HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-17-2013 Human Rights Commission0
50 Years of Advancing Equality 1963-2013
AGENDA
CITY OF IOWA CITY HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
HELLING CONFERENCE ROOM, CITY HALL
December 17, 2013
6:00 P.M.
1.
Call Meeting to Order/ Roll Call
2.
Approval of Minutes from the meeting of October 15, 2013 & November 19, 2013
3.
Public Comment of Items Not on the Agenda
4.
New Business:
a.
Inventory of Ramps (Olmstead)
b.
SEATS (Olmstead)
c.
Racial/Ethnic Equity Roundtable (Finnerty)
d.
2014 Choice Event
e.
Ul Center for Human Rights Funding Request
f
International Students Subcommittee (Olmstead)
5.
Old Business:
a.
Structure of Human Rights Commission: Increase Member Number (Olmstead)
b.
Ecological Human Rights (Olmstead)
6.
Updates/Reports:
a.
Human Rights Breakfast
b,
Education Subcommittee (Retish, Olmstead, Coulter, Amos)
L Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday (January 20)
c.
Immigrant Subcommittee
d.
Building Communities Subcommittee (Townsend)
i. Affordable Housing
e.
University of Iowa Center for Human Rights (Ghoneim, Olmstead)
f.
Building Blocks to Employment Job Fair (Relish)
g.
Staff
7.
Set Next Regular Meeting for January 21, 2014 at 6 p.m.
8.
Adjourn
The Iowa City Human Rights Commission meetings follow the Iowa City Community School District closings for
inclement weather except for early dismissals for heat.
Minutes
Human Rights Commission DRAFT
November 19,2013 — 6 P.M.
Helling Conference Room
Members Present: Harry Olmstead, Orville Townsend Sr., Paul Retish, Joe Coulter, Shams
Ghoneim, Andrea Cohen, Diane Finnerty.
Not Present: Jewell Amos, Kim Hanrahan.
Staff Present: Stefanie Bowers.
Others Present: Jim Throgniorton, Yaohui Chen, Misty Rebik.
Recommendations to Council:
The Iowa City Human Rights Commission finds the City of Iowa City Citizen's Survey 2013 to
be of questionable validity and in need of inclusion of all community constituents. The
Commission recommends the Council not use it all. If used, it should not be used as the sole
input for guiding strategic planning. The Commission encourages the Council to rely upon other
types of documents that members of the community have brought forth such as the Ad Hoc
Diversity Recommendations, the Racial Equity in Iowa City and Johnson County Report of the
Iowa City Coalition for Racial Justice and the Immigrant Voices Project Materials.
Call to Order:
Chair Townsend called the meeting to order at 18:00.
Consideration of the Minutes of the October 15, 2013:
Coulter moved, seconded by Finnerty. 6-0 (Ghoneim not present).
Public Comment:
Council member Jim Throgniorton addressed the concerns of international undergraduate students at the
University from China. Thrognuorton asked the Commission to establish a subcommittee to meet with
representatives of the Chinese Students & Scholars Association. Yaohui Chen spoke on the experience
many Chinese students have both on campus and in the community. He would like to work with the
Commission to establish relationships between community members and students new to this area. Chen
also spoke on the cultural adjustments many international students make when they come to Iowa City. It
was suggested that the City have a liaison for persons new to this country,
Olmstead moved, seconded by Finnerty. Motion passed 7-0. The Commission will establish a
subcommittee to work more closely with the Chinese Students & Scholars Association. Olmstead and
Cohen volunteered to serve on the subcommittee.
Meetine Business
Ecological Human Rights
Professor of Law Bums Weston discussed advocacy for environmental concerns and human rights.
Professor Weston presented a covenant that he co-authored. He requested that the Commission support
the implementation of the concepts of this covenant to the Iowa City Council. Commissioners wished to
take time to study the materials and discuss in December. Motion by Townsend, second by Coulter.
Motion passed 6-0. (Finnerty abstained). Agenda item December.
2013 Resident Survey
Commissioners reported that the survey does not address the needs of all in the community. For example,
the survey did not address affordable housing, paratransit or Sunday service. Other concerns about the
report were that it is of questionable validity. The survey is not diverse and the survey did not poll
persons who are homeless. Motion to Council by Coulter seconded by Olmstead. Motion passed 7-0. (See
recommendation to Council page one)
Mirage
The Commission elected not to participate in this event. Motion by Finnerty seconded by Coulter.
Motion passed 7-0.
Structure of Human Rights Commission
Olmstead is concerned that the Commission is too small to be fully active in the community. Coulter
moved that the Human Rights Commission be expanded in its membership to I I and to have a student
liaison, Olmstead seconded. Motion failed 2-3. (Finnerty, Cohen abstained). Item to be discussed at
December meeting. Motion Coulter, seconded by Ghoneim. Motion passed 7-0. Agenda Item December.
Updates & Reports:
Cultural Diversity Day
No Report.
Proclamations
Coulter accepted the proclamation for Native American Heritage Month on behalf of the Commission.
Human Rights Breakfast
The 2013 event was very successful. Finnerty presented an award to Olmstead in thanks for his hard
work and time in taking all the pictures for the I Have a Dream Campaign. Misty Rebik updated on the
status of discussions between Sheraton and The Center for Worker Justice. Rebik asked that the
Commission not hold a Breakfast in the future at a place that violates individuals' civil rights. Finnerty
moved, Olmstead seconded. Motion passed 8-0. Finnerty will draft the letter to the Sheraton on behalf of
the Commission.
Conference on Racial Justice & Disproportionate Minority Incarceration
Commissioners gave their opinions on the Conference and offered suggestions. The Commission is
supportive of sponsoring a similar type event on a yearly basis. Ghoneim moved and Olmstead seconded.
Motion passed 7-0.
-Ghoneim no longer present -
Education Subcommittee
The Iowa City Community School District plans to hold school on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
this item will be discussed at the December meeting. Agenda Item December.
Immigrant Subcommittee
No report.
PA
Building Communities
The Commission would like to create a pamphlet that would outline the rules and protocol of the Housing
Authority. Bowers will follow up with Steve Rackis to see if the Housing Authority already has such a
pamphlet. Townsend moved to request permission to communicate with the Housing Authority to see if it
would be willing to put a pamphlet together, and if not, then the Commission would. Townsend moved,
Coulter seconded. Motion passed 6-0. (Ghoneim not present)
University of Iowa Center for Human Rights
Olmstead and Ghoneim wi I I attend the next meeting.
Building Blocks, Resume Training
Retish reported low attendance at the two resume trainings held at the Iowa City Public Library and
Shelter House. Due to this, Retish suggests returning to the traditional job fair.
Commission
Finnerty requested to place a proposal for a Racial Justice Round Table on the December agenda.
Finnerty moved, Coulter seconded. Agenda Item December.
Olmstead discussed a radio interview that he and Townsend participated in.
Retish reported that he is worried about school redistricting.
Staff
Bowers updated Commissioners on the status of the City Hall remodel.
Adjournment: 20:25
Next Regular Meeting — December 17,2013
Human Rights Commission
ATTENDANCE RECORD
YEAR 2012/2013
(Meetinp Date)
NAME
TERM
EXP.
12/181
12
1/15/
13
1/28
/13
2/19/
13
3/19/
13
4/16
/13
5/21
/13
6/18/
13
7/16/
13
8/20/
13
9/17/
13
10/15/
13
11119/
13
Diane
Finnerty
1/14/14
x
O/E
x
x
x
O/E
x
x
x
x
x
O/E
x
Orville
Townsend, Sr.
I/l/14
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Paul Retish
1/1/14
x
x
Dan Tallon
111/14
I
x
x
x
x
O/E
x
x
x
O/E
R
R
R
R
I
Kim
Hanrahan
111115
x
x
x
x
x
O/E
x
x
x
x
x
O/E
Shams
Ghoneim
111115
x
O/E
O/E
x
x
x
O/E
x
O/E
x
x
x
x
Jessie Harper
1/1/15
x
x
x
x
x
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
Jewell Amos
l/l/15
I
x
x
x
x
O/E
I
Katie
Anthony
I/l/16
-
x
x
x
x
x
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
Joe D. Coulter
I/l/16
-
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
O/E
x
x
x
x
Harry
Olmstead
1/1/16
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Andrea Cohen
1/1/16
O/E
x
x
x
Connie Goeb
1/1/13
x
Howard
Cowen
1/1/13
O/E
David B.
Brown
l/l/14
R
R
R
R
R
I
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
Henri Harper
I/l/14
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
KEY: X
= Present
0
= Absent
O/E=
Absent/Excused
NM
= No meeting
--
= No longer a member
R
=Resignation
EI
Agenda Item 4a
1951 Hannah Jo CT Agenda Item 4b
Iowa City, IA 52240
(319)338-2931
November 24, 2013
Iowa City Human Rights Commission
Dear Commissioners: :
I have requested that Stefanie put on our December agenda for discussion and consideration City
sidewalk rampage for the disabled and elderly in Iowa City and SEATS funding. I wish to bring to
your attention two injustices that involve the disabled and elderly populations of Iowa City.
First, the Iowa City, City Council is in the process of establishing a budget for the next fiscal year.
In speaking with our city engineering department, they are only allocated $50,000 a year to make
repairs and modification to existing sidewalk ramps (for wheelchairs) to bring them up to
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance and to put in sidewalk ramps where there
currently are none. The city is in the process currently taking an inventory of all existing sidewalk
ramps and of sidewalks where there are none. This inventory covers all areas of Iowa City. These
ramps are not only used by the disabled, but the elderly, as well. Iowa City has had 21 years to
come into compliance and make this a user friendly community for those of us, like myself, who
rely on the wheelchair for their sole means of transportation within the city or those who depend
on walkers or other mobility devices. I believe that the time has come that we demand that Iowa
City, City Council allocate the necessary funding in next year's budget to meet the results of their
inventory and come into ADA compliance. I request that the Iowa City Human Rights Commission
send a letter in support of completing ramps and/or their modifications to finally be Federally
mandated compliance with ADA.
Second, as you are aware the Iowa City Council, despite thousands of signatures from
supporters in our community and an online petition, numerous letters of support, letters to the
Press Citizen and Daily Iowan opinion page, and a demonstration at a City Council Meeting
involving over 30 disabled individuals and community supporters including SEATS drivers,
however they made the decision to finally terminate half -fares at the end of 2014. According to
SEATS Director Tom Base, more than 51 % of SEATS riders are eligible for half -fares and over
91% of those rides on SEATS are made by half -fare riders. I recognize that you represent these
SEATS riders who are person's with disabilities and the elderly. I request that again that the Iowa
City Human Rights Commission commit to assisting the most vulnerable members of our society,
the elderly and the disabled populations by conveying in writing to our Iowa City Council your
concerns of this issue.
Time is of the essence and critical in order for our concerns to be heard in the City's preparation
of next year's budget. I request that you take a stance and draft letters supporting these budget
improvements.
Sincerely,
Harry Olmstead
9 Agenda Item 4 d
November 15, 2013
410 E. Washington St.
Iowa City, IA 52240-1826
Dear Iowa City Human Rights Commission:
The Emma Goldman Clinic is currently preparing for our 2014 Choice Event. We are
excited to continue our celebration of 40 years of service. The Event will be held at the
Hotel Vetro on January 31, 2014 at 6:00 p.m.
The past success of this annual event is credited largely to you- our sponsors - who lend
their names, attendance and financial support to the event. Your sponsorship supports this
event and allows us to apply 100% of the event ticket prices to the deProsse Access Fund
and keeps the event tax-deductible for attendees. The money raised for the deProsse
Access Fund goes directly to subsidize services for under insured women and men
accessing health care services at the clinic.
By participating as a sponsor, your business or organization's name will be listed in the
Choice Event program, Choice List email, Choice Event video display, and EmmaCs
advertising. This advertising reaches approximately 2000 community members.
The sponsorship amount is $250 and includes 2 tickets for the Choice Event ($100 value),
and you'll be able to enjoy excellent exposure to a large, diverse and supportive audience.
Were counting on your support, and will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
In the next few weeks a clinic representative will be contacting you to see if you received
this correspondence and if you are interested in being a sponsor of the Emma Goldman
Clinic's 2014 Choice Event. Thank you in advance for your willingness to support the
efforts of the Emma Goldman Clinic and make a difference in our community.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Price and Francine Thompson
Emma Goldman Clinic Co -Directors
PS. If you already know you are interested in sponsorship, please complete the
sponsorship form and return with payment by January 17, 2014.
