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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-23-2024 Human Rights CommissionHuman Rights Commission July 23, 2024 Regular 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 May 28, 2024, 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 Commentator or One Another Concerning Remarks) 5. Correspondence 5. Updates on Outreach and Engagement by the Police Department 7. Support for a Community Transportation Commission s. Water Rights Informational Panel — Monday, July 29, 2024 9. Palestinian Children's Relief Fund 10. Reschedule September Meeting Date 11. Human Rights Awards Ceremony— Wednesday, October 23, 2024 12. Schedule a Retreat Date to Revisit the Strategic Plan from 2022 13. Commission Committees Building Bridges (Paul Shantz, Kollasch, Pandya) Reciprocal Relationships (Lusala, Abdullahi, Pries) Breaking Bread (Dr. Liz, Qaduora) 14. Staff Announcements 15. Commissioner Announcements (Commissioners shall not engage in discussion with one another concerning said announcements) 16. 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 diowa-city.org. Native American land Acknowledgement Prepared for the City of Iowa City's Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Human Rights Commission PURPOSE Iowa City owes its existence to the many Indigenous Peoples who were the original stewards of this land and who were subjected to manipulation and violence by non-native settlers, invaders, and governments in order to make this moment possible. Acknowledgement of this truth is central to our work toward reconciliation across all barriers of difference and injustice. Starting with a Native American Land Acknowledgement, this Commission will bear witness to the legacies of violent displacement, migration, and settlement that have marginalized those who were the first inhabitants of this land. We must also address the mistreatment and exclusion that Native Americans continue to face today. The Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Human Rights Commission encourage the community and City of Iowa City to join us in these efforts through the use of a Native American Land Acknowledgement. LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT To be read at all public meetings and events: "We meet today in the community of Iowa City, which now occupies the homelands of Native American Nations to whom we owe our commitment and dedication. The area of Iowa City was within the homelands of the Iowa, Meskwaki, and Sauk, and because history is complex and time goes far back beyond memory, we also acknowledge the ancient connections of many other Indigenous Peoples here. The history of broken treaties and forced removal that dispossessed Indigenous Peoples of their homelands was and is an act of colonization and genocide that we can not erase. We implore the Iowa City community to commit to understanding and addressing these injustices as we work toward equity, restoration, and reparations." LEARN MORE Native Governance Center Guide to Indigenous Land Acknowledgement US Department of Arts and Culture: Honor Native Land Virtual Resources and Guide Meskwaki Nation - History Special thanks to the University of Iowa Native American Council for their work and guidance, as well as members of the public, for their input. Draft Minutes Human Rights Commission May 28, 2024 Emma Harvat Hall Commissioners present: Roger Lusala, Jahnavi Pandya, Doug Kollasch, Mark Pries, Vianna Qaduora, Elizabeth Mendez Shannon, Kelsey Paul Shantz. Commissioners present via Zoom: Idriss Abdullahi. Commissioners absent: Sylvia Jons. Staff present: Stefanie Bowers. Recommendation to City Council: No. Meeting called to order: 5:32 PM. Native American Land Acknowledgement: Lusala read the Land Acknowledgement. Public comment of items not on the agenda: George Kwisnek spoke on the excess muffler noise that goes on in the downtown area and the lack of enforcement preventing such noise. Approval of meeting minutes of April 23, 2024: Pries moved; and Mendez Shannon seconded. Motion passed 8-0. Updates on Outreach and Engagement by the Police Department: Tre Hall provided the update on outreach and engagement. Including: a new intern (Perla Hernandez), involvement with houseless encampments and providing them resources through the Shelter House, the upcoming Safety Villages, the EMS Camp happening in July, a Kiwanis Noon club presentation, upcoming squad tours, and attending the upcoming Pride Parade. Support for a Community Transportation Commission: Jeremy Endsley of the Community Transportation Committee spoke on the community engagement the committee has been involved in to gain more information on the public transit system here in Iowa City. He stated that a commission being established is a first step towards a comprehensive regional transportation authority and that it would fill the gap. The current regional transportation planning organization oversees transit policy but does not allow for bus riders to be voting members. He also believes that the creation of the commission will lead to social and economic justice in mobility. Commissioner Paul Shantz requested more written details on how the commission plans to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion through their efforts. Commissioner Pandya offered to lead to bring the committee's proposal to the City Council. Paul Shantz offered further ideas and resources for the committee to consider. This project was assigned to the building bridges committee. Human Rights Awards: Staff asked for commissioners to provide a placeholder for the event, which will be held on Wednesday, October 23, 2024. Commission Committees' Update: Building Bridges (Paul Shantz, Kollasch, Pandya): Reported that the committee is working on items to recommend to City Council along with