNG
projects half-time and on Wilder Research Center projects
half-time.
4. The post-conference NNG projects include drawing from the
conference content to identify and develop three more issue
papers, also for publication and to be credited to the Fellow.
These issue papers will provide a foundation of issues and focus
for three regional meetings of the National Network of
Grantmakers during March and April 2006.
5. The Wilder Research Center projects will involve applied
research and evaluation working closely with the Center's
Research Scientists.
Fellowship criteria
1. Understanding of and commitment to the principles of social
justice and progressive philanthropy.
2. American racial or ethnic minority status (African-American,
American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian-Pacific Islander, or
Latino).
3. Master's level or higher (ABD or post-doctoral preferred)
with an academic background in any field related to public
administration or social/public policy.
4. Graduate level academic training in research and data
analysis.
5. Two references we can contact, including name, address and
telephone number.
6. Computer literacy and experience with Microsoft Office
applications, SPSS, and database management.
(http://www.wilder.org/research/surveys/fellowship/)
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TIPS/RESOURCES
BOARDS –
TACKLING ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
Change is not easy. But, standing still can be more dangerous to
the health of your organization. John Courtney, former chief
staff officer with American Diabetes Association, presented
several steps to tackling organizational change during a recent
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants nonprofit
conference.
Here are a few questions to ask to lay the groundwork for
change, according to Courtney.
* What are the strategic issues facing the organization?
* What are our organization's core competencies?
* What makes us different from other organizations?
* What are our greatest opportunities and threats?
When asking about the key strategic issues focus on mission,
purpose, and outcomes of the organizations, according to
Courtney.
* Do you have quality people?
* Do you have a strategic plan?
* Is there consensus on these issues?
When thinking about core competencies and what separates your
organization consider these questions, according to Courtney.
* What are we doing?
* What impact are we having?
* Are we measuring and reporting our outcomes?
* Can we do better?
Think about the following questions when determining greatest
threats and opportunities, according to Courtney.
* How are we monitoring opportunities and threats?
* Are we making sure the information is shared with the
organization?
(http://www.nptimes.com/enews/tips/boards.html)
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FINANCE –
DEVELOPING A BUDGET CALENDAR
Just as a budget is essential for a nonprofit organization, so
is a calendar for that budget. In their book The Cash Flow
Management Book for Nonprofits, Murray Dropkin and Allyson
Hayden suggested a budgeting calendar that includes the
following steps:
* Listing the major budget development tasks. Major budget-cycle
tasks may vary depending on the size of a nonprofit and the
overall budget-development strategy it adopts.
* Establishing the budgeting timetable. This includes specific
deadlines for completing each task. Deciding when to begin and
end the overall budget-development process depends heavily on
the size of the nonprofit and the complexity of the specific
budget-development strategy chosen.
* Identifying the persons responsible for accomplishing each
task. An organization should establish accountability for
completing each budget task by identifying the individual
responsible for ensuring completion of each required task by the
deadline.
* Obtaining input from the board and staff. This provides two
benefits. First, members of the board and staff may identify
aspects that others have overlooked. Second, board members and
staff may be able to recognize when deadlines are unrealistic.
* Revising and distributing the finalized budgeting calendar. It
is critical that everyone involved in or affected by the process
be clearly informed of the steps in the process.
(http://www.nptimes.com/enews/tips/finance.html)
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RESOURCES TO STRENGTHEN NONPROFIT BOARDS OF DIRECTORS
BoardSource, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing
the effectiveness of nonprofit organizations by strengthening
their boards of directors, provides practical information, tools
and best practices, training, and leadership development for
board members of nonprofit organizations worldwide. BoardSource
offers programs and services including workshops, training, and
an extensive web-based database for nonprofit leaders;
governance consultants who work directly with nonprofit leaders
to design specialized solutions to meet an organization's needs;
a comprehensive selection of material on nonprofit governance,
including a large selection of books, videotapes, and
audiotapes; and a biennial conference bringing together board
members and chief executives of nonprofit organizations from
around the world.
(www.boardsource.org)
******************
NEWS
March 18, 2005
Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons
Washington, DC
UN COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN ADOPTS U.S. HUMAN
TRAFFICKING RESOLUTION
An estimated 75 percent of all victims of human trafficking are
trafficked for sexual exploitation (Collecting Data on Human
Trafficking, Kristiina Kangaspunta, United Nations Office on
Drugs and Crime). To fully fight this crime, the world must
increase attention not only on the root causes that leave people
vulnerable to trafficking, but also on eliminating the demand
for commercial sexual exploitation—which overwhelmingly impacts
women and girls and fuels the growth of human trafficking.
Simply put, we must dry up the "market" for victims if we are
serious about ending human trafficking.
At the 2005 UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the
United States presented a resolution to highlight this need. The
resolution, Eliminating Demand for Trafficked Women and Girls
for All Forms of Exploitation, attracted more than 50
nations as co-sponsors and was adopted by consensus on March 11,
2005.