SAVE THE DATE
Emma Goldman Clinic Choice Event
Friday, January 31, 2014
EMMA GOLDMAN CLINIC CHOICE EVENT 2014
SPONSORSHIP
*Please return this form with your payment by January 17th, 2014*
Organization/Individual Name (as you would like it to appear in media)
Contact Name
Address (City, State, Zip)
Phone Number
Amount of sponsorship $250
(includes TWO event tickets, entire amount is tax-deductible)
Please make checks to the Emma Goldman Clinic
Charge to Visa/MC/Discover
Name on card:
Card #
Expires:
Signature:
Please supply business logos in JFG format.
Logos can be emailed to Jennifer at ienniferprice@emmagoldman.com
Agenda Item 4e
Center for Human Rights
College of Law
THE
UNIVERSITY
215 Boyd Law Building
Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1113
Central Campus Office
OF IOWA
1120 University Capitol Centre
Iowa City, Iowa 52242-5500
319-335-3900 Fox 319-335-1340
www.uichrorg
December 4, 2013
I write to you today with good news! The Ul Center for Human Rights is now on its soundest footing ever.
To remain sound, we rely on you. The University's Office of the Provost and the College of Law have joined
together to provide for the center's staffing and space needs. With this support, the center is poised to
maintain and expand the vast array of excellent, innovative programs it has offered to Ul students and faculty,
the Iowa community, the nation, and the world. It is through the generous support of many donors and friends
that these programs have been sustained through the past fourteen years. With continued help and support
they will be maintained and expanded for years to come, and new programs emblematic of the Center's past
efforts will be developed.
Current major programs include the Certificate Program in Human Rights, which is the center's unique
degree program for undergraduates, professionals, and non-traditional students that provides theoretical and
professional education through a set of specialized core courses taught by UICHR staff. Other center programs
include: the The Kenneth J. Cmiel and Rex Honey Internships; the Weston Essay Competition; the Human
Rights Index, which provides a creative and significant statistical snapshot of current human rights problems;
and One Community, One Book, an annual community reading project promoting human rights awareness
and education through literature.
For a more comprehensive picture of the center's programs, collaborations, and good work, please visit the
law school's website at httpsi//www.law-umowa.edu/outreac where the most recent issue of the College
of Law's Outreach and Service Programs publication is posted; and the UICHR website at www.uichr.org.
In order to continue our efforts and develop new cutting edge programming, we need your help. A gift to the
center is one way to demonstrate your commitment to human rights. Your gift will work to promote human
rights in numerous, multifaceted ways throughout the world. Please consider making a contribution that will
enable the Ul Center for Human Rights to maintain and expand its important programs. Many thanks for your
support!
Best regards,
Ova- � 'in
Adrien K. Wing
Bessie Dutton Murray Professor
UICHR Director
P.S. You can make your contribution by returning the enclosed contribution card in the envelope provided.
If you'd like to make your gift online, go to givetoiowa.org and click on the College of Law.
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Tim LINwasru oF lowA
CENTER FOR
HUMAN RIGHTS
Ul Center for Human Rights
Fall 2013 Activities
The strategic plan of the Center for Human Rights, adopted following its move to a new
collegiate home in the College of Law on July 1, 2013, identifies three primary areas of activity:
teaching, scholarship, and public engagement. This report documents the Center's activities in
each of these areas from July 1, 2013, through December 31, 2013.
Staff member of the Center are: Director Adrien Wing; Associate Director Greg Hamot;
Assistant Directors Brian Farrell, Nathan Miller, and Amy Weismann; Senior Scholars Jim Leach
and Burns Weston; Program Coordinator Joan Nashelsky; Certificate Advisor Kelsey Kramer;
and Assistant Kelley Winebold. During the fall semester the Center had six undergraduate
student interns and eight law student research assistants.
TEACHING
The following courses were offered by the Center through University College during this period:
a Introduction to Human Rights was taught online byJo Butterfield, Brian Farrell, and
Amy Weisman during the summer term.
* Human Rights Advocacy was taught by Amy Weismann during the fall semester.
0 Philosophy of Human Rights was taught byJovana Davidovic during the fall semester.
The Human Rights Certificate faculty has been exploring the creation of more streamlined and
regularized courses and sequencing for the human rights undergraduate certificate program.
Conversations have occurred with University College about the possibility of Introduction to
Human Rights serving as a common course for one of the University's Living Learning
Communities.
Seven students received summer internship funding through the Center's Cmiel internship
program, and one student received funding through the Weston internship program. These
internships included international and national projects. Students were invited to a dinner in
September to celebrate their work.
College of Low Office: 216 Boyd Law Building Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1113
Central Campus Office: 1120 University Capitol Centre Iowa City, Iowa 52242-5500
Tel 319-335-3900 Fax 319-335-1340 www.uichr.org
Nathan Miller supervised six students working in the College of Law's human rights clinic.
Students conducted research on issues including Taser usage in Iowa as well as human rights in
the Middle East.
SCHOLARSHIP
The following works were published by Center staff during this period:
* Burns Weston updated his article "Human Rights" in Encyclopedia Britannico online.
Burns Weston co-authored (with David Bollier) "Toward a Recalibrated Human
Right to a Clean and Healthy Environment: Making the Conceptual Transition" and
"Universal Covenant Affirming a Human Tight to Commons- and Rights -Based
Governance of Earth's Natural Wealth Resources" both of which were published in the
Journal of Human Rights and the Environment.
Brian Farrell's essay "Watching the Detectives: Electronic Recording of Custodial
Interrogations in Iowa" was published in the Iowa Law Review Bulletin.
Brian Farrell authored "The Security Council and Kashmir" which was published in
Tronsnotionol Low and Contemporary Problems.
The following scholarly presentations were given by Center staff during this period:
Sept. 4: Adrien Wing delivered a talk "Arab Season: Future of Women's Rights" at the
SMU Law School in Dallas. This presentation was also given at Texas A&M Law School
on October 22 and for the Linn County LIN Association on December 5.
Sept. 11: The Center organized a panel discussion "Intervention in Syria: Law, Ethics, and
Policy." Panelists were Adrien Wing, Nathan Miller, Sara Mitchell, Newman Abuissa,
Keith Porter, and Gerald Sorokin. Jim Leach moderated.
Oct. 4: Adrien Wing participated in a panel on women of color in the Academy at the
Latina Critical Theory Conference in Chicago.
The Center co -sponsored two Ida Beam Scholars: Josh MacPhee (Sept. 23-27; School of Art &
Art History) and Larry May (October 15-18; Department of Philosophy).
Center staff began planning for the creation of the Iowa Human Rights Bulletin, consisting of
short pieces targeted at an educated lay audience and intended to link the Center with
constituencies in Iowa, the nation, and the world.
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
The Center is working on a new website which will allow for easier dissemination of news and
events through RSS subscriptions and via social media such as Twitter and Facebook.
Center staff members have begun laying the groundwork for the creation of a Speakers Bureau
which will serve as a single point of contact for public speakers and interviewees on human
rights issues, with a goal of reaching out to every county in Iowa.
In its strategic plan, the Center emphasized its goal of outreach to all parts of Iowa, the nation,
and the world. The following public engagement activities during this time period were
particularly directed at statewide, regional, national, and international audiences:
Oct. 8: Brian Farrell appeared on Iowa Public Radio's statewide news program River to
River to discuss false confessions and the recording of custodial interrogations.
Oct. 10-11: The Center co -sponsored a visit by American University Prof. Jon Gould who
delivered talks on "Predicting Wrongful Convictions" in Iowa City and Des Moines which
were advertised statewide. Prof. Gould also met with members of the Iowa Supreme
Court's Judicial Education Committee.
Oct. 30: Brian Farrell presented a continuing legal education program at the Iowa State
Bar Association's Nuts & Bolts Seminar.
Nov. 8: The Center hosted a meeting of the Midwest Coalition for Human Rights which
included participants from Chicago and the Twin Cities.
Dec. 1: Jim Leach appeared on the KCRG television roundtable "Ethical Perspectives on
the News" discussing campaign financing.
Additionally, the following public engagement activities during this time period were directed
primarily at the campus and Iowa City communities:
Sept. 19: The Center co -sponsored the Intellectual Dialogue Society event
"Islamaphobia: The Challenges of Being a Muslim in America."
Sept. 20: The Center co -sponsored "The Arts as Vocabulary" with the Division of
Performing Arts as part of the Series On Arts and Rights (SOAR).
Sept. 22: The Center co -sponsored a performance by Katherine Eberle with the Division
of Performing Arts as part of the Series On Arts and Rights (SOAR).
Sept. 23: The Center co -sponsored Jacqueline Asiimwe's talk "The Black Monday
Movement: Re -energizing the Fight Against Official Corruption in Uganda" with the
African Studies Program.
Oct. 3-8: The Center co -sponsored the M a rtha Red bone Roots Project with the Division
of Performing Arts as part of the Series On Arts and Rights (SOAR). Martha Redbone
was also a guest speaker in Amy Weismann's Human Rights Advocacy class.
Oct. 7: Greg Hamot spoke to the Ul Introduction to International Studies class on the
topic of human rights as a field of study.
* Oct. 15: The Center hosted a community based humanitarian aid summit for Syria.
Oct. 17: The Center co -sponsored the Iowa City Human Rights Commission's Conference
on Minority Incarceration. Adrien Wing gave the keynote address.
Oct. 22 & 23: The Center hosted screenings of the documentary "William and the
Windmill" followed by discussions featuring the filmmaker, Ben Nabors. The screening
was part of the Center's One Community, One Book program which featured the book
"The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind" by William Kamkwamba. OCOB events were
coordinated by Joan Nashelsky.
Oct. 24: The Center participated in the Iowa City Human Rights Commission's annual
awards breakfast.
a Oct. 24: Jim Leach spoke to the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council.
Oct. 24: The Center co -sponsored a book discussion with the UIHC Patients Library as
part of its One Community, One Book program.
Oct. 26: The Center co -sponsored a book discussion with the Iowa City Public Library as
part of its One Community, One Book program.
0 Oct. 26: The Center hosted a One Community, One Book children's activity.
0 Oct. 29: Burns Weston spoke to the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council.
Nov. 7: The Center co -sponsored a panel featuring participants in the Festschrift volume
of the Transnational Law and Contemporary Problems journal honoring Burns Weston.
Nov. 8: The Center hosted an intra-campus convening "Building a Multidisciplinary
Human Rights Community on Campus."
Nov. 11: The Center co -sponsored former Army Chaplain Capt. James Yee's talk
"Guantanamo: Justice and Human Rights" with Veterans for Peace, Iowa City Mosque,
Cedar Rapids Islamic Center, Amnesty International, Iowa Physicians for Social
Responsibility, and the Unitarian Universalists Society of Iowa City.
EI
Nov. 17: The Center co -sponsored a performance by Johnson County Landmark with
the Division of Performing Arts as part of the Series On Arts and Rights (SOAR).
Nov. 19: The Center co -sponsored the 17th Annual International Day, focusing on
UNDHR Article 25, for 300 middle and junior high school students in Coralville.
Dec. 6 & 7: The Center co -sponsored the Chiara Quartet with the Division of Performing
Arts as part of the Series On Arts and Rights (SOAR).
Dec. 10: The Center co -sponsored Human Rights Day at the Englert Theater with the
Division of Performing Arts as part of the Series On Arts and Rights (SOAR).
Planned Activities for Spring 2014
The Center plans to initiate f uncled faculty Working Groups on human rights topics during the
spring semester. It also plans to award funding for creative production related to human rights
promotion and protection. The following courses will be taught in the spring semester as part
of the Certificate program:
0 Introduction to Human Rights (Brian Farrell)
Topics in Human Rights: Human Rights and the Rule of Law in the Aftermath of Conflict
(Nathan Miller)
a Human Rights Advocacy Seminar (Amy Weismann)
0 Human Rights Practice Practicurn (Amy Weismann) pending approval
In addition to the courses for the Certificate program, Center staff will teach the following
relevant courses: Human Rights in the World Community (Adrien Wing); Critical Race Theory
(Adrien Wing); Advanced Topics in International Law: Human Rights Law & Policy Research
(Burns Weston); and Foundations of International Law (Burns Weston).
Center staff will likely teach Introduction to Human Rights as an online course during the
summer. The Center plans to utilize Cmiel and Weston summer internship funds to create a set
of student internship placements in Turkey focusing on the humanitarian crisis in Syria.
The following public engagement events are tentatively scheduled for spring semester:
0 Feb. 21: "Memphis 13" desegregation documentary and panel.
0 Feb. 28: Co -sponsoring the Jupiter Quartet — Series On Arts and Rights (SOAR).
0 Mar. 7-8: Public conference on human rights in the university.
Apr. 2: The Center will participate in the University's "Hawkeye Caucus" at the Iowa
Statehouse.
* April 4-6: Refugee Experiences in the Arts conference.
0 Apr. 8: Co -sponsoring The Crossroads Project —Series On Arts and Rights (SOAR).
* Apr. 10-20: Co -sponsoring "Slaughter City" —Series On Arts and Rights (SOAR).
