HomeMy WebLinkAboutAugust 22 2023 HRC Agenda1
Human Rights Commission
August 22, 2023
Formal Meeting – 5:30 PM
Emma J. Harvat Hall, City Hall
Agenda:
1.Call the meeting to order and roll call
2.Reading of Native American Land Acknowledgement
3.Approval of the June 27, 2023, meeting minutes
4.Public comment on items not on the agenda. (Commentators shall address the Commission for
no more than 5 minutes. Commissioners shall not engage in discussion with the public or one
another concerning said items)
5.Correspondence
6.Sponsorship Request – Asian Pacific Islanders American Public Affair Iowa City Chapter
7.Updates on Outreach and Engagement by the Police Department
8.Follow up on a request to change the Native American Land Acknowledgement to the First
Nations Land Acknowledgement
9.Racial Equity & Social Justice Grant
•Final Reports for Fiscal Year 2023
Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa
MDC Iowa
IC Compassion
•Organizations & Commissioner list for Fiscal Year 2024
CommUnity & Al-Iman (Maliabo)
Center for Worker Justice (Kollasch)
Houses into Homes (Channon)
Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County (Ismail)
Great Plains Action Society (Pries, Jons, Paul Shantz)
Wright House of Fashion (Lusala)
Natural Talent Music (Pandya)
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•Volunteers for the Informational Sessions for FY 2025 via Zoom
Wednesday, November 8, 6 -7:15 p.m.
Wednesday, November 15, 12-1:15 p.m.
10.Collaboration with Recreation Department on Upcoming Programs
•Mental Health Celebration, October 14 (Maliabo, Pandya)
•Indigenous Peoples Day, October 9 (Paul Shantz, Jons)
•All Around the World, November 18 (Lusala, Jons, Maliabo)
11.Commission Committees
•Building Bridges (Maliabo, Paul Shantz, Pandya)
•Reciprocal Relationships (Lusala, Channon, Jons)
•Breaking Bread (Kollasch, Pries, Ismail)
12.Staff Announcements
13.Commissioner Announcements (Commissioners shall not engage in discussion with one another
concerning said announcements)
14.Adjournment
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all City of Iowa City-sponsored events. If you are a
person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in these
events, please contact the Office of Equity and Human Rights at 319-356-5022 or humanrights@iowa-
city.org.
Agenda Item #2
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Draft Minutes
Human Rights Commission
June 27, 2023
Emma J. Harvat Hall
Commissioners present: Bijou Maliabo, Jahnavi Pandya (via Zoom), Roger Lusala, Ahmed Ismail, Doug
Kollasch, Kelsey Paul Shantz, Sylvia Jons (via Zoom), Suyun Channon.
Commissioners absent: None.
Staff present: Stefanie Bowers, Veronica May.
Recommendation to City Council: No.
Meeting called to order: 5:35 PM.
Native American Land Acknowledgement: Kollasch read the Land Acknowledgement.
Public comment of items not on the agenda: None.
Approval of meeting minutes of May 23, 2023: Kollasch moved, and Paul Shantz seconded. Motion passed
7-0.
Outreach and Engagement Update from Police Department: May reported on the activities of the
department that included Coffee with a Cop, providing department tours, and a program that featured the
Mexican consulate for the state of Iowa. Upcoming events include Emergency Services Summer Camps, a
Coffee Connection with the South of 6 Business District, and a hydrant party with Parks and Recs. The
Department is also working on coordinating several community events for National Night Out.
Request to change the name of the Native American Land Acknowledgement to the First Nations Land
Acknowledgement: Pries asked for the commission to work with members of the Ad Hoc Truth and
Reconciliation Commission to change the name to First Nations, which Pries considers to be more
accessible whereas Indigenous, in his opinion, is more professional. One of the original authors suggested
changing the title to the actual tribes of this area and so it would be titled “The Ioway, Sac and Fox Land
Acknowledgement”. Paul Shantz and Jons will work with Great Plains Action Society on reviewing the land
acknowledgement and looking at actual restorative measures the Commission can take to make it not just
performative but action oriented.
Commission Committees:
Breaking Bread – No update.
Reciprocal Relationships –Channon looks forward to this committee working on Welcoming Week, which
will be held on September.
Agenda Item #3
2
Building Bridges – No update.
Statement on Sudan: Commissioners reviewed the statement and agreed that the Center for Worker
Justice for Eastern Iowa should be added to the list of area resources. Commissioners also will ask that the
City Council do a proclamation that discusses the current situation in Sudan. Ismail moved, and Channon
seconded. The motion passed 8-0 to release the statement.
2023 Immigrant Entrepreneurs Summit: Commissioners who wish to attend the Summit should let staff
know so that they can be registered. The Office is a sponsor of the event and invited Commissioners to
participate not just in the event but also as possible keynote speakers. Staff will follow up with organizers
to further discuss roles the Commission can play at the event.