The U.S. advanced this resolution at the CSW as part of its
ongoing effort to build international partnerships to combat
human trafficking—and in response to President Bush's call for
increased focus on the demand side of the crime. This was the
first resolution of a UN body to focus on eliminating demand for
human trafficking, and, with this resolution, the CSW also
acknowledged the important link between commercial sexual
exploitation and trafficking in women and girls.
The text of the UN Resolution is below:
Eliminating Demand for Trafficked Women and Girls for All
Forms of Exploitation
The Commission on the Status of Women,
PP11
Reaffirming the provisions pertaining to all forms of
trafficking of women and girls contained in the outcome
documents of relevant international conferences and summits, in
particular the strategic objective on the issue of trafficking
contained in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action
adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women;
PP2 Recalling the full range of previous resolutions on
the problem of trafficking in women and girls adopted by the
General Assembly and the Commission on Human Rights, in
particular their reaffirmation of the principles set forth in
the relevant human rights instruments and declarations and the
resolve expressed by heads of government in the Millennium
Declaration to intensify efforts to fight transnational
organized crime in all its dimensions, including trafficking in
human beings;
PP3 Recalling the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and
Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children,
supplementing the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized
Crime, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women and its Optional Protocol, the
Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocol
on the sale of children, child prostitution and child
pornography, and ILO Conventions 29 and 182;
PP4 Emphasizing that the fight against trafficking in
women and girls for all forms of exploitation requires a
comprehensive approach that addresses all factors and root
causes that foster demand and make women and girls vulnerable to
trafficking, as well as the protection and rehabilitation of
victims;
PP5 Acknowledging the fact that the majority of
trafficked persons are women and girls, in particular from
developing countries and countries with economies in transition;
PP6 Concerned about the increasing occurrence of
trafficking for all forms of exploitation, especially for
commercial sexual exploitation, which overwhelmingly affects
women and girls;
PP7 Concerned that multiple forms of discrimination and
conditions of disadvantage contribute to the vulnerability to
trafficking of women and girls, and that indigenous, refugee,
internally displaced and migrant women and girls may be
particularly at risk;
PP8 Bearing in mind that all states have an obligation to
exercise due diligence to prevent, investigate and punish
perpetrators of trafficking in persons and to provide protection
to the victims, and that not doing so violates and impairs or
nullifies the enjoyment of their human rights and fundamental
freedoms;
PP9 Concerned that the exploitation of women in
international prostitution and trafficking networks has become
one of the major focuses of transnational organized crime;
PP10 Convinced that eliminating demand for all forms of
exploitation, including for sexual exploitation, is a key
element to combating trafficking in women and girls; and
PP11 Welcoming the appointment of the special rapporteur
on the Commission on Human Rights on trafficking in persons,
especially women and children, and her intention to devote
special attention in her annual report to thematic issues,
including inter alia, the root causes of trafficking and the
discouragement of the demand that fosters trafficking for the
purposes of all forms of exploitation.
OP12
Calls upon governments to:
a) Take all appropriate measures to eliminate demand for
trafficked women and girls for all forms of exploitation;
b) Take appropriate measures to address the root factors,
including poverty and gender inequality, as well as external
factors that encourage trafficking in women and girls for
prostitution and other forms of commercialized sex, forced
marriage and forced labor, in order to eliminate such
trafficking, including by strengthening existing legislation
with a view to providing better protection for the rights of
women and girls and to punishing perpetrators, through both
criminal and civil measures;
c) Criminalize trafficking in persons, especially women and
girls, in all its forms and to condemn and penalize traffickers
and intermediaries, while ensuring protection and assistance to
the victims of trafficking with full respect for their human
rights;
d) Adopt or strengthen and enforce legislative or other
measures, such as educational, social and cultural measures,
including through bilateral and multilateral cooperation, to
deter exploiters and eliminate the demand that fosters
trafficking of women and girls for all forms of exploitation;
and
e) Conclude bilateral, subregional, regional and international
agreements to address the problem of trafficking in persons,
especially women and girls, including mutual assistance
treaties, agreements and memoranda of understanding to enhance
law enforcement and judicial cooperation, and specific measures
aimed at reducing demand, as appropriate to complement the UN
Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime and its
Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons,
Especially Women and Children.
OP2 Calls upon governments and encourages civil society
to:
a) Take appropriate measures to raise public awareness of the
issue of trafficking in persons, particularly in women and
girls, including to address the demand side of the problem, and
to publicize the laws, regulations and penalties relating to
this issue, and to emphasize that trafficking is a crime, in
order to eliminate the demand for trafficked women and girls,
including by sex tourists;
b) Implement educational programs, including at the local level,
to raise awareness of the negative consequences of trafficking
in women and girls, including its links to commercial sexual
exploitation, organized crime, and harmful public health
effects, such as the spread of HIV/AIDS, and of the rights and
needs of trafficked women and girls; and
c) Undertake research on best practices, methods and strategies,
information and mass media campaigns and social and economic
initiatives to prevent and combat trafficking in women and
girls, in particular to eliminate demand.