It is anticipated that other events will take place as well.
UICHR Advisory Board
Loyce Arthur is an associate professor of theatre arts at The University of
Iowa and is Co -Director of the Caribbean Diaspora and Atlantic Studies
Program. She has designed costumes for several award -winning
productions worldwide and was a guest artist at Mahogany Mas Camp in
the United Kingdom. Prof Arthur is coordinator of the Iowa City Carnaval
Community Engagement Project and a board -member for Iowa City's
Summer of the Arts organization. She was a previous member of the
UICHR Board of Directors.
Damian Bakula is a second year law student at The University of Iowa
College of Law. He received his B.S. from The University of Maryland's
University College Europe and an M.B.A. from Boise State University.
Mr. Bakula is a research assistant to Professor Bums Weston and a
student member of the Ul law journal Transnational Law and
Contemporary Problems.
Jackie Blank is a broker at the real estate firm of Blank & McCune. She
has lived in Iowa City since 1969 when she moved to join Citizens Against
the War in Vietnam.
Alan Brody is retired from a 40-year international career that began with
his joining the Peace Corps after his graduation from Yale in 1968.
After eight years of work in Ghana, he completed a Ph.D. in journalism
and mass communication from The University of Iowa. Dr. Brody
worked for UNICEF for 22 years in Turkey, Afghanistan, China, and
Swaziland on issues including the rights of children and women to
health and nutrition, education, protection, and participation, and
was involved in development of the monitoring systems for the
Convention on the Rights of the Child.
P. Barry Butler has served as Provost of The University of Iowa since
2011. He was previously Dean of the Ul College of Engineering and holds
the rank of professor in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial
Engineering. Provost Butler earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in
aeronautical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana -
Champaign in 1979 and 1981, respectively. He received his Ph.D. in
mechanical engineering in 1984, alsofroin the University of Illinois at
Urbana -Champaign.
Diana Cates is professor and chair of the Ul Department of Religious
Studies. Her teaching focuses on promoting respect for persons, especially
in regard to issues of global religious diversity; gender and sexuality; and
biomedical ethics. Her scholarship focuses on the relationship between
the religious imagination; emotions such as love, compassion, anger, and
hatred; and the recognition of human dignity. Prof Cates has been
affiliated with UICHR since 2002 and was a member of die Center's
former Board of Directors.
Mary Cohen is an associate professor of music education at The University
of Iowa, holding a joint appointment in the College of Liberal Arts and
Sciences. She researches wellness through music -making with an emphasis
on prison contexts, writing and songwriting, and collaborative communities.
Professor Cohen created the Voice of Experience Partnership, in which a
music student directs an adult senior chorus, and The University of
Iowa Community Prison Partnership Programs, which works with inmates
at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center and the Mount Pleasant
Correctional Facility. She was a member of the Center's former Board of
Directors.
Helen Dickson is a senior at The University of Iowa in International
Studies with an Aftican Studies emphasis. She is a student in the Human
Rights Certificate program offered by UICHR. Ms. Dickson is currently
the Ul Student Government Communications Specialist and President of
Ul Amnesty International.
Marcella David is a professor of law and international studies and
associate dean at The University of Iowa College of Law. She served as a
Ford Foundation Fellow, clerked for U.S. District Court Judge Louis
Pollak, and worked in private practice before teaching law. Dean David
has published numerous articles on p u b I i c international I a w and
human rights issues. She served as Ul's Special Assistant to the
President for Equal Opportunity and Diversity and Associate Provost
for Diversity from 2006-2009.
Frederick Dietz is a professor of orthopedic surgery at The University of
Iowa. For 15 years he has travelled throughout North America, Europe,
and Asia teaching the Ponseti technique for treating congenital clubfoot.
He has set up national clubfoot programs in Laos, Bangladesh, and
Myanmar over the past 12 years. Dr. Dietz has worked extensively with
an NGO that works to integrate clubfoot treatment into the government
health system.
Hugh Ferrer is Associate Director of the International Writing Program
at The University of Iowa. He completed his undergraduate studies at
Princeton University and holds an MFA in fiction from the Iowa Writers'
Workshop. In addition to the International Writing Program, where he
has worked since 2001, Mr. Ferrer serves as a senior editor at the Iowa
Review, a faculty member of the Iowa Summer Writing Festival, an
adjunct lecturer at the University of Iowa, and a board member at Iowa
City UNESCO City of Literature. He was a member of the Center's
former Board of Directors.
Shams Ghoneim was born and raised in Cairo and has lived in Iowa City
since 1967. She is a graduate of The University of Iowa and worked for
32 years as a medical researcher. Ms. Ghoneirn is currently President of
the ACLU of Iowa Board of Directors; Coordinator of the Muslim Public
Affairs Council, Iowa Chapter; a member of the Iowa City Human Rights
Commission; and a member of the Executive committee of the Iowa City
Mosque and Islamic center. She is also past president of the Johnson
County Consultation of Religious Communities.
Paul Greenough is a professor in the History Department at The
University of Iowa. He holds an additional appointment in the
Department of Community and Behavioral Medicine in the College of
Public Health. He teaches and researches in the areas of the History of
Modem India as well as environmental and global health history. Closely
related to these interests are his involvements with interdisciplinary
graduate studies such as the Global Health Studies Program and the
Crossing Borders Program. He was a former director of the latter
program.
1(imberly Lanegran is an associate professor of political science at Coe
College in Cedar Rapids where she teaches comparative and international
politics. In 2008, she served as visiting lecturer at the University of
Gaborone, Botswana. Her publications focus on international human
rights trials and truth commissions. Professor Lanegran has conducted
field work in East Timor, Kenya, the Netherlands, Sierra Leone and
South Africa, Since 2005, she has been Amnesty International USA's
Country Specialist for Sierra Leone. She earned her B.A. from
Grinnell College and Ph.D. from the University of Florida.
Maureen McCue is an adjunct clinical assistant professor in The
University of Iowa Colleges of Public Health and Liberal Arts and
Sciences. She is a founding member, faculty, and former Director of
the University of Iowa Global Health Studies Program. Professor McCue
has been coordinator of the Iowa Chapter of Physicians for Social
Responsibility for 10 years and has worked as a physician for a local
women's clinic for over 16 years. She was a founding member of the
UICHR's former Board of Directors,
Sara McLaughlin Mitchell is professor and department chair in the
political science department at The University of Iowa. She is Co -
Director of the Issue Correlates of War Project, an associate editor of
Foreign Policy Analysis and Research & Politics, and serves on the
editorial board of several journals. She has authored numerous
monographs, book chapters, and journal articles. Professor Mitchell
received her Ph.D. in Political Science from Michigan State University
in 1997.
Monica Moen is a member of the moengroup real estate development
company in Iowa City. She previously worked as an attorney with Idaho
Power Company, and is a member of the Idaho and Iowa State Bar
Associations. She received her J.D. from The University of Iowa in
1997. She was a member of the former UICHR Board of Directors.
Jordan Moody is a third -year law student at The University of Iowa
College of Law. He is co -president of the College's Student Bar
Association, and works in its legal clinic and with the immigration
law firm of Wilner & O'Reilly.
Harry Olmstead is from Connecticut and earned a degree in
education from the University of Wisconsin -Milwaukee. He has
worked with youth with disabilities with the Boy Scouts of America
and taught elementary special education through Teach for America.
Mr. Olmstead is Vice -Chairperson of the Iowa City Human Rights
Commission and serves on the Johnson County Para -Transit (SEATS)
Advisory Committee and the Livable Communities Board. He was a
member of the UICHR's former Board of Directors.
Dorothy Paul was Executive Director of the Iowa United Nations
Association- USA for 23 years. In 1999 she co-founded the Ul Center
for Human Rights and in 2000 become its first executive director. She
was the Center's Associate Director for Community Affairs from
2001 to 2006, coordinating the One Community, One Book
program. Ms. Paul was a member of the Iowa City Human Rights
Commission for six years and a member of the Center's former
executive committee.
Ann Ricketts is assistant vice president for external relations and
communications in The University of Iowa Office of the Vice President
for Research. She co-chaired the University of Iowa Task Force on
Public Outreach and Civic Engagement in 2009 and currently co-chairs
the Provost's Advisory Committee on Publicly Engaged Arts, Research
and Scholarship. She serves on the APLU Council on Engagement &
Outreach Executive Committee, the CIC Committee on Engagement, the
MidWestOne Bank Advisory Board, and is an ex-officio member of the
Office of the State Archaeologist Advisory Board, the Public Policy
Center Executive Committee, and the Digital Studio for the Public Arts
and Humanities Advisory Board.
Len Sandler is a clinical professor at The University of Iowa College of
Law. He directs the Law and Policy in Action Projects, which focus on
disability, civil rights, health care, housing, transportation, and other
matters. Len is a founding member of the Global Network of Disability
Clinics and has served on many governmental and private sector
committees, boards and policy groups. He has lectured in the U.S. and
overseas on universal design in public and private facilities, housing,
education, technology, and programs.
Jennifer Sherer is Director of The University of Iowa Labor Center,
where she oversees statewide outreach, engagement, and research projects
on labor issues. She has a Ph.D. in English and has experience as a labor
organizer and activist. Dr. Sherer was co -coordinator of the Ul Center for
Human Rights Child Labor Public Education Project and a member of the
Center's former executive committee. She serves on the boards of the
Labor Studies Journal, the Iowa Policy Project, and the Ul Occupational
Medicine Residency program. She directs the Iowa Labor History Oral
Project.
Jerald Schnoor is a professor of civil and environmental engineering and
occupational and environmental health at The University of Iowa.
Board of Scientific Counselors for the EPA's Office of Research and
Development from 2000-2004, and recently served on the EPA Science
Advisory Board and the National Advisory Environmental Health Sciences
Council. Professor Schnoor has testified before Congress on several
occasions.
Brian White is Senior Assistant Director and Legal Counsel at The
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and an Adjunct Assistant
Professor in the College of Public Health. He graduated from the Ul
College of Law in 2002 and practiced in Chicago prior to joining the UIHC
Legal Counsel Office. Mr. White is a member and past Chair of the Ul
President's Committee on Human Rights, and is the past President of the
Community Mental Health Center for Mid-Eastem Iowa. He was a member
of the former UICHR Board of Directors.
Agenda Item 4f
Stefanie Bowers
From:
Harry Olmstead <harryo3@aol.com>
Sent:
Thursday, December 05, 2013 8:48 AM
To:
Downing-thomas@uiowa.edu
Cc:
'Andrea Cohen (andreacoh@gmail. com)'; Orville Townsend, Sr.; Paulf M—Retish; Misty
Rebik; Thais Winkleblack; CIVIC; Amy Weismann; Alan Brody; Jim Throgmorton; Yaohui
Chen; Jennifer Xie; Patrick B Butler
Subject:
Chinese Student Association Meeting
Dear Dean Downing: I was asked by Provost Butler to contact you and invite you to our meeting. I'm
sorry for such short notice, but I just learned yesterday of the Provost' s interest in having you there. I
should first explain how this came about for the Iowa City Human Rights Commission to become
involved. City Council member Jim Throgmorton came to our Commission asking for us to assist
Chinese Students relocating to Iowa City. At our November meeting Yaohui Chen, President of the
Chinese Students Association appeared with City Council member Jim Throgmorton. Yaohui showed
concern and told us that Chinese students coming here aren't given assistance in learning the
American way of life and doing things ie: Do we need a driver's license to drive. The Iowa City Human
Rights Commission decided to set-up a sub -committee to meet with both the Chinese students and
other people and organizations in the community, as well as representation from our University
community. I was appointed convenor of this sub -committee. After getting possible meeting dates
from Yaohui Chen, I decided that we would meet next week on Wednesday, December 11 at 10:00 -
11:45 am at Old Cap Mail in room 2520C. I hope you can make it and you are welcomed to bring
others from the University community that can assist these students. If you have any questions,
please don't hesitate to contact me at 319-338-2931 (home) or 3198552666 (cell).
Harry Olmstead, Vice -Chairperson
Iowa City Human Rights Commission
Agenda Item 5b
Stefanie Bowers
From: Harry Olmstead <harryo3@aol.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2013 8:46 AM
To: Stefanie Bowers
Cc: burns-weston@uiowa edu
Subject: Universal Covenant affirming a human right to commons- and rights -based governance of
Earth's natural wealth and resources* : Journal of Human Rights and the Environment
http://w\Afw.eigaronline.com/view/mournals/ihre/4-2/ohre.2013.02.05.xml
Stefanie: I went to the International Foreign Relations Council Luncheon yesterday and heard Burns
Weston talk on Ecological Human Rights. He will be at our next meeting of the Iowa City Human
Rights Commission to address us during public comments and ask us to consider introducing to the
Iowa City Council a city ordinance supporting Ecological Human Rights. I have included a link to his
paper on the subject and encourage Commissioners to read it prior to our next meeting, so that we
become similar with what Professor Burns is talking to us about. Please forward to all
Commissioners, Stefanie.
