Human Relations Committee

Laconia Human Relations Committee Monthly Meeting January 8, 2024 - Monday 3:30pm – 5:00pm City Hall Rm 200A & Zoom Agenda Welcome and Roll Call Review and Acceptance of December 11, 2023 Meeting Minutes Work Groups  MLK Celebration Planning  Endowment for Health – See attached application submissions Old Business  Banners/flags on City Property – liaison committee report  Vigil/Sign Exploratory Committee – see report from Trish New Business  Yom Hashoah – May 4th – with Temple B’nai Israel Also note Ken Burns, 3 part series on the Holocaust on PBS https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/us-and-the-holocaust/  Anhi Malachi at Temple B’nai Israel – see Press release below  Officer Election  Other business  Next Meeting Room 200A, Monday February 12, 2024, at 3:30pm also via Zoom Public Comment – The public is invited to offer their opinions. Initially, they will be limited to four minutes until all have had an opportunity to speak. Each person is constrained to their time period or to ask questions of the committee. Everyone is expected to speak respectfully. If on Zoom, the public will be visible but muted until unmuted by the chair. Members of the public wishing to speak will use the “raise hand” option. ------------------------------------------------------ Note: The meeting will also be held online through Zoom and will begin at 3:30pm although people are encouraged check in early. You are invited to a Zoom webinar. Topic: Human Relations Commission Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81922296874?pwd=M0E4a1pES0VGV0Rsa1hmT0ZDU3Bmdz09 Passcode: 793636 Or One tap mobile : US: +16465588656,,81922296874#,,,,*793636# or +13017158592,,81922296874#,,,,*793636# Or Telephone: Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 669 900 9128 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 Webinar ID: 819 2229 6874 Passcode: 793636 International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/k661pCha Goals & Purpose of TM-CEI/2 – LACONIA In November and December 2023, a work group of the Laconia Human Relations Committee met three times with representatives of more than dozen agencies and Laconia departments to review the prospect and needs of the Grant being offered by the NH Endowment for Health. From its inception the group was enthusiastic in the possibilities but came to realize that the projects had to fit within narrow parameters of achievability, making a difference and inclusivity both in definition and execution. A list of 15 possible projects was compiled. The resulting conversation was itself a coming-together process and we traded ideas and approaches. Reviewing all the ideas, Carrie, Patrick, Heather & David proposed a title to the project and three areas to focus on sequentially during 2024. BUILDING A BETTER COMMUNITY THROUGH GREATER UNDERSTANDING Focus Areas: Mental Health; Housing; Inclusivity The project may consist of three, 2.5-hour events, beginning with a speaker and some education, and culminate in smaller group discussions (each led by a facilitator from the subcommittee), with each group reporting out the results of their discussions. The group strategized innovative methods of inviting disenfranchised groups to the sessions- this work will continue at the first steering committee meeting in January of 2024. Sign/Vigil Sub-committee meeting @ Thursday, December 18, 2023 3:30 pm-4:20 pm @ city hall 9 community members in attendance: Carol Pierce, Mo Baxley, Richard Littlefield, Ronnie Abbott, Kay Anderson, Trish Weatherbee, Matt Souza, Lois Kessin, Jo from LDC The Meeting purpose to decide on a sign campaign to promote community solidarity, as requested by Eric Hoffman of the Laconia Democratic Committee. VIGIL: The group consensus was to begin an hour long community vigil twice a month, with no less than 20 people in attendance. Someone would contact/send photo to the local paper for publicizing each vigil. The vigil was defined as a short term solution until HRC decides on signage. TIME: Some attendees decided they would have a vigil to take place on 1/9/24, the day after the HRC at the committee’s monthly meeting, 8-9am at city hall. PLACE: It was decided by some attendees the vigil should take place at different locations around the city. SIGNAGE: Many attendees want a strong, unequivocal message such as "Laconia stands against hate", “side with love”, “united in brotherhood democracy”, and “one race, human race”. The current HRC sign “Everyone is welcome in Laconia” did not satisfy the majority of attendees. The discussion continued with questions about if the majority of vigil attendees agree on a sign, and a few want a stronger message, are they able to make their own sign? How to reconcile this with HRC mission statement of dignity, fairness, respect, kindness? Are the signs to be focused on denouncing graffiti and antisemitism or a wider scope of generalized inclusiveness? Should the signs be more positive energy or strongly negative? Will the HRC have final approval of signs? These questions remain unanswered. There was an STRONGLY expressed sense of urgency by many attendees. No one version satisfied all attendees. SIGN VIGIL SUB-COMMITTEE: Many attendees preferred time of meeting to be held after regular work hours, is this possible? Meeting locations are an issue: can meetings be held at Mental Health Center conference room or Police Station conference room? What is the appropriate way to get meeting notes to the attendees? Thank you for the opportunity to serve my community in chairing this initial sub-committee meeting. I am unavailable to continue in that role. Patricia C Weatherbee For more information, press only: For Immediate Contact Name – Barbara Katz, TBINH V.P of Marketing Release Phone number – 443-254-6994 (personal cell) January 15, 2024 Email – barbaraktbinh@gmail.com Temple B’nai Israel Welcomes Anhi Malachi, Executive director of the NH Human Rights Commission Friday January 19, 2024 The community is invited to join with the members of Temple B’nai Israel when they welcome Ahni Malachi, Executive Director of the NH Human Rights Commission to address the congregation during the Shabbat evening service in the sanctuary on Friday, January 19. The service will begin at 7:30 pm. Ahni Malachi brings her energetic persona and innate ability to connect with people by authentic communication using the skills she has acquired over the course of her 20+ year career. “It is a privilege to carry on a tradition of service to something larger than oneself,” said Ms. Malachi, as she credits her upbringing and the example set by her father who was the first Ombudsman for the City of Atlanta. In her role with the NH Human Rights Commission, a state agency, Ms. Malachi heads a team that focuses on the elimination of discrimination in employment, public accommodations, and the sale or rental of housing or commercial property, because of age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, creed, color, marital status, familial status, physical or mental disability or national origin. The responsibility of the executive director is to serve the Commissioners, the staff, and the good people of New Hampshire with honor and respect. Ms. Malachi also serves as the chair of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusion (GACDI). Ms. Malachi was recently honored as one of the NH Business Review's (NHBR) 2024 "New Hampshire 200," a list of leaders comprised of “a unique group of people who have made their mark on New Hampshire’s economy, business climate and the state as a whole," according to the NHBR. Temple B’nai Israel is honored to have Ahni Malachi as their guest speaker.