OP3 Encourages governments to intensify collaboration
with non-governmental organizations to develop and implement
comprehensive programs, including to provide shelter and
helplines to victims or potential victims of trafficking and for
effective counseling, training and social and economic
reintegration into society of victims.
OP4 Encourages the business sector, in particular the
tourism industry and Internet providers, to develop or adhere to
codes of conduct with a view to preventing trafficking in
persons and protecting the victims of such traffic, especially
for commercial sexual exploitation, and promoting their rights,
dignity and security, including through collaboration with
governmental and non-governmental organizations.
--------
1PP indicates preambular paragraph.
2OP indicates operative paragraph.
(http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/fs/2005/43630.htm)
******************
March 22, 2005
LEARNING
TO STAND OUT AMONG THE STANDOUTS
Some Asian Americans Say Colleges Expect More From Them
By Jay Mathews
Washington Post Staff Writer, Page A10
Robert Shaw, an educational consultant based in Garden City,
N.Y., was working with a very bright Chinese American student
who feared the Ivy League would not notice her at New Jersey's
Holmdel High, where 22 percent of the students were Asian
American, and she was only in the top 20 percent of her
high-scoring class.
So, Shaw said, she and her parents took his daring advice to
change their address. They moved 10 miles north to Keyport,
N.J., where the average SAT score was 300 points lower and there
were almost no Asians. She also entered, at his suggestion, the
Miss Teen New Jersey contest, not a typical activity for the
budding scholar.
It worked, Shaw said. His client became class valedictorian, won
the talent portion of the Miss Teen competition playing piano
and got into Yale and MIT.
"As admissions strategists, our experience is that Asian
Americans must meet higher objective standards, such as SAT
scores and GPAs, and higher subjective standards than the rest
of the applicant pool," he said. "Our students need to do a lot
more in order to stand out."
Asian American students have higher average SAT scores than any
other government-monitored ethnic group, and selective colleges
routinely reject them in favor of African American, Hispanic and
even white applicants with lower scores in order to have more
diverse campuses and make up for past discrimination.
Many Asian Americans and some educators wonder: Is that fair?
Why shouldn't young people of Asian descent have more of an
advantage in the selective college admissions system for being
violin-playing, science-fair winning, high-scoring achievers?
"Chinese and all Asian Americans are penalized for their values
on academic excellence by being required to have a higher level
of achievement, academic and non-academic, than any other
demographic group," said Ed Chin, a New Jersey physician who has
campaigned for years for a change in college admissions
procedures.
Yet, Chin notes, Harvard humanities professor Henry Louis Gates
Jr. recently estimated that two-thirds of blacks at Harvard are
not descendants of American slaves but the middle-class children
of relatively recent immigrants from the Caribbean and Africa.
"Why should they deserve admission with lowered standards --
relatively speaking -- based solely on the color of their skin
over a high-achieving Asian American living in a Chinatown
ghetto or a black ghetto, or a poor white from the slums of New
York City?" Chin asked.
At some selective colleges, the percentage of Asians on the
admittance list is reportedly significantly lower than the
percentage of Asians who applied. But colleges usually do not
release the ethnic breakdown of their applicants, so there has
been little research on the matter.
Stanford University and Brown University, however, studied their
admissions data in the late 1980s and found enough evidence of
cultural bias and stereotypes to alter procedures.
"Since then, the Stanford staff has been very careful to guard
against all kinds of bias in the selection process," said Robin
Mamlet, Stanford's dean of admissions. For several years,
admissions staff members were trained annually on such issues as
shyness to be sure as little bias as possible affected the
decision process, she said.
About 25 percent of Stanford undergraduates are of Asian
descent, higher than most other such similarly selective
colleges as Georgetown, 10 percent; Princeton, 12 percent; Yale,
13 percent; and Columbia, 14 percent. But Mamlet said she cannot
be sure if Stanford's higher percentage is a result of different
admissions procedures or its location in Northern California,
with a large population of high-performing Asian Americans. More
than 40 percent of undergraduates at the University of
California at Berkeley, for instance, are of Asian descent.
Harvard admissions director Marlyn McGrath Lewis said: "We have
no evidence that our admissions committee disadvantages Asian
American applicants." Seventeen percent of its undergraduates
are of Asian descent, and the university was cleared in 1990 of
alleged racial discrimination against Asians. The U.S. Education
Department's Office for Civil Rights said whites were admitted
at a higher rate but because they included more recruited
athletes and children of alumni.
Scholars say Asian cultures tend to emphasize education and say
they are not surprised that Asian Americans, who make up 4
percent of the U.S. population, are found in much higher
concentrations in selective colleges. In their 1996 book "Beyond
the Classroom," Laurence Steinberg, B. Bradford Brown and
Sanford M. Dornbusch said that "of all the demographic factors
we studied in relation to school performance, ethnicity was the
most important. . . . In terms of school achievement, it
is more advantageous to be Asian than to be wealthy, to have
non-divorced parents, or to have a mother who is able to stay at
home full time."