Thanks,
Harry Olmstead
Journal of Human Rights and the Environment, Vol. 4 No. 2, September 2013, pp. 215-225
Universal Covenant affirming a human
right to commons- and rights -based
governance of Earth's natural wealth
and resources*
PREAMBLE
The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Fights assertion that "Everyone is entitled
to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this
Declaration can be fully realized"' necessarily mandates a clean and healthy environ-
ment, without which human beings cannot fully enjoy their rights.
The principles set forth in the 1972 Stockhohn Declaration of the United Nations Con-
ference on the Human Environment' unequivocally stipulate that "Man has the ftmda-
mental right to freedom, equality and adequate conditions of life, in an environment of a
quality that perrilits a life of dignity and well-being;"' and that "[die environment] must
be safeguarded for the benefit of present and future generations through careful plan-
ning or management� as appropriate."
'Me scientific validity of global climate change and its underlying human causes is
authoritatively substantiated by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (lPCQ with ominous environmental predictions for the near- and long-term
future (the loss of land, forests, freshwater systems, and biodiversity and the increasing
frequency of severe weather patterns, including intensified storms, prolonged draught,
hurricanes, monsoons, typhoons, and climate shifts) accompanied by hardships to
humankind (famine, displacement, disease, and violence) and to other living beings.
Prepared for the Commons Law Project by Bums H. Weston and David Bollier with assistance
from Samuel M. Degree, Matthew J. Holstein, and Dinah L. Shelton in the early stages and Jonathan
C. Carlson, Anne Mackinnon, and Anna Grear in the final stage. Copyright 0 2013 by Bums
H. Weston and David Bollier. However, this Covenant (or "Green Governance Covenarif '), as mod-
estly revised in this Version 1. 1, may be copied and shared under a Creative Commons Attribution-
NonCornmercial-ShareAlike 3.0 license (https://creativeconunons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/us).
Indeed, it is encouraged that it be so shared and acted upon widely —adjusted to situational circum-
stance as needed, of course. To that end, the Covenant is available for downloading, printing, and
dissemination on the Commons Law Project website (http://www.commonslawprojecLorg).
I . Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), arL 28, G.A. Res. 217A, at 71, U.N.
GAOR, 3d Sess., Istplen. mtg., U.N. Doc. A/810 (10 Dec 1948), reprintedin III INTERNATIONAL
LAW AND WoRLD ORDER: BASIC DocumENTs, at M.A. 1 (Bums H. Weston & Jonathan C. Carlson
eds., 1994-) (hereinafter"BAsic DocumENTs" for all five tides), available at http://nijhoffonline.nV
subject?id=ILWO (accessed July 3, 2012).
2. Stockholm Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment
(16 June 1972), U.N. Doc A/CONF.48/14/Rev.] at 3, available at http://www.unep.org/
Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?documentid=97&articleid=1503; reprinted in V BASIC
DocuMENTs, supra note 1, at V.13.3.
3. Id., Principle 1.
4. Id., Principle 2.
Journal compilation 0 2013 Edwerd Eigm Publishing Ltd
The LypiaM, 15 Lansdown Road, Cheftentim, Glos GL50 2JA, UK
end The Willinut Print House, 9 Dewey Court, Northmpton MA 01060-3815, USA
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216 Journal of Human Rights and the Environment, Vol. 4 No. 2
Other worsening environmental crises with stressful and life -imperiling conse-
quences for humans and other beings include the depletion of non-renewable resources,
the improper disposal of hazardous wastes, the defilement of precious food and water
supplies, and the overall contamination and degradation of delicate ecosystems.
State and Market abuse and destruction of nature has accelerated since the advent
of an essentially unregulated globalization of capital. Investor and corporate interests,
often with the active partnership of governments, unrelentingly exploit and pollute
energy resources and increasingly commercialize water and other natural wealth
and resources once considered beyond the reach of technology and markets.
The lack of international consensus for the principles embodied in the 1997 Kyoto
Protocol' to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change'
and the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity,7 as well as the failure of these
and other environmental instruments to protect the natural environment sufficiently
to safeguard life on Earth for present and future generations, is well known.
The continuing failure of the world's leaders to acknowledge or address the most
fundamental causes of the accelerating ecological and social devastation of our planet,
as manifested at the COP 15/MOP 5 2009 United Nations Climate Change Confer-
ence in Copenhagen and the 2012 Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable
Development in Rio de Janeiro, is unacceptable.
State and Market leadership has either forgotten or neglects the fact that the author-
ity of the State and the power of private business enterprise stem from the people as
sovereign, and from the institutions of civil society that they have created to serve col-
lective human interests.
Also forgotten or neglected, often not even understood, is the reality that the inter-
ests of humanity are interdependent with the interests of other creatures that cohabit our
planet, and that therefore humanity cannot be adequately protected and sustained with-
out recognizing and defending the rights of nature and of all beings within its surround.
It thus appears that a new system of ecological governance capable of recognizing
nature's worth and of embracing greater civil society participation must be developed
if nature is to be adequately protected and nourished.
The world community has recognized Antarctica, the deep seabed, and outer space as
within "the interest of all mankind" or part of the "common heritage of mankind" in the
1959 Antarctic Treaty,8 the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,9
and the 1967 Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration
and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies.10
However, the deep seabed's "common heritage" status was subsequently denied by
powerful State and Market forces whose self -interests were threatened by it; the Outer
5. FCCC/CP/l997n/Add.l, reprinted in 37 I.L.M. 32 (1998) and BASIC DOCUMEws, Supra
note 1, at V.H.8a.
6. 1771 U.N.T.S. 107, reprinted in 31 I.L.M, 849 (1992) and BASIC DocumENTs, supra note 1,
at V.H.8.
7. 1760 U.N.T.S. 79, reprinted in 31 I.L.M. 818 (1992) and BASIC DocUMENTs, Supra note 1,
at V.N. 14.
8. 402 U.N.T.S. 71, reprinted in 19 I.L.M. 860 (1980) and BASIC DOCUMENTS, Supra note 1,
at V.D. 1.
9. 1833 U.N.T.S. 3, reprinted in 21 I.L.M. 1261 (1982) and BASIC DocUMENTS, supra note I
at V.1.22.
10. 610 U.N.T.S. 205, reprinted in 6 I.L.M. 386 (1967) and BASIC DocumEm, supra note 1,
at V.P. 1.
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Universal Covenant affimung a human right to commons- and rights -based governance 217
Space Treaty has yet to be put to the real test of competing economic, political, and
strategic priorities; and the Antarctic regime is increasingly threatened by the same
kinds of forces and priorities.
On the other hand, the global proliferation of the Internet and new digital technol-
ogies is today enabling imaginative new forms of informal, self -organized, collabora-
tive governance on open platforms that provide powerful means for aggregating and
distributing ecological information, coordinating collective responses, enlisting the
knowledge and innovation of commoners, and improving management systems, all
of which are enabling important "eco-digital" commons that can help preserve our
planet and other vital ecological interests.
For millennia, human communities have successfully and sustainably managed the
use of ecological resources through commons -based governance, and these practices
have long been sanctioned by national and international law, as has also the right of
individuals and groups to establish and maintain commons to protect their vital eco-
systems (the right of commoning).
The historical record and social science research demonstrate the ability of commu-
nities of varying sizes and kinds to manage natural wealth and resources equitably,
allocate access and use -rights fairly, and preserve resources essentially unimpaired
for present and future generations, thus serving as responsible long-term stewards
of ecological resources.
International law and policy increasingly validate these truths as, for example, in the
1992 People's Earth Declaration "—adopted by the International NGO forum of
170,000 civil society participants at the Global Forum that met parallel to the 1992
United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)—which
proclaims that "[olrganizing economic life around decentralized relatively self-reliant
local economies that control and manage their own productive resources and have the
right to safeguard their own environmental and social standards is essential to
sustainability."
Especially notable is the 1998 Convention on Access to Information, Public Parti-
cipation in Decision -Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters," which
codifies the central importance of public participation in setting environmental policy
and calls on its State Parties to take every reasonable step to foster such participation.
Also validating is the 2005 Paris Declaration on Biodiversity,13 in Which scien-
tists participating in the International Conference on Biodiversity Science and
Goveroance—organized by the French Government, sponsored by UNESCO, and
attended by over 1,000 participants representing governments, inter -governmental
organizations and non -governmental organizations, as well as academia and the pri-
vate sector —urged governments, policy makers, and citizens to take the actions
necessary to ensure that "biodiversity [be] integrated without delay, based on existing
11. Adopted June 12, 1992, reprinted in V BAsic DOCUMENTS, supra note 1, at V.K.2; also
available at http://habitat.igc.org/treaties/at-Ol.htin (accessed July 3, 2012).
12. UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision -Making
and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters, 25 June 1998, 2161 U.N.T.S. 447, U.N.Doc.
ECE/CEP/43, reprinted in 38 I.L.M. 517 (1999) and V BASIC DOCUMENTS, supra note 1, at
V.B.20; also available athttp://Iive.unece.org/fileadniin/DAM/env/Pp/documents/cep43e.pdf
(accessed July 3, 2012).
13. Adopted Jan. 28, 2005. reprinted in 8 J. INT'L WnmLTFE LAW AND POLICY 263 (2005) and
V BAsic DOCUMENTS, supra note 1, at V.K.4; also available at hmp://www.unesco.org/new/
fileadniin&HJLTIMEDL4JHQ/SC/pdf/Pans-4ecluatior�-biodiversity.pdf (accessed July 5, 2012).
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218 Journal of Human Rights and the Environment, Vol, 4 No. 2
knowledge, into the criteria considered in all economic and policy decisions as well as
environmental management."
Noteworthy, too, is a growing recognition of the severity of humankind's abuse of
its planetary environment, the unprecedented threat it poses to future generations, and
the disastrous harm it has begun already to unleash upon nature and society worldwide.
Hence the emergence of a proposed crime of "ecocide," first in a 1972 Proposed
International Convention on the Crime of Ecocide bona of the use of Agent Orange
during the Vietnam war;" more recently urged as a fifth international crime of
peace under the 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court;` and
today, in the context of the evolving disasters resulting from the excessive emission
of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and the scant State or Market resolve to stop
it, seriously contemplated as a crime against humanity. 16
Hence also the 2000 Earth Charter'7--created by a global consultation process and
endorsed by organizations representing millions of people around the world —which
calls for "a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human
rights, econornic justice, and a culture of peace" and to these ends affirms it to be
"imperative that we, the peoples of Earth, declare our responsibility to one another,
to the greater community of life, and to future generations."
And hence, too, the 1997 UNESCO Declaration on the Responsibilities of the Present
Generation Towards Future Generations's and the 2010 Draft Universal Declaration of
the Rights of Mother Earth,19 the purposes of which are self-evident from their titles.
Energizing, then, is the World Social Forum's 2009 Reclaim the Commons
Manifest020 calling upon "all citizens and organizations to commit themselves to
recovering the Earth and humanity's shared inheritance and future creations" and in
so doing "demonstrate how commons -based management —participatory, collabora-
tive and transparent —offers the best hope for building a world that is sustainable,
fair and fife -giving."
14. Adopted by the Emergency Conference against Environmental Warfare in Indochina,
at Stockholm, June 1972. Available at 4 Bull. Peace Proposals 93 (1973). Reprinted in
V BAsic DOCUMENTS, supra note 1, at VN. I (accessed July 5, 2012).
15. Adopted by the United Nations Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Estab-
lishment of an International Criminal Court, July 17, 1998, UN Doc. A/CONF. 183/9 (July 17,
1998); reprinted in 37 I.L.M. 999 (1998) and I BAsic DOCUMENTS I.H.18, supra note 1.
16. See, e.g., Polly Higgins, Closing the Door to Dangerous Industrial Activity: A Concept
Paper for Governments to Implement Emergency Measures http://www.eradicatingecocide.
coni/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Ecocide-Concept-Paper.pdf (accessed July 11, 2012).
17. Adopted at The Hague by the Earth Charter Commission, June 29, 2000, available from
the Earth Charter Conamission at http://www.eanhcharter.org, reprinted in V BASIC DOCUMENTS,
supra note 1, at V.K.3.
18. Adopted Nov. 12, 1997 on the report of UNESCO Commission V at the 27th plenary
meeting of the UNESCO General Conference. Available at http://unesdoc.unesco.org/imagest
0011/001 102/110220e. pdf#page=75 (accessed July 5, 2012).