the newly added to bring to support for a transportation commission. Reciprocal Relationships (Lusala, Pries, Abdullahi): This committee will be reaching out to organizations who received funding from the FY2024 Racial Equity and Social Justice grant. Commissioner Abdullahi will be joining the committee. Breaking Bread (Dr. Liz, Qaduora) The committee proposed the idea of a listening tour that would allow them to communicate with individuals in the community to allow them to have a voice and speak about the commission's mission. They would also offer this service to those who received the FY2024 Racial Equity and Social Justice grant to see how the commission can deepen its interaction with the organization and also how the commission can support organizations feeling like they have a voice at the table. Vendor Opportunities Friday, June 14, Juneteenth: Lusala, Pries, and Mendez Shannon. Saturday, June 15, Iowa City Pride: Paul Shantz and Kollasch. Announcements of Commissioners: Shannon Mendez shared her experience attending the open house for the Wright House of Fashion and encouraged those interested to check out what they have to offer. Lusala spoke about his experience visiting with the Congolese community of Iowa at the first ever Mother's Conference that addressed challenges mothers face balancing work and family while being an immigrant. Lusala also shared the importance of sharing resources and inviting immigrant communities to events and meetings like the ones the commission is involved in. Pries shared his experience seeing the movie Civil War as well as the opera Fierce at Hancher which was written and by a University of Iowa graduate. The show touched on the topic of women defining themselves as opposed to societal expectations. Commissioner Pries shared he is no longer working with the Johnson County Heartsafe Community Campaign. Pries is on the Common Future Committee for the Rotary which will be involved in the Pride Parade. Pries is also part of the Consultation of Religious Communities which he hopes to address Christian nationalism through. Finally, Pries shared the efforts of Augusta Victoria Hospital and their work with/ for Palestinian refugees and wounded. Qaduora shared her feelings about the current state of Palestine as a Palestinian. Qaduora also spoke on the stereotypes of Arabs and Muslims and a recent screening of the documentary Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People. The Mariam's Girl Club got a plot from the Global Food Project and will be able to educate members about farming and connecting to earth. The Club also participated in the Coralville Asian Festival. Qaduora wrapped her comments with her involvement with the school district and the upcoming Anniversary of Nakba not being recognized in the district newsletter and the lack of diverse literature in the school libraries. Paul Shantz in relation to the impact of the events in Palestine, mentioned that one of the things genocide scholars will talk about is how perpetrators use the projection of identity. And so, it's not really what you yourself hold as one of your identities necessarily but more about how a perpetrator of violence would like to weaponize a certain identity group and monolithically collect people within that category. And that people have whole lives who they were before, who they are at present, and who they hopefully will be in the future. None of us are monoliths. We all have multiple identities that we hold in any given point in time, and no one should be subject to that level of violence ever. Paul Shantz also shared about her experience doing a hike with the Bur Oak Land Trust, a private reserve. Pandya shared her involvement with Project Hope working with children and students with diverse background by holding a workshop on the topic of careers in mental health and diverse cultural ways of dealing with mental health. Abdullahi spoke about a shooting that occurred at the graduation ceremony of Theodore Roosevelt High School in Des Moines and the importance of raising awareness and finding solutions for these occurrences. Abdullahi also shared his company's involvement in partnering with Multicultural Development Center of Iowa to create a collection space where people can bring plastic materials to be repurposed for them. Kollasch shared he will be attending the Gala for One Iowa in Des Moines. Kollasch also spoke about Iowa universities pulling back on DEI efforts and the complete removal of all DEI offices from the University of Northern Iowa and Iowa State University. Announcements of staff: Asked about the June meeting date and whether she would need to have the Human Rights Investigator staff it. The commission decided not to hold a June meeting. Adjourned: 6:48 PM. The meeting can be viewed at httos://citychanne14.com/video.html?series=Local%2OGovernment. Human Rights Commission ATTENDANCE RECORD YEAR 2024 (MeetinLy Date) NAME TERIVI EXP. 1/23 2/27 3/4 3126 4123 51211 6/25 7/23 8/27 9/24 10/22 11/26 12/24 ahnaviPandya 2024 X X X X X X Sylvia Jons 2024 Z A A A A A Doug Kollasch 2024 X X X X X X Tana Qadoura 2025 X X X X X X driss Abdullahi 2025 - - - - X Z Mark Pries 2025 X A X X X X Roger Lusala 2026 X X X A X X Kelsey Paul Shang 2026 X X X X Z X Liz Mendez -Shannon 2026 X X X A Z X KEY: X = Present A = Absent Z = Present via Zoom qp _01 y�q�. - _ y..' _ 'ate: .•.