Many Americans, including some of Asian descent, have grown
accustomed to seemingly irrational and unfair admissions
decisions by selective colleges and shrug off the Asian numbers
as something that can't be helped.
But Arun Mantri, born in India with children at Fairfax County's
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, said he
thinks the system should change. Asian American applicants'
chances "would improve dramatically if race was not used as a
factor in admissions, perhaps at the cost of the white
applicants, something that only a few selective schools have
dared to do," he said.
Victoria Hsiao, who works with Shaw at the admissions strategy
firm Ivy Success, said that when she attended Stuyvesant High
School in New York, "my Asian friends and I all tried to make
ourselves stand out, as we did not want to be stereotyped as
Asians with good grades, playing the piano and doing scientific
research." She joined the debate team instead of the math team
and got into Cornell.
Shaw said about 40 percent of his clients are Asian, but he
tells all that they need to learn about great but lesser-known
colleges. "Students can get a quality education at hundreds of
colleges throughout the country," he said, "so parents should
definitely expand their horizons to other target competitive
institutions beyond the Ivy League."
That is not enough for Chin, who compares the limits on Asian
admissions to the quotas that Ivy League colleges used to place
on Jewish admissions. "There obviously needs to be a change to
level the playing field," Chin said. Some estimates put the
enrollment of Jews at Harvard as high as 30 percent, he said,
"and admissions for them is indeed race and ethnic-group blind."
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55160-2005Mar21.html?referrer=emailarticle)
******************
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 23, 2005
HND
ANNOUNCES 2005 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
WASHINGTON, DC—Hmong National Development, Inc., is pleased to
announce the ten recipients of it’s 2005 Hmong National
Development Education Scholarships.
The HND Education Scholarship was created to promote higher
education within the Hmong community and is the only scholarship
geared towards Hmong students across the country. HND strives
to support and encourage Hmong students to achieve academic
excellence and to become leaders in their chosen professions.
Since the conception of the education scholarship program in
2001, HND has awarded 50 scholarships.
This year’s scholarship recipients are:
Mai Y. Xiong (Fresno, CA) Kao
Nou L. Thao (Missoula, MT)
Yee L. Vue (Combined Locks, WI) Sheng Vue
(Sacramento, CA)
Nou Lee (San Diego, CA) Poua
Vang (Brooklyn Center, MN)
Ka Xiong (St. Paul, MN)
Moua M. Yang (Madison, WI)
Cindy Xiong (St. Paul, MN) Mai
S. Lee (Minneapolis, MN)
“HND is honored to support the education goals of our youth
because it is one of the fundamental blocks for achievement and
success in the United States,” states HND Executive Director,
Cha Lee.
# # #
Hmong National Development, Inc. (HND), is a national nonprofit
organization whose mission is developing capacity to ensure the
full participation of Hmong people in society. HND works with
local and national organizations, public and private entities,
and individuals to promote educational opportunities, increase
community capacity, and to develop resources for the well-being,
growth, and full participation of the community.
For more information about HND and the educational scholarship,
visit us at
www.hndlink.org, or send an email to
info@hndlink.org.
******************
[NOTE: NCVA does not endorse any candidates for elected
office. This is provided for educational and informational
purposes.]
PLAYING TO NGUYEN
Silicon Valley's Vietnamese community has been growing in size
and influence. If front-runner Madison Nguyen takes the District
7 race, they'll have the first councilmember who speaks their
language.
By William Dean Hinton
HOW SWEET is it to be Madison Nguyen these days?
Well, here's a typical scene: She's canvassing along McLaughlin
Road last week and at her first stop an Asian man wearing a
baseball hat and a shirt with a stain answers the door. Turns
out he's Vietnamese, which makes it easy for Nguyen to converse
since she's fluent in the language. They talk briefly, then
Nguyen turns away triumphantly. Turns out the man voted for
Nguyen when she ran for the Franklin McKinley School Board two
years ago.
At the second house, a mustachioed fellow wearing a black fedora
sticks his head out of the door, leering broadly at the
30-year-old Nguyen, whose pixieish face is augmented by a single
barrette she uses to pin her long hair to the back of her head.
"How old are you?" the man asks, charmed. He introduces
himself—his name is Carlos—but in spite of his infatuation, he
has bad news for Nguyen. He's the precinct captain for one of
her seven rivals for the vacant District 7 City Council seat.
Even so, he's complimentary. "You'd be a very good city
councilwoman," he tells her.
Whether she'd be good is, of course, still up to debate. But
whether we'll soon find out is looking more and more likely.
Nguyen is considered the front-runner at the moment because of
the eight candidates in the race, she's the only one to have won
an election. If Nguyen even comes close to the 5,000 votes she
received in the Franklin McKinley race, she should at least make
the runoff race in September.