19. Adopted Apr. 22, 2010 by the World People's Conference on Climate Change and the
Rights of Mother Earth at Cochabamba, Bolivia. Available at htti)://celdLorL/downlond.q/
20MOTHER%20EARTH%20APRIL%2022%202010.pdf (accessed July 5, - 2012),
20. Opened for signature at the World Social Forum in Bel6m do Pard (Brazil), January 2009.
Available at bienscommuns.org. Reprinted in V BAsic DOCUMENTS, supra note 1, at V.K.5
(accessed July 5, 2012).
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Universal Covenant affimung a human right to commons- and rights -based governance 219
THEREFORE, keenly aware of the urgency of taking decisive, collective action to
transform existing systems and structures of ecological governance so as to reduce
climate change, loss of biodiversity, and other severe threats to Earth's life-giving
and life -sustaining capacity,
WE,
CALL UPON all citizens, organizations, and governments of the world to commit
themselves to recovering the Earth and humanity's shared inheritance and future crea-
tions, and in furtherance of this pledge
AFFIRM a Universal Human Right to Commons- and Rights -based Ecological
Governance as a common standard of achievement for all humankind, and to
this end
ADOPT, PROCLAIM, AND IMPLEMENT this Universal Covenant, mutatis
mutandi, by all manner of constitutional, legislative, administrative, judicial, and pri-
vate sector initiative to facilitate the prompt and sustained recognition and observance
of its ascribed definitions, principles, rights, and duties at all levels of social organiza-
tion at home and around the world.
ARTICLE 1. COMMONS- AND RIGHTS-BAsED ECOLOGICAL GovERNANCE
All natural persons have a human right to commons- and rights -based ecological gov-
emance (green governance).
1. Commons- and rights -based ecological governance is a system for using and
protecting all the creations of nature and related societal institutions that we
inherit jointly and freely, hold in trust for future generations, and manage
democratically in keeping with human rights principles grounded in respect
for nature as well as human beings, including the right of all people to partici-
pate in the governance of wealth and resources important to their basic needs
and culture.
2. Typically, commons- and rigbts-based ecological governance consists of non -
State management and control of natural wealth and resources by a defined
community of natural persons (commoners), directly or by delegation, as a
means of inclusively and equitably meeting basic human needs. It generally
operates independently of State control and need not be State -sanctioned to
be effective or functional.
3. Where appropriate or needed, the State may act as a guardian or trustee for
commons- and rights -based ecological governance or formally facilitate its prin-
ciples and practices by establishing commons -like State institutions to manage
publicly owned natural wealth and resources.
ARTICLE 11. PRINCIPLES OF INTERNAL GovERNANCE
1. The natural environment is the common heritage of all humankind, belonging
to all natural persons present and future, and shall be respected as such by all
commons- and rights -based governance systems.
2. Commons- and rights -based governance systems shall at all times responsibly
account for the fragile and complex interdependence of living ecosystems,
social and cultural norms, the aesthetic value of the environment, the interests
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220 Journal of Human Rights and the Environment, Vol. 4 No. 2
of future generations, and the ultimate dependence of humankind on our Earth
for health and survival.
3. Social cooperation, trust, and reciprocity are essential to the success of commons- and
rights -based ecological governance.
a. To these ends the self -determined constitutive and operational rules of green
governance systems must be conducive to ensuring that
1) reliable information is available about the immediate and long-term costs
and benefits of actions as measured in both quantitative and qualitative
terms;
2) individual commoners understand that their shared resources are impor-
tant for their own interests and long-term security, and therefore are moti-
vated to act as trustworthy, reciprocal, and openly communicative
commoners in the shared management of ecological resources;
3) informal as well as formal monitoring of resource use and sanctioning of
rules -violators are feasible and considered appropriate; and
4) the culture, leadership, and historical continuity of a commons enable it to
adapt and learn in addressing ecological management challenges over time.
b. To these ends also the self-detennined constitutive and operational rules of
green governance systems shall guarantee to all involved individuals and
groups:
1) the right to be informed, which includes
a) the right to prior notice of proposed decisions and policies that may
significantly affect their common assets, governance covenant, com-
munity ethos, and cultural identity;
b) the right to clear and complete information on the ecological impact of
activities that may significantly affect their common assets, govem-
ance covenant, community ethos, and cultural identity;
c) the right to effective access to legislative, administrative, judicial, or
other proceedings during which decisions that may have significant
ecological impact upon the common assets are under discussion; and
2) the right to participation, which includes
a) when practical, the right to participate directly in decisions affecting
their common assets, governance covenant, community ethos, and cul-
tural identity;
b) in the absence of a practical opportunity for direct participation, the
right to adequate representation of their interests in the stewardship
of common assets;
c) the right to consistent and meaningful access to any representative eco-
logical decision -makers as well as effective mechanisms of communi-
cation and accountability;
d) the right to timely and accessible public hearings before decisions are
made that may significantly affect their common assets, govemance
covenant, community ethos, and cultural identity; and
3) the right to recourse, for themselves or as surrogates for future genera-
tions, from competent internal decision -making institutions or processes
for redress of violations of their rights to ecological information and
participation.
4. Human rights (applicable to both present and future generations) and nature's
rights (applicable to all species present and future) are likewise essential to
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Universal Covenant affirming a human right to commons- and tights -based governance 221
the success of commons- and rights -based ecological governance, including the
human right to commons- and rights -based ecological governance recognized in
this Universal Covenant.
a. To this end, commons- and rights -based ecological governance shall embody
the values of human dignity as expressed in the 1948 Universal Declaration of
Human Rights" and such human rights treaties evolved from it that have been
designated "core international human lights instruments" by the Office of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights."
b. To the same end, commons- and rights -based ecological governance shall
embody the values expressed in the Universal Declaration of the Rights of
Mother Earth adopted by the World People's Conference on Climate Change
and the Rights of Mother Earth in 2008 and submitted by the Plurinational
State of Bolivia to the United Nations for consideration in 2010.23
c. If and when the application of human lights and nature's rights differ or con-
flict, such disagreement shall be resolved in a way that best promotes the
integrity, balance, and health of Earth for the benefit of present and future
generations and other beings.
5. Commons- and rights -based ecological governance shall be based on the prin-
ciple of local control and subsidiarity to the maximum extent feasible. Green
governance by default should aspire to the lowest level of policy- and decision -
making possible, with conscientious and generous support from institutions of
greater scale and authority.
6. To protect common assets, commons- and rights -based ecological governance
systems shall conscientiously adhere to a precautionary approach when threats
of damage to ecological resources are serious or potentially irreversible. Lack of
full scientific certainty shall not be used as justification for postponing cost-
effective measures to prevent environmental degradation.
7. Commoners shall have collective control over the surplus value they create
through the collective management of their shared wealth and resources.
To this end, commons- and rights -based ecological governance shall not be
cash -driven or market -mediated except with the explicit consent of commoners
and clear rules for personal use and resource alienability. The freedom of corn-
moners to limit or ban the monetization of their shared assets shall not be
compromised.
8. Property rights granted by commons- and rights -based governance systems for
use of natural wealth and resources to individuals or groups (public, private, or
commons -based) are not absolute; they must conform to the principles and prac-
tices of commons- and rights -based ecological governance as recognized and
reaffirmed in this Universal Covenant.
9. Conflicts and disputes within commons- and rights -based ecological govern-
ance systems shall be settled through self -organized dispute resolution systems
to the maximum extent feasible, using techniques and procedures that favor
dialogue, mutual respect, and restorative outcomes among the disagreeing
parties.
21. Supra note 1.
22. See Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) at
http://www2.ohchr.orglenglish/law/l*ndex.htm#core (accessed July 5, 2012).
23. Supra note 17.
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222 Journal of Human Rights and the Environment, Vol. 4 No. 2
ARTICLE IIL PRINCIPLES AND POLICIES To GUIDE STATE SUPPORT OF COMMONS -
AND RlrHTs-BAsED EcoLoOicAL GOVERNANCE
1. Earth belongs to everyone, and its services and infrastructure are necessary for
the well-being and survival of all humans and other species. The State shall
therefore facilitate and safeguard commons- and rights -based governance of
Earth's wealth and resources as part of its mission to protect, conserve, and
restore (where necessary) the integrity, health, and sustainability of the vital
ecological balances, cycles, and processes that nourish communities and
enhance all life on Earth. In these critical respects, the State shall strive to
work as a generous partner, not a selfish overlord, of green governance systems.
2. In furtherance of foregoing Article M(l), the State and its agents at all levels
shall:
a. recognize and promote the full implementation and enforcement of the prin-
ciples, rights, and obligations proclaimed or reaffirmed in this Universal
Covenant, including the human right to commons- and right -based ecologi-
cal governance recognized herein;
b. without financial burden, assist commoners in fulfilling their rights to cur-
rent, timely, and clear ecological information, including but not limited to:
1) the compilation, maintenance, and regular updating by all public authori-
ties of environmental information relevant to their functions,
2) the assessment of the ecological impact of any activity that may signifi-
cantly impact the environment, especially large-scale common -pool
resources and prompt publication thereof on the Internet, with opportu-
nities for public dialogue, and
3) the facilitation of crowdsourcing of knowledge, information, and new initia-
tives to assist State activities designed to support the Commons Sector.
c. further and similarly assist the public by guaranteeing its rights to participa-
tion in ecological decision- and policy -making and to justice in environmen-
tal matters, ensuring, inter alia, that individuals exercising their rights,
including their rights to petition government, are not penalized, persecuted,
or otherwise harassed or disadvantaged for raising and expressing their
ecological concerns;
d. fully and actively support the right of all individuals and groups, sanctioned by
national and international law and reaffirmed in this Universal Covenant, to
protect, conserve, and restore (where necessary) their vital ecosystems via
commons governance in national, subnational, and transnational settings;
e. in exercise of its partnership with commons- and rights -based ecological gov-
emance, collaborate with established and new green governance systems in the
invention, recommendation, and initiation of new policy structures (normative,
institutional, and procedural) that could work effectively to manage large-scale
national, transboundary and global common -pool resources; and
f. cooperate fully with other States, appropriate intergovernmental organiza-
tions (including the United Nations and its system of organizations), and
civil society in respect of vital ecological matters largely beyond the limits
of the State's territorial jurisdiction, in particular in respect of large-scale
transboundary and global common -pool resources, and the invention, recom-
mendation, and initiation of effective new policy structures for the manage-
ment of them.
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Universal Covenant affirming a human right to commons- and rights -based governance 223
3. In keeping with foregoing Articles 1(4) and 111(l), when ecological or economic
conditions require, the state may:
a. serve as a trustee of common -pool resources belonging to commoners if the
commoners so authorize or if protection of a given resource so requires it;
and
b. charter or otherwise authorize responsible parties to manage common -pool
resources as ecological commons when such stewardship can be shown to
serve the public interest;
c. provided, however, that in each of the foregoing instances the State., its agents,
and its surrogates shall create transparent and accountable ecological manage-
ment systems under State law that are compatible with commons- and rights -
based ecological governance principles, rights, and duties, and that beneficiary
interests are well served with effective accountability systems. Commoners'
rights shall not be alienated or diminished except for the purpose of protecting
the commoners' shared resources for future generations.
4. The State has an affirmative duty to prevent enclosures of ecological commons
and common -pool resources. To this end, it shall formally recognize such com-
mons and resources by State law to the maximum possible.
5. The State has an affirmative duty also to ensure that private property owners —
individuals and commercial interests alike —shall exercise maximum caution
not to externalize environmental risks, damage, or costs onto the environment
in general or ecological commons in particular, or otherwise act in ways that
are incompatible with the principles, rights, and duties of commons- and
rights -based ecological governance. To this end, the St�te shall, among other
environmentally protective policies, conscientiously adhere to:
a. a precautionary approach to prevent human activities from causing species
extinction, the destruction of ecosystems, or the disruption of ecological cycles
onto ecological commons in particular and the wider environment in general —
the lack of full scientific certainty never to be used as justification for postpon-
ing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation, especially
when such degradation is serious or potentially irreversible; and
b. the principle that the polluter, not the general public or the commoner, remedies
any harm that may occur despite best efforts-4he remedy, however, shall not
be considered the equivalent of the ecological loss if it be in the form of financial
compensation exclusively and therefore shall not be considered exhaustive of
remedial responsibility, which shall include, but not be limited to, restoration
of the integrity and health of the damaged resource to the maximum extent pos-
sible; ecosystems and their elements are not fungible.
6. 'ne State has an affirmative duty to eliminate nuclear, chemical, and biological
weapons, all of which are antithetical to a clean and healthy environment,
including common -pool ecological resources (managed or unmanaged).