Partnerships with Recreation Department:
a.Mental Health Celebration – October 14, RAL Social Hall (Maliabo, Pandya).
b.Indigenous Peoples Day – October 9, RAL Social Hall (Paul Shantz, Jons).
c.All Around the World – November 18, RAL Social Hall (Lusala, Maliabo, Jons).
Staff will send a response email to the Recreation Department and cc the Commissioners who wish to
participate in the planning of these events.
Social Justice Racial Equity Grants: Commissioners will reach out to each organization that received
funding to arrange a time for a site visit. Commissioners volunteered for the following agencies.
Al-Iman Center – Maliabo, CommUnity – Maliabo, Center for Worker Justice – Kollasch, Houses into
Homes – Channon, Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County – Ismail, Great Plains Action Society – Jons &
Paul Shantz, Wright House of Fashion – Lusala, Natural Talent Music – Pandya.
One Community One Book: The selection for this year is “The Farm” by Joanne Ramos. The University of
Iowa Center for Human Rights will host the author on Sunday, October 8 from 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm in room
C20 at the Pomerantz Center.
Announcements of commissioners: Lusala reported on the Juneteenth and Pride events that occurred
recently in the community. Channon has been working on planning the “Welcome Week” along with Jons -
both are excited about the upcoming events. Jons also mentioned that she is working on the ceremony for
the Goldberg Prize for Peace in the Middle East. Maliabo was in DC for three days for a United Nations
Convention, and while there she met with local elected officials in Congress. Paul Shantz spent the past
week in Columbia at a symposium “The Peace in Our Cities” that she helped to organize. It is a coalition of
22 cities and over 40 not-for-profits that are committed to reducing violence in cities by half by the year
2030. Paul Shantz also noted a book study on “Bleeding Out: The Devastating Consequences of Urban
Violence” written by Thomas Alt. The book collects insight on violence reduction strategies in cities across
the United States. Pandya will be working on a project that is modeled after the United Nations to train
volunteers to assist in documenting health care within a community, particularly mental health. It is
sponsored by the University of Iowa Department of Public Health and will be held in August. Kollasch
expressed gratitude for the great job Iowa City Pride always does for the annual Pride event.
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Announcements of staff: Staff reminded commissioners to submit their profiles so that they can be
featured in The Lens newsletter.
Adjourned: 6:51 PM.
The meeting can be viewed at https://citychannel4.com/video.html?series=Local%20Government.
Human Rights Commission
ATTENDANCE RECORD
YEAR 2023
(Meeting Date)
NAME
TERM
EXP.
1/24 2/28 3/28 4/25 5/23 6/27 7/25 8/22 9/26 10/24 11/28
Roger Lusala 2023 P P P P P P
Bijou Maliabo 2023 P P P P P P
Kelsey Paul Shantz 2023 P P A P P P
Jahnavi Pandya 2024 P P A P P P
Sylvia Jons 2024 P A P P P P
Doug Kollasch 2024 P P P P P P
Suyun Channon 2025 P P P P A P
Ahmed Ismail 2025 P P P P P P
Vacant 2025 - - - -
KEY: P = Present
A = Absent
Human Rights Sponsorship Request Form
Cover Letter (required reading)
The Iowa City Human Rights Commission is allocated $2000 annually to provide financial assistance to community events designed to eliminate
racial, religious, cultural, or other intergroup tensions, including but not limited to, sex, color, creed, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation,
marital status, age, or national origin.
Rules and Requirements for Sponsorship:
The organization must be physically located in Iowa City.
The program must take place in Iowa City.
The program must have a date and location.
The event date must be prior to the request for financial assistance.
Applicants cannot be governments, public schools, or colleges/universities.
Applicants request cannot exceed $250.00.
Request must include a budget.
Request must include other sponsors.
Request cannot be for reimbursement or honorariums to speakers or guests.
Request cannot be for rental deposits for the venue.
Request cannot be for fundraising purposes.
Requests will be denied if another city department/division has financially contributed funding or will be contributing funds for the
program.
Funding will not be disbursed without the submission of a W9.
If the request is approved for financial assistance an organization cannot request any further assistance in the same fiscal year.
Signature*
Sign here that you have read and understand the rules and requirements.