Which would be historic, since Nguyen would be the first-ever
Vietnamese-American elected to a city council in the Bay Area.
That may be a shock, considering the size and visibility of the
Vietnamese community in this area, but it only emphasizes how
such a win would take the power and influence of this heavily
immigrant demographic to the next level.
Besides Madison's school board victory in 2002, another
Vietnamese-American, Lan Nguyen, was elected last year to the
East Side Union High School District board of trustees. In 1997,
Thang Nguyen Barrett was appointed to the Santa Clara County
Municipal Court, becoming the first Vietnamese-American Superior
Court judge in the United States. Even outside of this area,
examples of Vietnamese-Americans in office or appointed to
significant posts are few and far between, such as Nguyen Minh
Chau, who served four terms on the council of Garrett Park, Md.,
but lost a 2002 bid for state office.
Turnout for the June 7 primary is expected to be light,
especially since District 7 voters—with a disproportionate
number of immigrants, renters, children and single
mothers—aren't known as a politically active group. One analyst
estimated that as few as 1,600 votes could get any of the
candidates into the runoff.
Most recently, the seat in question has been held by two
Japanese-Mexican-Americans and two African Americans. But of
32,000 registered voters in the district, a third are Asian
American, which makes it obvious why an Asian American candidate
such as Nguyen brings such potential—and credibility—to the
race.
Evidence of her popularity was on display in mid-February when
240 people, a capacity crowd, gathered at a south Monterey Road
restaurant to kick off her campaign. The only spoken words
recognizable to English speakers that entire afternoon were
"Madison Nguyen" and "San Jose."
Nguyen worked the room with four photographers in tow. Even some
of the journalists in the room pulled on Madison Nguyen
T-shirts, which were going for $8. The Nguyen campaign says the
fundraiser netted $15,000, most of which has already been spent.
The Two Nguyens
One of the problems Nguyen faces, however, is that she's not the
only Nguyen in the race. Another Vietnamese woman, Linda
Nguyen, is also running. Two years younger than Madison, Linda
Nguyen is the only District 7 candidate born in San Jose. She is
perhaps best known as the director of the annual Vietnamese
Parade. Madison Nguyen is so concerned about Linda Nguyen taking
votes from her that she's emphasized the "Madison" half of her
name in large letters in all campaign literature, including
signs. Two years ago, her campaign material emphasized "Nguyen."
Linda Nguyen doesn't concede much territory to Madison for
becoming one of the first female Vietnamese elected officials.
Asked if she gives Madison Nguyen credit for paving the way for
her own candidacy, Linda Nguyen says, "A lot of people paved the
way. I think it's great that there's more than one Vietnamese
candidate in the race. I think it shows how far our community
has come. I'm waiting for the day when people don't ask what I
think of Vietnamese candidates in the race. I don't think it
should matter."
But this year, it does. The secretary of state's office held a
lottery March 17 to determine which of the Nguyens—and the other
six candidates—will go first on the District 7 ballot. San Jose
State political scientist Terry Christensen estimates first
place on the ballot could mean a percentage point or two
difference in votes.
Who won? Linda Nguyen. Also possibly stealing some edge was Rudy
Rodriguez, a State Farm community affairs specialist, whose name
will appear at the bottom of the ballot—a placement also
believed to hold an advantage.
The Gonzales Factor
Some pundits are bucking predictions about Madison Nguyen and
naming Beth Gonzales as the early frontrunner. Gonzales, the
only Latino in the race, has the endorsement of former Mayor
Susan Hammer and is rumored to have the inside track on the
endorsement of the South Bay Labor Council, an umbrella
political organization controlled by many of the valley's
unions.
At the first door Gonzales knocks on last Friday, the issue of
Terry Gregory, the man who left this District 7 seat vacant when
he resigned in January amid a district attorney investigation of
low-level graft, comes up. A gray-haired man wearing a flannel
shirt and khaki pants answers, and when Gonzales, a 54-year-old
mother of two, asks the man for his vote, he isn't so sure.
"I don't know you," he says. "I hope you're better than the last
guy. I didn't trust him from the beginning. You've heard of a
kingpin? He was a kingpin."
It's easy to see why jumping on the anti-Gregory bandwagon will
be a favorite pastime of these candidates between now and June,
some 90 days away.
Gonzales, who is Irish Catholic, not Latina, makes her case by
repeatedly pointing out to potential voters she's a
schoolteacher at Oak Grove High School, which seems to connect
immediately with many of them. But Gonzales is capable of
reaching out to the Vietnamese community that the Nguyens would
like to think they have a lock on.
Campaigning adjacent to the Los Lagos golf course, Gonzales
stoops to speak to a young Vietnamese boy, who has translated a
discussion between Gonzales and the boy's grandmother. She asks
him if he goes to Stonegate School, about half a mile up the
road. No, the boy says, he goes to Meadows, several miles away.
The grandmother is clearly pleased with the exchange, permitting
Gonzales to stick a campaign sign in her yard.