ARTICLE IV. DuTiEs OF MARKET ACTORS TOWARDS COMMONS- AND RIGHTS -BASED
ECOLOGICAL GOVERNANCE
1. Market actors, comprised of both natural and juridical persons, shall honor and
respect the existence and expansion of commons- and rights -based ecological gov-
emance and, to the extent possible, support the human right to commons- and
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224 Journal of Human Rights and the Environment, Vol. 4 No. 2
rights -based ecological governance recognized in this Universal Covenant. To this
end, they shall:
a. act in accordance with the principles, rights, and duties recognized in this
Universal Covenant, including the full realization of the human right to comt.
mons- and right -based ecological governance recognized in this Universal
Covenant;
b. recognize and promote the full implementation of the aforementioned prin-
ciples, rights, and duties to the maximum of their capabilities;
c. cooperate My with State officials in their efforts to facilitate Commons- and
rights -based ecological governance systems, in particular by providing, when
requested, clear, current, transparent and timely environmental information to
State and Commons officials alike; facilitating active commoner participation
in ecological governance; and helping to ensure commoner access to justice in
environmental matters, when needed.
2. Market actors shall conscientiously establish and apply effective noting to protect,
conserve, and restore (where necessary) the natural resources with which they
become involved, including the shared resources of ecological Commons. In this
regard, they shall assess fully and transparently any proposed activity of their
own that might impact adversely the environment in general and common -pool
ecological resources in particular. If ecological harm results nonetheless, the mar-
ket actor, not the general public or commoners, shall remedy the harm. The
remedy, however, shall not be considered the equivalent of the ecological loss if
it be in the form of financial compensation exclusively, and therefore shall not
be considered exhaustive of the market actor's responsibility, which shall include,
but not be limited to, restoration of the integrity and health of the damaged resource
to the maximum extent possible; ecosystems and their elements are not fungible.
3. Market actors shall cooperate fully with ecological Commons systems, State offi-
cials, intergovernmental organizations, and civil society in the management of
vital ecological resources, both within and beyond the limits of their domiciles
(in the case of natural persons) or executive and operational headquarters (in
the case of juridical persons), in particular in respect of large-scale transboundary
and global common -pool resources. Market actors shall be invited to help invent,
recommend, and initiate effective new policy structures for Market activity that
are consistent with Commons- and rights -based ecological management.
4. At no time shall private actors seek to undermine or otherwise compromise
Commons- and rights -based ecological governance systems. They shall undertake,
instead, to partner with green governance systems, not to compete with or under-
mine them, in the preservation, conservation, and, where necessary, restoration of
vital ecological resources, including vital common -pool ecological resources.
5. Market actors shall at all times cooperate with the State in fulfillment of its affir-
mative duty to eliminate nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, as well as
other toxic substances antithetical to a clean and healthy environment, including
common -pool resources whether managed or unmanaged.
ARTICLE V. (DuTlEs OF UNrrFD NATIONS AND OTHER bn7ERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS)
1. The United Nations and its system Of organizations shall Contribute to the extent
of their capacities to the creation, support, and proliferation of Commons- and
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Universal Covenant affirming a human right to commons- and rights -based governance 225
rights -based ecological governance through the mobilization of financial coop-
eration, technical assistance, and other methods and means of promoting such
governance.
a. To this end, the Member States of the United Nations and the intergovernmen-
tal organizations that have agreed to achieve eight Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs)24 by 2015, including "ensuring environmental sustainability,"
shall strive both before and, if possible, after 2015, to make the creation,
support, and proliferation of commons- and rights -based ecological
governance an integral part of the MDG policy frame.
b. The United Nations and its system of organizations shall contribute also to
the full realization of the human right to commons- and rights -based ecolo-
gical governance recognized and defined in this Universal Covenant. In this
regard,
1) the General Assembly shall formally recognize this right to green govem-
ance, and, in accordance with Article 22 of the Charter of the United
Nations, shall establish and actively support a subsidiary organ empow-
ered to refer cases to the International Court of Justice for compulsory
advisory opinions on all matters pertinent to said right; and
2) the United Nations shall use its good offices to establish a permanent Eco-
logical Governance Oversight Panel (or equivalent) charged with respon-
sibility to help safeguard the human right to commons- and rights -based
ecological governance for present and future generations. The Panel shall
have legal standing before the Human Rights Council and all other rele-
vant United Nations bodies, both treaty and non -treaty, on all matters per-
tinent to this right.
2. All other appropriate intergovernmental organizations —including but not lim-
ited to such global institutions as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the
World Bank, and the World Trade Organization (WTO); and such regional sys-
tems as the African Union (AU), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN), the European Union (EU), and the Organization of American States
(OAS) —shall
a. at all times cooperate with the United Nations and its system of organizations
in their efforts to promote and protect both commons- and rights -based eco-
logical governance and the full realization of the universal right of all natural
persons to it as set forth in this Universal Covenant; and
b. to the extent of their financial, technical, and other capacities take initiatives
of their own to promote and protect both green governance and the full rea-
lization of the universal right of all natural persons to it as set forth in this
Universal Covenant.
24. Millennium Development Goals, http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals (accessed July 8,
2012).
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Correspondence
Minutes
APPROVED (Revised)
Human Rights Commission
October 15, 2013 — 6 P.M.
Helling Conference Room
Members Present: Harry Olmstead, Orville Townsend Sr., Paul Retish, Kim Hanrahan,
Jewell Amos, Joe Coulter, Shams Ghoneim, Andrea Cohen.
Members Absent: Diane Finnerty.
Staff Present: Stefanie Bowers.
Recommendations to Council: No
Call to Order:
Chair Townsend called the meeting to order at 18:02.
Consideration of the Minutes of the September 17,2013:
Coulter moved, seconded by Olmstead. 7-0. (Cohen not present)
Public Comment of Items Not on the Aeenda: No.
Meeting Business
One Community One Book
The book selected this year is The Boy Who Harnesses the Wind by William Kamkwamba.
Commissioners discussed contributing to the event. Motion by Olmstead to contribute $350, seconded by
Ghoncim. 8-0.
Human Rights Breakfast
Olmstead provided an update on the Breakfast plans to date and last minute items that need to be
completed. The library will be providing space to the Commission to display the flyers. The Commission
has over 250 pictures of individuals participating in the I Have a Dream Campaign.
A. Mori Costantino and Jean Lloyd -Jones will be recognized and given Lifetime Achievement Awards.
Motion Olmstead, seconded Amos. 8-0.
Proclamations
The Commission will submit proclamations to the Mayor for National Disability Employment Awareness
Month and National Native American Heritage Month. Olmstead and Coulter will accept.
Motion Cohen, seconded Coulter. 8-0.
UDdates & Renorts:
Cultural Diversity Day
This event was located in a new location this year. Commissioners discussed assisting the University in
making the event better known to all in the community.
Conference on Racial Justice & Disproportionate Minority Incarceration
Ghoneim reported on the status of the Conference scheduled for the 17 1h. Commissioners suggested
asking Mike Quinlan to present at a future conference. It was also mentioned to have a discussion
regarding the high rate of individuals with disabilities in the criminal justice system.
Education Subcommittee
Retish discussed the recent role the Office of Civil Rights has in taken in terms of the Iowa City
Community School District. Retish agreed to join this subcommittee. Townsend withdrew to avoid
having a quorum serving. Motion Coulter, seconded Townsend. 8-0.
Immigrant Subcommittee
No report.
Building Communities
Townsend provided an update on a meeting held with Steve Rackis that discussed The Housing Choice
Program including the process to the applicant and reasons why an applicant may be denied or removed
from the program. Townsend also indicated the future direction of the committee will be to focus on
housing.
University of Iowa Center for Human Rights
The Advisory Board meeting will be held at a future date.
Building Blocks, Resume Training
Retish provided a history of the Building Blocks Job Fair. This fall instead of holding ajob fair a resume
writing and onlinejob application training will be held at the library with several local agencies assisting
The library is a co-sponsor of the training along with several other area service providers.
Commission
Amos noted her participation in Cultural Diversity Day and the need to get the word out about the event
to those not associated with the University. The steady decrease in attendance at the event was discussed
earlier in the meeting and Coulter planned to get demographics from the University to help make a plan
for increasing attendance. Ghoneim reported on several recent news articles about human rights and
related events and programs. Olmstead reported on an upcoming event honoring Bums Weston on
11 /07/13 that will be open to the public.
Staff
Bowers spoke on the status of recent amendments to the ordinance and also that Olmstead will be
recognized at The ARC of Southeast Iowa Awards Ceremony.
Adjournment:
Motion Olmstead, seconded Townsend. 8-0.
Adjournment: 19:50
Next Regular Meeting —November 19,2013
Human Rights Commission
ATTENDANCE RECORD
YEAR 2012/2013
tMeetinp Datel
NAME
TERM
EXP.
11/20/
12
12/18/
12
1/15/
13
1/28
113
2/19/
13
3/19/
13
4/16
113
5/21
/13
6/18/
13
7/16/
13
8/20/
13
9/17/
13
101151
13
Diane
Finnerty
1/14/14
X
X
O/E
X
X
X
O/E
X
X
X
X
X
O/E
Orville
Townsend, Sr.
1/1/14
X
X
X
X
X
x
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Paul Retish
l/l/14
X
Dan Tallon
1/1/14
OIE
X
X
X
X
O/E
X
X
X
O/E
R
R
R
Kim
Hanrahan
I/l/15
X
X
X
X
X
X
O/E
X
X
X
X
X
X
Shams
Ghoneim
111115
X
X
O/E
O/E
X
X
X
O/E
X
O/E
X
X
X
Jessie Harper
111115
O/E
X
X
X
X
X
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
Jewell Amos
111115
-
X
X
X
X
Katie
Anthony
1/1/16
-
X
X
X
X
X
R
R
R
R
R
R
Joe D. Coulter
I/l/16
-
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
O/E
X
X
Harry
Olmstead
I/l/16
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Andrea Cohen
I/l/16
O/E
X
X
Connie Goeb
l/l/13
X
X
Howard
Cowen
1/1113
O/E
O/E
David B.
Brown
1/1/14
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
IR
Henri Harper
1/1/14
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
I
----
KEY: X = Present
0 = Absent
O/E = Absent/Excused
NM = No meeting
-- = No longer a member
R = Resignation
I k 1 -1
CITY OF IOWA CITY r"7r
IP3
MEMORANDUM
Date: November 12, 2013
To: Tom Markus, City Manager
From: Geoff Fruin, Assistant to the City Manager
Re: Secure Storage Services
Introduction:
Earlier this year, the City Council expressed a desire to have staff investigate possible ways to
offer secure storage services to individuals and families that do not have adequate permanent
housing. The envisioned service will allow for the safe and secure storage of personal items
until the individuals being served can locate permanent housing or some other acceptable
storage option. Currently, the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center offers limited storage options for
residents. However, lockers are sized for daily use and access is limited to the operating hours
of the facility. Twenty-four hour storage service does not exist at other public facilities and any
private options are presumably not affordable to those struggling to find permanent housing in
the community.
Discussion of Solutions:
There are two manners in which the City can facilitate this type of secure storage service. First,
the City can initiate the service and take on the day-to-day management and oversight. This will
require the city to invest in the locker facilities and develop a management plan to prioritize
users in manner that targets the intended population, ensures the safe operation of the service,
and provides staff resources to grant access and generally meet the needs of the residents
utilizing the service. The Robert A. Lee Recreation Center is the top candidate location and
given the limited operating hours of the facility, the service will probably need to be located
outside of the building in a safe and accessible location. Given the outdoor nature of the service
the City may need to invest in weather protection amenities, security cameras and/or fencing as
a protection to the users and their belongings.
A second option for the City is to seek an external partner that would host and manage the
service. In this case, the City would look to help remove barriers, such as funding, from a private
or non-profit entity that would offer the service. Under this scenario, the private provider may be
in a position to offer enhanced accommodations and complementary services to the users that
the City cannot provide.
Recommendation:
Staff recommends that the City issue the attached Request for Information in order to see if
there are private or non-profit organizations that may be interested in partnering with the City on
a secure storage service. We believe that such a partnership could yield added value through
the provision or connection to other complementary services. If no acceptable responses are
received and there is still an interest in providing a secure storage service, then staff can
explore the city -managed concept in further detail.
CITY OF IOWA CITY
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
Issued: November X)( 2013
Secure Storage Service
Responses Due January XX, 2014
The City of Iowa City is seeking information from businesses, social service agencies, religious institutions and
other organizations that are potentially interested in providing secure storage services to individuals and
families needing to store personal belongings due to the lack of permanent housing. The City aims to partner
with a private service provider that will manage the daily operations of the storage service. The City envisions
its role as one in which it facilitates the offering of the service through initial financial or other yet to be
determined method of assistance.