Date Time
2023-07-04 02:57:14 PM
Application
Organization
Name *
Asian Pacific Islanders American Public Affair Iowa City Chapter
Address*
Street Address
331 N. Gilbert St.
Address Line 2
City
Iowa City
State/Province/Region
Iowa
Postal/Zip Code
52245
Country
USA
Agenda #6
Contact person
Name *
Na Li
Preferred pronouns
Ms. Nina
Phone number *
3193317487
Email address *
naliiowa@gmail.com
Program details
Date of Program*
9/9/2023
Program Title *
World Culture Festival
Location name*
Mini Black Hawk Park
Location Address *
Street Address
20 S. Dubuque St.
Address Line 2
City
Iowa City
State/Province/Region
IA
Postal/Zip Code
52245
Country
USA
Describe how the program eliminates racial, religious, cultural, or other intergroup tensions, related, but not limited to: sex,
color, creed, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, age, or national origin.*
This is to welcome people of all races, religious groups, cultural groups, or other groups to come to present themselves and welcome
newcomers to UI and other schools or groups.
Is there a financial cost to participate in the project?*
Yes No
Describe how socioeconomic barriers to attendnce will be addressed.
Information tables will be free. Individual food vendors will get free booth.
Previous Next
Budget
Amount Requested (Maximum request $250.00)*
$250.00
Has any City of Iowa City department or division provided any support for this event?*
(Include in-kind and financial support)
Yes
No
Will any City of Iowa City department or division provide any support for this event?*
(Include in-kind and financial support)
Yes
No
Please list all funding sources or in-kind support for this event including the amount *
APAPA will support $1000
Center for Worker Justice of
Eastern Iowa
1556 S. 1st Ave #C, Iowa City, IA 52240 | 319-594-7593 | info@cwjiowa.org
1
Final Program Report on Progress
Email report to humanrights@iowa-city.org
Project Details
Project Name Community Computer Lab
Location Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa
Grant no. 10210400
Reporting period 04/01/23 - 06/30/23
Report compiled by Madison Black
Date submitted 07/18/2023
Summary
The Center for Worker Justice received $18,000 from the City of Iowa City on May 18, 2022
to provide access to technology, internet, and safety-net programs that marginalized
residents disproportionately lack access to. The goal of this project is to create an easily
accessible space for community members with a computer lab that would address this
barrier while advancing social justice and racial equity.
The scope of services for this project includes:
1.Assisting community members with filling out/printing forms and applications
2.Providing a shared learning environment and hosting workshops and educational
courses in computer literacy, the English language, and other subjects
3.Offering knowledge and assisting members with accessing government assistance
programs that contribute to increasing awareness about and reducing illiteracy as a
key factor of social inequalities
Agenda Item #9
Center for Worker Justice of
Eastern Iowa
1556 S. 1st Ave #C, Iowa City, IA 52240 | 319-594-7593 | info@cwjiowa.org
2
Report
Since the previous reporting period, CWJ hired Hatim Salih to set up our computers and
printer. We also bought licenses for Microsoft Office for each of the computers. We
purchased and installed a printer and printing supplies.
In June, we started hosting workshops in the computer lab, including ESL classes and
general computer workshops. ESL classes are held once or twice per week until August 1,
2023, and are one hour per class. For the ESL classes, we have been working with three
volunteer instructors: Claire Fox, Clara Dharma, and Riley Hannick, and teaching a
combination of Spanish, French, and Arabic speakers. We are hosting a total of seven
units over the following topics: introductions, workplace, school, store, doctor, and other
topics. To make the classes more accessible, we have also provided free childcare for the
duration of all classes.
On Wednesday, July 12, the Computer Literacy Workshop began with all English-speaking
participants meeting at the CWJ computer room from 5:30-6:30pm. The Spanish-speaking
participants meet every following Thursday and are joined by a translator. The lessons
touch on navigating Microsoft applications, including PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, and
OneDrive; navigating the Internet, including search engines, evaluating a website’s
credibility, and social media; and job-related computer skills, including creating an invoice,
cover letter, and resume. The workshop offers a lot of flexibility with the goal of
accommodating the participants’ unique needs that may best support them in their goals.
Moreover, the workshop aims to accommodate the participants’ preferences and
personal needs. We are excited to continue helping community members improve their
computer skills–undoubtedly a necessary skill set in today’s culture.
We are also working on hosting a class that will teach Spanish speakers the skills they
need to start their own business. This class will benefit greatly from the use of our
computer lab, especially when it comes to helping fill out necessary paperwork, using
social media, and notetaking.
We have also welcomed community members to use the computer lab at any time during
our office’s hours. We have had several members work in the computer lab during these
Center for Worker Justice of
Eastern Iowa
1556 S. 1st Ave #C, Iowa City, IA 52240 | 319-594-7593 | info@cwjiowa.org
3
open hours. The computer lab also helps us to support interns and volunteers who do not
have their own personal computers.
Attached is a photo of one of our workshops. Also attached in this report is an updated
budget and receipts for the IT services, printer and printing supplies, and miscellaneous
office supplies required for the workshops. The computer lab has proven to be an
invaluable resource to our community and we are excited to continue hosting workshops
and improving the space.
Agenda Item #9
Agenda Item #9