Consortium counters racism, inequity
Swastikas were painted on the Temple Beth Shalom building and Holocaust memorial in Spokane in early February. The recently formed Human Rights Consortium is aimed at diversifying the workforce and welcoming people of all colors and walks of life to live and work in North Idaho. The consortium counters racism, anti-Semitism and extreme terrorist ideologies.
Spokane Police Department
INSIDE: Consortium outlines work to be done
The Human Rights Consortium is stepping up.
Chartered in late September, the Human Rights Consortium is a group committed to equal rights for all individuals as described by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
"We felt like this was an important time to reintroduce that effort and provide some clarity on what it is and more importantly, what it isn't, and get it out to the public," Charles Buck, chief administrator and spokesperson for the University of Idaho Coeur d'Alene, said Friday.
Consortium members include: Anderson Organizing, Avista Utilities, The Coeur d’Alene Tribe, Engaging Team Concepts Consulting, Evans Brothers Coffee, Hagadone Media Group and Hospitality, Heritage Health, Human Rights Education Institute, Idaho Commission on Human Rights, Idaho State Police District 1, Kootenai Health, Lewis-Clark State College, Marimn Health, North Idaho College, Northwest Specialty Hospital, North Idaho Pride Alliance, Civic Engagement Alliance and the University of Idaho Coeur d'Alene.
Individual members are Coeur d'Alene City Council members Dan English and Amy Evans.
Collaborators are North Idaho Pride Alliance and Civic Engagement Alliance. Membership is for employers; collaborators are people who serve on the steering committee who have specific expertise for certain positions that the group needs to take in the community.
These organizations and individuals stand for equal rights for all people.
"Just thinking about it is really inspiring," Buck said.
The consortium is opening opportunities for civil discourse and education about human rights and researching the needs of marginalized communities to diversify the workforce.
Buck said it's crucial the U of I promotes critical thinking abilities.
"This really came down to employees and employers who are better aware of and familiar with the advantages of more open dialogue and social justice," Buck said. "For us it's an asset, a perk we can provide to our students to have something other than a homogenous and single-minded population that they can interact with and we can learn from as well."
Info: www.hrei.org/human-rights-consortium