Splitting the Community?
The conventional wisdom is that the two Nguyens will split the
Asian vote, leaving Beth Gonzales and possibly Ed Voss to battle
it out in the runoff election. Several things could disrupt that
prediction. Two candidates who didn't make the primary, Buu Thai
and Bob Dhillon, are appealing a Registrar of Voters decision to
disqualify some of the voter signatures needed for filing
requirements. Both Thai and Dhillon had hired pro-labor campaign
consultants, which might make them attractive to the Labor
Council if they are reinstated. Dhillon especially could be
formidable because he's proven to be able to raise money in a
previous city election.
Or the Labor Council could choose Madison Nguyen, who spent part
of her childhood picking cherries and apricots in Modesto. She
points to the blue-collar neighborhoods in District 7 as she
travels past them in a car.
"All my life I've lived like this," she says.
It's been a good ride so far, but good enough to send her to
City Hall's top floor? That remains to be seen.
Send a letter to the editor about this story to
letters@metronews.com.
(http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/03.23.05/nguyen-0512.html)
******************
March 24, 2005
PRESS RELEASE:
For Info:
Joy Bruce (305) 981-3232
joybruce@aol.com
Ernesto Ramos
EGRConserve@aol.com /
ernesto.ramos@mail.house.gov
COMMUNITY LEADERS
AND WACHOVIA SET SIGHTS ON ASSISTANCE FOR MIAMI’S FILAM AND
ASIAN PACIFIC COMMUNITY
By: Ernesto Ramos, NaFFAA Florida Chair
Miami, Fla.— In a historic gathering held March 7 at the NANAY
Center in North Miami, FilAm and Asian-Pacific leaders and
entrepreneurs met with key Community Development representatives
from Wachovia Corporation. Gathering under the aegis of a
federal law called the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA),
Wachovia—the nation’s fourth largest bank based on assets — and
key leaders of our community engaged in an exchange of ideas
geared toward eliciting the support of the bank on behalf of the
Miami area’s fast-growing FilAm and Asian-Pacific population.
Wachovia is investing time and resources to create positive
change in Miami and other communities in its franchise by
financing affordable housing, developing neighborhoods,
supporting entrepreneurs and increasing financial literacy.
Wachovia has pledged $75 billion in community loans and
investments over the next five years. In addition, Wachovia
will commit over $100 million in support of philanthropic
activities. These commitments cover activities in states
affected by the merger including Alabama, Florida, Georgia,
Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas
and Virginia. In Florida, Wachovia has committed to lending $4
billion in mortgages over five years (or $800 million a year)
to low-to moderate-income borrowers and neighborhoods, and $2.5
billion a year (or $12.5 billion for five years) to help
entrepreneurs support or expand their small businesses. As part
of its five-year pledge, Wachovia is also committing $2 billion
in loans to low- and moderate-income Florida consumers and
neighborhoods. Innovative programs will allow nonprofit agencies
to originate mortgage loans under Wachovia's sponsorship.
Wachovia will also educate and counsel new homebuyers through
partnerships with local housing groups and agencies on the
process of buying a home on their own through technical advice
and credit enhancement.
Al Pina, chairman of the Florida Minority Community Reinvestment
Coalition (FMCRC), urged Wachovia and local leaders to discuss
how they could work together to benefit the FilAm and
Asian-Pacific community in the Miami area. Tony Riggio,
vice-president and community development manager for Wachovia in
Florida, and Peter Roulhac, vice-president and community
development officer for Wachovia in Miami-Dade County, engaged
community leaders with a presentation of their bank's products
and services.
“At Wachovia, we have a long history of commitment to the
communities we serve,” Riggio said. “Our plan builds on our
legacy of community excellence and extends the reach of our
community development program to Asian-Americans in Miami and
Florida.”
Dr. Joy Bruce, president/CEO of NANAY Inc. and Dr. Piyush
Agrawal, president of the Asian-American Federation of Florida,
discussed what they want to see Wachovia do for the
Asian-American community in the state. Dr. Ernesto Ramos,
deputy director of U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek (and Florida NaFFAA
chair), also participated to ensure compliance with the
federally-mandated CRA.
Together, Wachovia and community leaders developed a win-win
strategy that will provide FilAM and Asian-Pacific nonprofit
agencies and minority entrepreneurs greater access to Wachovia’s
wide-ranging products and services. Never before has the FilAM
and Asian-Pacific community witnessed and participated in such a
constructive dialogue with a financial institution. “Wachovia
has a very strong commitment to the Miami area, and we look
forward to working with our community partners to continue our
tradition of helping the neighborhoods where we do business
become healthy and vibrant places to live, work and play,”
Roulhac said. “We are very excited about assisting the FilAm and
Pacific-American community here in Miami, as well as
Asian-Americans throughout our state.”