>, IF �p } INFORMATIONAL PANEL Residents of manufactured housing communities are invited to attend an informational panel to learn about individual and collective rights associated with water supply/quality Expert panelists will be available to answer questions about legal rights, water testing process, and strategic action. O I JOHNSON CO 'r OF 11W n Affordable Housing T W—'A x , Disability and Fair Housing Training in celebration of the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act Thursday, July 25 from Noon-1 pm (In person) Presented by Kristin Watson, JD Human Rights Investigator for the City of Iowa City Fair housing remains a critical issue nationwide, particularly for individuals with disabilities who often face barriers to finding suitable housing. Discriminatory practices can include the denial of reasonable accommodations, all of which can significantly impact the ability of persons with disabilities to secure safe and affordable housing. This fair housing training will focus and empowertenants with disability to become more knowledgeable on the Iowa City Fair Housing Ordinance and how to file a complaint of unlawful discrimination. Preregistration is required. If you will need disability -related accommodations in order to participate in this event, please call 319-356-5022 or email humanrights@iowa-city.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. ABOUT KRISTIN WATSON Kristin is the Investigator for the Iowa City Department of Equity and Human Rights. She investigates complaints of discrimination and assists with programming and equity initiatives. Kristin has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and Historyfrom the University of Wisconsin and a Juris Doctor from Marquette University Law School. THE LENS SERIES Hosted by the City of Iowa City Office of Equity and Human Rights LATE HANDOUTS - THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS WERE DISTRIBUTED AT THE MEETING Outreach Update 7/23/24 , q r y ICPD Outreach Apologies for not being able to make this meeting, I had to leave for the day earlier than expected and Kevin is attending the South District meeting. Outreach has had a busy end of June and early July, we have completed Safety Village towards the end of June, and have recently completed our EMS Camps for Junior High and High School early this July. It was fun watching the kids learn traffic rules during Safety Village as Public Safety is in charge of the Village and teaching rules of the road such as signs, lights, pedestrian rules, etc. The kids had a chance to ride in the village every single day of camp weather permitted, and they learned a whole lot about other various safety measures as well as received a tour of a squad car and even a drone presentation. EMS Camp was also a great success, Public Safety had a presentation on A day in the life" and were present in all of the separate groups as mentors. Public Safety also participated in the AI-Iman Center Eid AI-Adha Community Event with the Iowa City Fire Department. Kevin and Joshua handed out high fives and slap bracelets for the kids and took SO MANY pictures with the community, they said it may have been the most fun event of the summer to date. Our summer intern Perla, who is fluent in Spanish did a presentation at Hilltop and Cole's park on Domestic Violence, child welfare, driving questions, and neighborhood watch and answered various important questions. Outreach is now finished with our busy summer events, and will be sliding back into the groove of our regular duties, including presentations, community awareness, and community outreach. Upcoming Events: • National Night Out - @ Wetherby Park & Christ the King Church, August 6`^. Christ the King Church is from 6:30-7:15pm. Wetherby is from 5:30-8pm. • Ready Set School —4261 Oak Crest Hill Rd SE, August 9th 12-7pm. School Supplies, Dental and eye screenings, Vaccinations, and Hair Cuts. Photos 4vl Benefit for Palestine Events Description The Benefit for Palestine will take place on August 14 and 15 in downtown Iowa City, presented in collaboration with [list of organizations]. Thanks to generous support from Revival, all ticket revenue will be donated to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, the primary humanitarian organization in Palestine currently delivering crucial and life-saving aid in Gaza. The two -night event will feature local artists, activists, and community members spreading awareness about the ongoing genocide in Gaza and performances by local musicians. We invite you to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people, join the call for an end to the genocide in Gaza, and learn more about how to participate in ongoing efforts in our community to support Palestine. All ages, backgrounds, and individuals are welcome. Tickets for the first night at Gabe's are $15, and tickets for the second night at The Englert Theatre are $25. See the full lineup for each night below Suggested copy for socials as received: "Join us for the Benefit for Palestine on August 14 and 15! All ticket revenue will be donated to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, the primary humanitarian organization in Palestine currently delivering crucial and life-saving aid in Gaza. The two -night event in downtown IC will feature local artists, activists, and community members spreading awareness about the ongoing genocide in Gaza and performances by local musicians. We invite you to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people, join the call for an end to the genocide in Gaza, and learn more about how to participate in ongoing efforts in our community to support Palestine. All ages, backgrounds, and individuals are welcome. Co -Presented by: Artivists of Iowa, HOPE Foundation, Jewish Voice for Peace Eastern Iowa, Iowans for Palestine, Iowa City Action for Palestine, PEACE Iowa, Gabe's, & The Englert Theatre Sponsored by: Revival For tickets and more info, visit linktr.ee/benefit4pal." For links — Tickets for both nights can be purchased here: https://ci.ovationtix.com/36399/production/1208267 The QR code on the main poster directs here: https://Iinktr.ee/benefiit4pal GCMC!F=D'ff��Q :M�L VL1I� /�\U@ �r�l /�\U@ �[� ALL TICKET REVENUE WILL BE DONATED TO Palestine Children's Relief Fund CET TICKETS & LEARN MORE: REVIVAL