Interested organizations shall provide a written statement of interest to the City of Iowa City no later than
XXXX at 4:00 p.m. Responses must be delivered to the City Clerk's Office and should contain the following
address on the envelope:
City of Iowa City
City Clerk's office
Attn: Secure Storage Service RFI
410 E Washington
Iowa City, Iowa 52245
The written statement of interest shall contain, at a minimum, the following information:
1. Name and description of the organization(s) and key personnel associated with the project
2. A brief statement of the service envisioned, including descriptions of related human services that may
be offered in conjunction with the storage service
3. The anticipated geographic location(s) of the storage service
4. A brief description of the management and implementation plan
5. The anticipated assistance that would be needed from the City or other governmental agencies
6. Any other information that the responding organization(s) deems pertinent
Upon receipt of the written responses, the City of Iowa City may choose to follow-up with one or more of the
responding organizations. Such follow-up may include in -person meetings, requests for more information,
requests to negotiate a service agreement, or any other steps that the City deems appropriate,
Questions regarding this Request for Information should be directed to Geoff Fruin, Assistant to the City
Manager, at (319) 333-4823 or geoff-fruin(@iowa-citV.org.
City of Iowa City
City Clerk's Office
Date: November 13,2013
To: Stefanie Bowers
From: Wendy Mayer 356-5042
At last night's City Council meeting Ali Ahmed was appointed to the Human Rights Commission. A
copy of the application and the letter that was sent is attached.
If you have questions or concerns feel free to call.
Thanks for your help.
City of Iowa City
City Clerk's Office
Date: November 13,2013
To: Stefanie Bowers
From: Wendy Mayer 356-5042
At last night's City Council meeting Orville H Townsend, Sr. was appointed to the Human Rights
Commission. A copy of the application and the letter that was sent is attached.
If you have questions or concerns feel free to call.
Thanks for your help.
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November 20, 2013
Survey shows residents satisfied with city
By Adam B Sullivan
Iowa City Press -Citizen
The vast majority of Iowa City residents are pleased with local government services, according to a
survey commissioned by the city.
Ninety-three percent of Iowa City respondents in the National Citizen Survey said the town is an
"excellent" or "good" place to live, and almost as many would recommend living in Iowa City to
someone who asks. However, some city leaders are questioning the rosy numbers.
The respondents were about 500 randomly selected city utility customers who completed mail -in
surveys. The local responses were part of a national series of similar surveys elsewhere,
administered by the National Research Center. The city paid about $12,000 for the survey, which will
be used in the strategic planning process.
- Housing: Only about one-third of survey respondents said the city had "good" or "excellent"
availability to affordable housing. Still, the vast majority of respondents, 81 percent, pay less than 30
percent of their income toward housing expenses.
- Public safety: Most residents say they feel safe in Iowa City, except for downtown after dark, where
only 41 percent of respondents say they feel "very safe" or "somewhat safe." Ten percent of
respondents said they or a household member had been a victim of a crime over the past year.
- Economic development: A tiny minority of respondents, 3 percent, said rundown buildings and
overgrown lots are a major problem, while a small majority said they like new development in town.
Most respondents say job growth has been too slow, but more people feel positive about their
economic prospects, 25 percent, than feel negative, 18 percent.
- Civic engagement: 94 percent of of respondents said they're registered to vote and almost as many
said they voted in the last general election. That's much higher than national comparison
benchmarks, but it's probably not quite right: Data from the Johnson County Auditor's Office and the
U.S. Census Bureau show only about 85 percent of Iowa City adults are registered to vote here.
County -wide turnout in the last general election was 83 percent.
Compared with about 500 other jurisdictions that commissioned similar surveys, residents in Iowa
City tend to like their city government services better. Iowa City responses were above comparison
benchmarks in 22 areas, similar to comparison benchmarks in nine areas, and below comparison
benchmarks in four areas.
However, members of the Iowa City Human Rights Commission cast doubt on the survey results
during their meeting Tuesday night.
Commission member Joe Coulter pointed out minorities are underrepresented among the
respondents. While 83 percent of Iowa City residents are white, they were 95 percent of those who
responded to the survey.
"it is clearly of highly questionable validity, and it is not inclusive of the constituency and the residents
http://�ww.press-citizen.comlprintlarticlel2Ol3ll2OlNEWS011311200015ISurvey-shows... 11/20/2013
www.press-eitizen.com I Printer -friendly article page Page 2 of 2
of Iowa City," Coulter said.
Other members of the commission agreed, saying many pressing issues facing the city such as
paratransit didn't show up in the survey results.
"it was a very nice economic development piece that the city has put together, but I don't know if it's
realistic in our community," Harry Olmstead said.
http://www.press-eitizen.conilprintlarticlel2Ol3ll2ONEWS011311200015ISurvey-shows... 11/20/2013
Stefanie Bowers
From: Finnerty, Diane L <diane-finnerty@uiowa.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, November 20, 2013 1:52 PM
To: Stefanie Bowers
Subject: HRC's Municipal Equality Index (MEI) regarding LGBT issues
Stefanie, would you please forward this to Commissioners and anyone else whom you think might be interested in the
City. This might be of use for the City Council's Strategic Planning process, too.
- begin text -
The following is a link to the 2013 Human Rights Campaign's Municipal Equality Index (MEI), which gauges a City's
support for LGBT people "who live and work there": http://www.hrc.org/resources/`entry/mei-2013-see-your-citys-
score. It shows municipalities' scores out of 100 possible points. Four cities in Iowa were scored:
• Iowa City: 90 points
• Davenport: 90 points
• Des Moines: 88 points
• Cedar Rapids: 63 points
I appreciate the use of a measurable metrics to gauge a municipality's efforts toward inclusion.
With best regards,
Diane
High Scores For City Of Iowa City On Lgbt Report
Page I of I
lCgovongHom )>News
High Scores For City Of Iowa City On Lgbt Report
Posted on Wednesday, November 20, 2013 at
4:35 PM
The City of Iowa City recently scored 90 out of 100 points on the Human
Rights Campaign Municipal Equality Index (MEI), which examines and rates
the laws, policies, and services of municipalities on the basis of their
inclusivity of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) citizens. Iowa
City was one of 291 Cities nationwide, representing a total population of
almost 78 million people, that was rated this year. The full report is available
at www.hrc.orq/files/assets/resources/MEI 2013 report.pd .
Founded in 1980, the Human Rights Campaign is the largest civil rights
organization advocating for equality for LGBT Americans, with more than 1.5
million members and supporters nationwide. For more information, visit
www.hrc.org.
A-Z Index
Residents
Business
Government
Visitors
IA 52240 Phone (319)356-5000
Citizen Service Center
Transit Routes
News
E-Subscriptions
Jobs
Calendar
Store
Contact Information
Name: Stefanie Bowers
Email: Send Mail
Phone: (319) 356-5022
Contact information
Web Policies
City Employee Resources
Copyright@ 2006-2012 City of
Iowa City
410 E Washington St., Iowa City,
http://www.icgov.org/apps/news/?newslD=9235 11/20/2013
Iowa City gets high scores on LGBT report � Iowa City Press Citizen I press-citizen.com Page I of I
Iowa City gets high scores on LGBT report
Written by Iowa City Press -Citizen
Nov. 20, 2013 1 press-citizen.com
The City of Iowa City recently scored 90 out of 100 points on the Human Rights Campaign
Municipal Equality Index, the city announced in a news release Wednesday.
The index examines and rates the laws, policies, and services of municipalities on the basis
of their inclusivity of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens. Iowa City was one of
291 cities nationwide, representing a total population of almost 78 million people, that was
rated this year.
Read the full report.
http://www.press-citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID-2013131120015 11/21/2013
November 21, 2013
Melanie Baker, General Manager
Sheraton Iowa City Hotel
210 S. Dubuque Street
Iowa City, Iowa 52240
Dear Ms. Baker,
We are writing to express our concern regarding a labor situation at your hotel that we have become
aware of through the Center for Worker Justice. We understand that the Sheraton Iowa City Hotel
withheld earnings from six of its former employees. We also understand that the situation has been
resolved in three of those cases, which we applaud, but that three of the former employees remain
unpaid to date.
As you may know, the Iowa City Human Rights Commission has held our annual Human Rights Awards
Breakfast at your venue for several years. We became aware of this current situation of the unpaid
former employees just a few days before our most recent event in October. As you can understand, this
put the Commission in a very awkward situation, given that two of this year's human rights award
recipients have been very actively involved in advocating for these workers. One of our Commissioners
called your management on the eve of the breakfast to alert you to this concern and ask you to resolve
the situation; her call has not been returned to date. Also, as you know, many of the people in
attendance at the Human Rights Breakfast submitted letters expressing their concerns to your hotel
thereafter.
The Iowa City Human Rights Commission asks that you resolve the matter of the yet unpaid former
employees. It is not within the purview of our Commission to conduct investigations and make findings
regarding discrimination cases — that is the role of the City's Human Rights Coordinator. We do have the
responsibility, though, to build connections with local organizations that share our mission of advocating
for human rights, and listen to their concerns seriously.
We are writing as the Human Rights Commission to encourage you to resolve this recent situation
immediately. We also write as regular customers of your hotel to inform you that how this matter is
resolved will be considered as we choose the venue for the 2014 Human Rights Awards Breakfast.
Lastly, we understand that the amounts of compensation these former employees are due is quite
miniscule as compared to the hotel's overall operational budget. Resolving the situation would restore
the Sheraton's reputation as a reputable employer in our community. We encourage you to do the right
thing and put this matter behind you.
With best regards,
Orville Townsend, Chair
On behalf of the IC Human Rights Commission
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i(t I fi,!Lj"Bv� t
&MEMOEUrm
November 22, 2013
Adding more diversity to city's Human Rights Commission
I learned last week that the Iowa City Council voted against my reappointment to the city's Human
Rights Commission. I have served on the commission for one term and typically one -term
commissioners' reappointments are automatically approved. So I was surprised and disappointed to
learn that the council had bucked tradition and denied the reappointment of a one -term
commissioner.
But the good news and, truthfully, the more important news, is that a leader from the Iowa City
Sudanese community, Ali Ahmed, was appointed in my place. I believe Ahmed's appointment
represents the first time a member of the Sudanese community has served on the Human Rights
Commission and it is an undeniable victory to be celebrated.
I work with several local groups that advocate for increased representation of people of color and
immigrants on our local boards, commissions and elected bodies. I serve on the board of the Center
for Worker Justice, which works to strengthen the leadership of immigrants and low -wage workers; I
was honored to work on Kingsley Botchway's successful council campaign; and I am a member of the
Coalition for Racial Justice, which released a Racial Equity Report that called for the diversification of
our public boards, commissions, workforces, and elected bodies.
Because of that work, many friends have asked me if the council departed from its "business as
usual" due to something I had don, implying that it was some kind of retribution for my being too
outspoken. I don't believe it was any type of retribution, but I do hope that my previous advocacy had
something to do with its decision.
The recent appointments of Ahmad to the Human Rights Commission and Mazahir Salih to the
Citizens Police Review Board, both respected leaders in the local Sudanese and immigrant
communities, represent exactly the kind of change this community urgently needs and that so many
of us are fighting for. Had I been a member of the council last week, I would have voted in the same
way.
So, thanks to the council for its departure from "business as usual" and may it resolve to diversify the
city's structures continue as it goes into its strategic planning process next week. There are
opportunities aplenty for all of us to make way for new and diverse leadership.
I am grateful for my time on the commission and for this most recent opportunity to "walk my talk" and
pass the baton on to the future of the community.
Diane Finnerty
Iowa City
http://www.press-citizen.comlprintlarticlel2Ol3ll2210PINION05131122004OIAdding-m... 11/25/2013
Stefanie Bowers
From:
City of Iowa City <web@iowa-cty.org>
Sent:
Monday, November 25, 2013 3:39 PM
To:
Stefanie Bowers
Subject:
Human Rights Commission's "I Have a Dream for Iowa City" slide show now available for
viewing
Title: Human Rights Commission's " I Have a Dream for Iowa City" slide show now
available for viewing Release Date & Time: Monday, November 25, 2013 3:38:56 PM Issued By:
Communications Office Mailing List(s): Classes, Programs & Events; General City News Contact
Person : Stefanie Bowers Contact Number: (319) 356-5022 Contact Email : stefanie-bowers(a)iowa-
city.org
If you had a chance to submit a wish for a change in Iowa City over the next 50 years, what would
your wish be? More than 200 people put their dreams to paper in the "I Have a Dream for Iowa City"
project that marked the 50th anniversaries this year of the Iowa City Human Rights Commission
(ICHRC) and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic march on Washington. As part of the Iowa City
project, people were asked to share their hopes on an "I Have a Dream for Iowa City" poster, take a
photo of their message, and upload it to the Iowa City Human Rights 50th Anniversary Facebook
page.
The compilation of photos outlining people's dreams for human rights and social justice resulted in a
community slide show which debuted at the Iowa City Human Rights Breakfast in October. The 20-
minute program is now available for viewing on the City's Human Rights web page at
www.icqov.org/humanrights or on the City's Cable page at hftp://ec4.cc/kc3389fb.