In coming weeks, Dr. Bruce and Asian-American leaders will
submit a fast-track proposal to Wachovia. It was also agreed in
principle that Wachovia will establish outreach centers
throughout the state in communities where a sizeable number of
Asian-Americans live and work. Suggested locations are Miami,
Orlando, Jacksonville and Tallahassee.
###
NANAY, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) community-based organization that
provides supportive services to elders and youth. Please visit
our website at (http://www.nanay.com/)
******************
PLANNING BOARD’S
MAKEUP CHANGES
By Cindy Chang , Staff Writer
Pasadena Star News
ALHAMBRA -- When Gary Yamauchi became the first Asian American
on the Alhambra City Council last November, he had to give up
his seat on the city's planning commission.
But he promptly used his new office to appoint two fellow
Japanese Americans to the commission. A council colleague, Mark
Paulson, appointed Hong Kong immigrant Stephen Sham, tripling
the body's Asian membership from a year ago, when Yamauchi was
the sole Asian.
As the City Council, with one Asian and one Latino out of five
members, becomes more demographically reflective of a city that
is 36-percent Latino and almost 50-percent Asian, the planning
commission is also becoming more diverse. Of the 10 commission
members, three are Latino and three are Asian.
Mayor Daniel Arguello, who like Yamauchi is a former planning
commissioner, appointed two fellow Latinos to the commission,
just as Yamauchi appointed Japanese Americans Stan Yonemoto and
Bob Suzuki.
Often a stepping stone for aspiring City Council members, the
planning commission is also where many residents have what may
be their sole direct brush with municipal authority. Most of the
people who come before the commission with plans to add onto
their houses or build new homes are Chinese or Vietnamese
immigrants.
Having more Asian commission members even third-generation
Japanese Americans like Yonemoto and Suzuki helps petitioners
who may not be fluent in English or familiar with American
notions of home- building aesthetics feel more at ease,
commission and council members say.
"It offers an opportunity to be sensitive to the needs and
concerns of the Asian community. Stephen Sham is able to
understand the needs and concerns of that community. I've been
called upon to translate for Latino folks,' said Eddie Martinez,
who was appointed by Arguello to the planning commission after
serving for four years as former Councilman Efren Moreno's
appointee.
There have been Asian planning commissioners in the past, but
usually only one, and at most two, served at any given time.
Council members and politically active Asians say it used to be
difficult to find Asian Americans with both the qualifications
and the inclination to put in the hours of meeting time and
poring over blueprints that are demanded of commissioners.
But that appears to be changing as Asians like Sham and Yamauchi
with mainstream resumes and ample time to volunteer both served
as Rotary Club and Chamber of Commerce presidents climb the
political ladder. Three of the city's five design review board
members are Asian.
As Asian planning commissioners move on to the City Council and,
along with the non-Asian council members, have an increasingly
deep pool of potential Asian appointees to draw from, the city's
power structure will gradually come to resemble its citizen base
ethnically, local politicians say.
"I think that as the Asian community gets more involved in local
government and more active in the community, you're going to see
more representation on the commissions and the City Council. Up
to now, it's been hard to find folks interested in being
involved and active in the community,' said Paulson, the
councilman who appointed Sham. "I think one day, all the
commissions and the City Council will probably be very
reflective of the ethnic breakdown of the city.'
More regularly than City Council members, planning commissioners
are called upon to resolve the competing forces of neighborhood
aesthetics and the needs of the resident who wants to build a
large home.
Asian immigrants are more likely to live in multi-generational
households and need more space than a nuclear family, local
politicians say. Sham also points to the high-rise apartment
living that immigrants from Taiwan and Hong Kong are accustomed
to and that may predispose them to favoring larger homes with
little yard space.
"When I was in Hong Kong, I lived on the 32nd floor and we had
metal doors and bars on the windows even though it was the 32nd
floor. That's what they're accustomed to,' said Sham, who speaks
Cantonese and Mandarin and plans to run for the City Council in
two years.
"So it's about how we can share the different points of view and
let people who've been here for a long time understand that
that's what happens over there, and let newcomers understand the
environmental difference and how they should do things here.'
Yonemoto, who owns an Alhambra physical therapy center, and
Suzuki, the former president of Cal Poly Pomona University, were
both out of town and unavailable for comment.
For Asian immigrants, the normal give-and-take of blueprint
revisions is often made more difficult by language barriers.
The solution is for planning commissioners to exercise patience
and make sure that, whether by an interpreter or some other
means, residents fully understand the proceedings, present and
former commissioners say.
"The only way to do this is to realize it's a problem and be as
patient as we can to make sure that when they leave, they
understand what the hell happened,' Yamauchi said.
Cindy Chang can be reached at
(626) 578-6300, Ext. 4586, or by e-mail at cindy.chang@sgvn.com
.