People from all walks of life participated in the project, with their dreams covering a variety of topics
ranging from affordable housing and accessibility to quality education, healthy and safe
environments, and general acceptance of diversity and each other. The slide show also offered a
historic overview of the work of the Iowa City Human Rights Commission and its goals for the next 50
years.
The Iowa City Human Rights Commission, originally called the "Human Relations Commission," was
established in 1963 just days after Dr. King delivered the renowned, "I Have a Dream" speech in
Washington. Through the years the commission has worked to end discriminatory practices related to
race, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, national origin, ethnicity, social class, and
religion.
For more information, contact Stefanie Bowers, City of Iowa City Human Rights Coordinator, at
319/356-5022 or e-mail stefanie-bowers(a)iowa-city.org.
View this article on the ICGov Web Site: hftp://www.icqov.orq/apps/news/?newsID=9246
To unsubscribe or edit your subscription details use this link:
I
hftp://www.iowa-
city.org/icqov/apps/subscribe/edit/?sublD=l 0728&confCode=CRZKVPKZAL9620129925
To learn about current employment opportunities with the City of Iowa City use this link:
http://wv,tw.icqov.org/default/apps/GEN/jobs.asp
To view more news from the City of Iowa City use this link:
http://www.icqov.org/defaulVai)ps/GEN/news.asp
---------------------------------------
Do not reply directly to this e-mail. It is produced from an automated system, and is not monitored for
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E]et
F)
I _�. ea(
ulok
Only 52.5% of children are read to daily in Iowa.
And early reading matters.
-Many children from lower income households may
hear up to 30 million fewer words by age 4 than
children from vocabulary rich households.
-This word disadvantage impacts school readiness
and can lead to reading delays.
Let's work together to fix this!
Donate a book (for a child age 0-5) during our December Book Drive. Give old
stories new life. Share those treasured stories that meant so much to you as a child
or your own children. Make a difference in the life of a child in your community.
Dates: December 2-20 (community); December 2-13 (campus).
Get Ready Iowa is a school -readiness initiative between the DeLTA Center at the University of Iowa and
community partners that serve families with children birth — 5 years.
For more information, see
www.getreadyiowa.org
�)(Dli](!ItD[D &GO
Elementary Schools in the Iowa City School District
Iowa Children's Museum
4Cs (Community Coordinated Child Care)
Little Angels Learning Center
Johnson County Social Services, 2nd Floor
Children's Center for Therapy
Wendell Johnson Speech & Hearing Clinic
Spence Labs of Psychology Labs
Lindquist Center (College of Education)
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0 41,
December 4, 2013
FasTrac funding comes through
Iowa City Council approves $15,000 for program
By Adam B Sullivan
Iowa City Press -Citizen
A local program aimed at supporting black youth will likely stay afloat after its financial future came
into question last month.
The Iowa City Council on Tuesday night approved $15,000 in stop -gap funding for the FasTrac
Cultural and Diversity Awareness Program. The project will now be housed under Cedar Rapids -
based nonprofit Diversity Focus after funding dried up at the Mayor's Youth Empowerment Program.
The funding from the city's contingency fund cleared the City Council unanimously.
"It's an important program providing an important service to our community," council member Jim
Throgmorton said.
FasTrac serves mostly black students, encouraging academic achievement and college readiness.
The program started at City High in 2007 and moved to the Mayor's Youth Empowerment Program in
2010. However, board members there decided this year to discontinue support for FasTrac because
of a lack of donations and grants.
Diversity Focus director Chad Simmons wrote in a letter to the city that the six -year -old program is "a
critical community asset."
"We want to do everything we can to make sure it not only continues with the legacy it has, but also
starts building things for the future to continue to make this one of the best places to live," Simmons
said at Tuesday night's meeting.
Diversity Focus also plans to approach the city again early next year to request more funding and
possibly permission to use facilities. Because the organization is based in Cedar Rapids and serves a
broad area, city leaders said it's an opportunity to expand collaboration beyond Iowa City's borders.
"Hopefully, this gives us an opportunity to do more coordinating between a lot of different agencies,
not just in Johnson County but throughout the Corridor," council member Susan Mims said.
http://www.press-citizen.comlprintlarticlel2Ol3l2O4NEWS011312040024IFasTrac-fundin... 12/4/2013
Meet Harry Olmstead I Iowa City Press Citizen I press-citizen.com
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News I Hawk Central
FEATURED: Local TV Times Movie times TV Channel Guide Mug shots DealChiaen
Meet Harry Olmstead
Dec. 4. 2013 1 OComments
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FILED UNDER Why you should know him: Harry Olmstead, 63, is an example of
an Iowa City resident working to better our community. He is a
GolowaCity, member of the Iowa City Human Rights Commission, Johnson
County Livable Community Policy Board, SEATS Paratransit
Advisory Committee and formerly the organizer of the now -defunct
Southeastern Iowa Amputee Support Group. This year, Olmstead
received The Arc of Southeast Iowa's Hero Award, and was the
recipient of the 2012 Iowa Rehabilitation Association Chuck Wood
Memorial Award. Olmstead grew up in Connecticut, where he
trained to be a photographer and was an
ADVERTISEMENT
active outcloorsman before he lost a leg after
a botched knee replacement. Now, he
dedicates his time to improving disability and human services in the
area.
I am drawn to human service because: I want to be able to give
back to society. I feel that it's everybody's responsibility to give
back, and for me, this is where I fit in well and do the most good.
ADVERTISEMENT
M.t P.,uhi, MtC..m..%d W. HiNolia.
Police! Iowa City woman used two
fake identities and fake bank accounts
to steal money
2
Activists protest hourly pay
3
Bloomfield will be tried for 1997
unsolved murder in Iowa City
4
Court overturns eastern Iowa man's
sex abuse convictions
5
Lincoln Cafe closing its doors after 13
years
Most Viewed
Pet of the week Eureka the "totally
chill caf go
Nov 29. 2013
http://www.press-citizen.com/article/20131205/GOIOWACITY/312050004/ 12/6/2013
Meet Harry Olmstead I Iowa City Press Citizen I press-citizen.com
Page 2 of 3
If I could change anything about Iowa City, it would be:
Attitudes toward others that are different or may be of different
minority, whether they be disabled, of a different socioeconomic
class, or are homeless.
The greatest thing I've accomplished during my work in Iowa
City was: The photographic presentation we used at the Human
Rights Award Breakfast. It went over very well, and that project was
very dear to my heart because it gave me the ability to use my
talents.
I am currently reading: Nelson Mandela's "Long Walk to
Freedom."
My favorite musician is: Paul Winter. He is a new age jazz tenor
saxophonist who combines his music with biologists' recordings of
the sounds of animals, like wolves, whales, dolphins.
The one thing I want to see in the world is: An end to
homelessness and hunger throughout the world, the senate pass
the LIN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and
see us get along well with each other, and reduce the amounts of
crime and violence we have in our society. In other words, I'd like to
live in a utopia.
— Aly Brown
"/few Comments (0) 1 Share your thoughts ))
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http://www.press-citizen.com/article/20131205/GOIOWACITY/312050004/ 12/6/2013
014- -14 ;1
qs
December 4, 2013 Sheraton
IC Human Rights Commission
Attn: Orville Townsend, Chair
410 East Jefferson Street
Iowa City, ]A 52240
Dear Mr. Townsend,
I am in receipt of your letter dated November 25th stating you seek clarification of personal confidential
employment matters regarding certain Team Members who have separated from the Sheraton Iowa
City Hotel (the "Hotel"). Davidson Hotels & Resorts ("Davidson") is a proud equal opportunity employer.
We treat all of our Team Members with dignity and respect. In order to ensure that all Team Members
are treated the same upon voluntary or involuntary termination of employment, Davidson has certain
policies in place for our Team Members. We provide each Team Member with a handbook at
orientation.
I will not speak of any one Team Member as their separation with us is a confidential, individual matter.
Certain Team Members have recently been provided with a detailed letter regarding their separation of
employment. Each letter clearly explains all of the details relating to that particular Team Member.
When the Commission was made aware of the concerns from the Team Members, I was disappointed
that instead of seeking me out personally to discuss the concerns, the Commission opted to provide
form letters to the attendees of the breakfast without providing the Hotel with any opportunity to
discuss the concerns. An awkward situation, as you describe, could have been explained without the
measures taken and misinformation disseminated to the community.
You sent a certified letter to my office which I received at 4:30 p.m. the day prior to the breakfast. The
phone call you indicated was at 8:30 p.m. and a discussion was not held with a Manager, it was held
with an hourly team member. She did relay the phone call to me via email yet it was too late to speak
with anyone from your office as you had already hosted your breakfast. I apologize for not returning
anyone's call as I was told the caller was simply "providing information".
I would like to provide some general information which I believe can assist you and your organization to
understand that our Hotel is a fair employer and one whom cares'for our Team Members and takes
pride in the career opportunities, community involvement and support in the Iowa City and surrounding
communities.
You have stated that we have withheld earnings from former Team Members. In accordance with Iowa
Law we have paid all wages earned for hours worked. I believe you are referring to paid time off
("PTO"). PTO is a benefit we offer, not an hourly wage, and is not paid to a Team Member unless
required by State law. Section 91.A2 of the Iowa Code requires payment of vacation,SWSO I§Wd C§WOTEL
)SO D b 6e Street
leave "which are due to an employee under an agreement with the employer or u poldwW 52240
employer." We have no such agreement with our Team Members. Further, our Te@Mt MembEr 4058
handbook states "The Company reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to 9045
7037
unused PTO upon termination under certain circumstances; provided, however, that if
prior to completing twelve (12) month of employment with the Company, (b) are terminated by the
�e Shy�bn i City is Indbi =nib by RBQ lb� Cii,
L-C a�d opi,ei by Diiadson HOW Cb�p�y undff a ii,,rsy
i by Tb� Shi,i LLC
Company for misconduct, as determined by the Company it is sole and absolute discretion or (c) ftfWatOn
provide at least two weeks advanced notice of your resignation, you will not be eligible for such
payment."
As General Manager, I am fair and equitable to all Team Members. I will not place myself in a position
of favoritism. By following the above policy consistently our Team Members are aware of the process
and are able to make personal choices during their employment consistent with the policy.
Job abandonment is one circumstance where we would not pay a Team Member accrued PTO. Our
Company defines any Team Member who no calls no shows for three (3) consecutive scheduled shifts as
voluntary job abandonment. Thus, a Team Member has chosen to depart our Company with no notice.
Team Members who abandon their jobs without notice abandon their fellow team members without
support and abandon the Hotel's customers and guests of our City without service. By abandoning the
job, the Team Member then also voluntarily abandons their PTO benefit.
Early in 2013, the Hotel was subpoenaed by the U.S. Federal Government, Department of Homeland
Security for an 1-9 verification audit. This is a standard audit for randomly selected business across the
U.S. We provided all records to Homeland Security (Federal Office in Cedar Rapids) per the subpoena.
The Audit took many months and the results of the audit were provided to the Hotel in the Fall of 2013.
The Audit asked for additional documentation from certain Team Members. We spoke with each
noted Team Member regarding the concern the Department of Homeland Security had with their
paperwork. Each Team Member was provided notification of documentation needed and the specific
instructions from the U.S. Federal Government. The Sheraton Iowa City is compliant with all U.S.
Federal Homeland Security mandates for employment and has paid legal and illegal immigrant wages for
hours worked. Again, I urge you to seek copies of the letters provided to each individual Team Member
for clarification of their separation and eligibility for payment of accrued PTO. I cannot go into further
details as they are confidential to that respective person.
Mr. Townsend, it is unfortunate that you feel the Sheraton may not be able to partner for the 2014
Human Rights Awards Breakfast. We do value being a part of advocating for fair, fun and enjoyable
employment. We also must be fair and consistent to everyone, past, present and future. I hope you will
reconsider your position. This is not a fiscal issue. We are an equal opportunity employer and as such
must maintain the integrity for every Team Member consistently and fairly.
As General Manager of the Sheraton Iowa City I hope you too will help make the public perception of
our Hotel a positive one. Our Hotel provides thousands of dollars in support to the University of Iowa,
City of Iowa City, local charities and fundraisers, social events, local farmers, Dance Marathon and
University of Iowa Hospital. We are strong partners in our community.
Please reach out to me if you wish to discuss further. As community members, we should be able to talk
about issues. I look forw��o our continued partnership.
HapYy Holida SHERATON IOWA CITY HOTEL
210 South Dubuque Street
Iowa City; IA 52240
t — 319 337 4058
I — 319 337 9045
sales fax — 319 337 7037
nie B ker, e eral Manager sheraton.corriliowacity
Shera ity
Th.shera,i c,t, . e," " C.,
U-Celd i b, H.e,1 Clh,11 uhi hush,
issued by The Shesten LLC.