(http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/Stories/0,1413,206~22097~2785691,00.html)
******************
March 29, 2005
REPORT ON GLOBAL HR RELEASED: AI CHIDES US ON RIGHTS REPORTS:
RIGHTS KEY TO BILATERAL TIES
By
AFP, Washington
The United States vowed to make a respect for human rights a
test of its bilateral relations across the world, but signaled a
willingness to temper ideology with realpolitik flexibility.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice hammered home the drive for
global freedom in presenting the third annual State Department
report on "Supporting Human Rights: The US Record 2004-2005."
The human rights watchdog Amnesty International chided the US
government for issuing another report on rights across the world
without taking care to get its own house in order.
The Nobel Prize-winning group applauded the State Department's
efforts but said they were compromised by US failures to respect
the rights of prisoners in Iraq and war-on-terror detainees in
Guantanamo, Cuba.
"As long as the White House continues to flout international law
and blatantly disregard the Geneva Conventions, many of its
policies to promote democracy and human rights will be greeted
with deep skepticism," it said.
Alexandra Arriaga, director of government relations for Amnesty
International USA, said US moral authority was diminished by
continuing reports of judicial abuses by the American
authorities.
She said the US administration's overall record made the State
Department's report in its rights achievements "tantamount to a
business ethics manual published by Enron," the failed and
discredited energy giant.
The 293-page document, a follow up to the annual country reviews
released a month ago, pledged to keep up the pressure on nations
such as China and Russia but also on autocratic US allies like
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
"In all that lies ahead, our nation will continue to clarify for
other nations the moral choice between oppression and freedom,"
Rice told reporters.
"We will make it clear that, ultimately, success in our
relations depends on the treatment of their own people."
But Michael Kozak, assistant secretary of state for democracy,
human rights and labor, said there was no "scientific
cookie-cutter approach" that would work with countries across
the board.
"Sometimes it's the carrot and sometimes it's the stick," he
said. "And sometimes you can say that by being more engaged in
helping a government in trying to accomplish some of its aims,
that you find it to be more responsive."
The report issued Monday illustrated the difficulties facing
President George W. Bush's administration as it tries to square
its pro-democracy drive with political realities across the
world.
It cited how the United States lifted most economic sanctions on
Libya and moved to normalize ties after Libyan leader Moamer
Kadhafi renounced weapons of mass destruction.
But at the same time, the report said Libya "remained among the
world's worst violators of human rights" and, for all the
promises made by Khadafi to reform, "in reality there has been
little change."
Three days after the United States announced it would resume the
sale of F-16 jet fighters to Pakistan, a key ally against
terrorism, the report said Islamabad's rights record "remained
poor."
"The United States believes that the success of Pakistan's
democratization efforts is critical to the strength of our
long-term relationship and will positively contribute to its
effective participation in the Global War on Terrorism," it
said.
But Kozak acknowledged that Pakistan was "a really difficult
case" and offered only a lukewarm response when asked if the
F-16 deal was dependent on additional moves to bolster democracy
there.
"I wouldn't make that linkage right here, right now, but, yes,
in a more general sense, that any country that expects to have
good relations with us ... needs to pay attention to their human
rights," he said.
The report did provide a response to concerns by critics that
Washington would subordinate human rights in China to more
strategic goals in dealing with the growing Asian power.
"The United States continues to place a high priority on urging
China to bring its human rights practices into compliance with
international standards," the department said.
It said the United States was using diplomacy, lobbying and
educational programs too loosen up a regime that "continued to
suppress political, religious and social groups as well as
individuals" considered a threat.
The report said human rights were "a major public diplomacy
theme" in dealing with Russia amid concerns that President
Vladimir Putin's regime was backsliding in its commitment to
democracy.
"The US human rights and democracy strategy in Russia promotes
democratic institutions and processes, a vibrant civil society,
fundamental freedoms, rule of law, human rights and
anti-trafficking measures," it said.
The department also took key Middle East ally Saudi Arabia to
task, saying it still had "serious problems" on the rights
front, including arbitrary arrests and abuses of prisoners.
It said Riyadh had been added to its list of "countries of
particular concern for severe violations of religious freedom"
and US officials were pressing "the connection between religious
intolerance and terrorism."
Egypt, another strong US ally in the Arab world, came under new
pressure to speed political and economic reforms. The department
said Cairo also had been included for the first time in the
annual "trafficking in persons" report.
(http://nation.ittefaq.com/artman/publish/article_17289.shtml)
******************
About NCVA
Founded in 1986, the National Congress of Vietnamese
Americans is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community advocacy
organization working to advance the cause of Vietnamese
Americans in a plural but united America – e pluribus unum –
by participating actively and fully as civic minded citizens
engaged in the areas of education, culture and civil
liberties.
UPCOMING NCVA EVENTS: Our signature youth leadership
program, the Vietnamese American Youth Leadership Conference
(VAYLC), will be held at Catholic University of America in
Washington, DC on June 22-25, 2005. Visit
www.vaylc.org for more
information.
The 19th Annual Convention will be held in San
José, CA on October 21-23, 2005.
Copyright material is distributed without profit or payment for
research and educational purposes only, in accordance with Title
17 U.S.C. section 107
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