2006 PRESS RELEASES

Community Gathering
Uniting Cultures in Portland: Bridging the Gaps in City Policy
Wednesday, December 6, 2006 at 6:00 PM
1221 SW 4th Avenue
Rose Room - 3rd Floor, City Hall

Seating is limited, so please register online if you wish to attend.

Portland's City Council recently passed a resolution protecting the rights and liberties of immigrants and refugees. This resolution also called for the establishment of a task force to investigate barriers to immigrant and refugee participation in civic life and their inclusion in local decision-making. PSU students in the 2006 "Politics of Immigration" Capstone have been working together for the past 10 weeks to help ensure that the task force begins their work with a solid foundation of research. Witness the presentation of the students' findings at City Hall on December 6th. About the Event.

City Council Passes Historic Immigrant Rights Resolution
Immigrants, Refugees & Allies Show United Support
Click here to read more

In a political environment that is increasingly hostile toward immigrants, Portland's City Council sided with justice on Wednesday October 18th, 2006, when they passed a resolution that reaffirms the City of Portland's commitment to the inclusion of immigrants and refugees in civic and public life [click here to read the resolution]. The resolution also creates a task force charged with identifying barriers to inclusion and exploring workable solutions for the City of Portland. Immigrants, refugees and allies testified in support of the historic resolution, many of whom provided emotional and touching testimony about the hardships they have experienced in Portland. When the final vote was counted and unanimously (5 to 0) approved by Council, the crowd erupted into cheers, claps and even tears. Read more.

City of Portland Immigration Resolution
October 18, 2006
6:30 PM - City Hall, Council Chambers

On Wednesday, October 18th at 6:30 PM, Portland's City Council will hear a resolution protecting the rights and liberties of immigrants and refugees. Come to City Hall and support an initiative by our municipal government and human dignity groups to better involve newcomers in civic affairs and public life. About the Event.

Police/Community Listening Sessions Report on Racial Profiling
October 19, 2006
3:00 PM - City Hall, Council Chambers

In May and June of 2006, the Center for Intercultural Organizing joined with Oregon Action, the NW Constitutional Rights Center and other community organizations to host a series of Police/Community Listening Sessions on Racial Profiling to give the police bureau and elected officials a chance to hear first-hand the experiences of community members. On Thursday, October 19, we will be sharing the results and recommendations of these listening sessions with the full City Council. A copy of the report will be made available to the press at that time. About the Event.

Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition

Romeo Sosa, VOZ, 503-381-0848
Marco Mejía, AFSC, 503-230-9427
Aeryca Steinbauer, CAUSA, 503-984-6816


IMMIGRANT, LABOR, AND FAITH COMMUNITIES TO MARCH FOR COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM
Labor Day Weekend
Download a Flyer in English
Download a Flyer in Spanish

What: Rally and March for fair immigration reform
Where: South Park Blocks (SW Salmon and Park)
When: Sunday, September 3rd, 2 pm.

Who: Organized by the Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition, including VOZ Workers' Rights Education Project, CAUSA, Jobs with Justice, PCASC, AFSC, SEIU Local 503, SEIU Local 49, AFSCME Council 75, Latino Network, Oregon Farm Worker Ministry, Center for Intercultural Organizing, PCUN, Hermandad Mexicana, Social Activist Youth, Escuela de Lideres "Magdalena Mora,” Jefferson Center; in conjunction with national calls to action by the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, and the We Are America Alliance.

Background:

This Labor Day weekend, Oregon’s immigrant, labor, faith, and ally communities will celebrate the contributions of all of Oregon’s workforce and send a message to Congress that now is the time to pass fair immigration reform that provides a path to citizenship for the 12 million undocumented immigrants currently in the country, reunites families, protects workers, and protects our civil rights and civil liberties.

The march will build off the momentum of mass mobilizations this spring and civic participation activities this summer to send a message of accountability to our elected officials. In September, Congress returns to session following a series of sham hearings organized by House Republican leadership – a political stall tactic that did nothing to fix our broken immigration system that continues to tear apart families and cause countless deaths on the border. Once again, the communities most affected by the immigration debate will take to the streets to demand justice and uphold the American values of liberty, equality, and fairness.

Bridgetown Voices & Center for Intercultural Organizing
Media Contact: Kayse Jama
kayse@interculturalorganizing.org
http://www.interculturalorganizing.org
More Information: (503) 287-4117

IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES IN PORTLAND: SHARING OUR DREAMS
A Community Forum and Cultural Celebration inside City Hall
Download a Flyer

Saturday, August 19, 2006
Noon to 5:00 PM
Portland City Hall
Council Chambers
1221 SW 4th Avenue

On Saturday, December 3 2005, over 200 immigrants and refugees gathered in Portland’s City Hall for Bridgetown Voices: Immigrants and Refugees in Portland, a forum designed to explore barriers to newcomer inclusion in civic life. This historic event represented a grassroots effort organized by 22 diverse immigrant and refugee leaders, 30 community-based organizations, and Portland State University students.

It came as no surprise that the day-long conference revealed systemic barriers to immigrant and refugee civic participation in the City of Portland. As Mayor Potter expressed during the event, "The City does not currently have a comprehensive plan to involve immigrants and refugees in public life."

Portland is a different city than it was 10 years ago. Today, one out of every eight residents in the greater Portland Tri-County area is foreign-born, and in some East Portland neighborhoods, immigrants represent one out of every three residents. So, what kind of city will Portland be in the future? How can we ensure that all Portland residents have a voice, regardless of their country of origin? How can Portland create an environment in which immigrants and refugees are recognized and supported as valued residents of our city?

For the past few months, we have been discussing these questions as part of Mayor Tom Potter’s community visioning project—visionPDX. We invite you to join us in the conversation by participating in an upcoming community dialogue: Immigrants and Refugees in Portland: Sharing Our Dreams, which will take place from Noon to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday August 19th inside City Hall.

During this important community forum and cultural celebration, immigrant and refugee community members, city leaders and long time residents will share an open, celebratory space to explore, discuss and strategize how to implement some of our shared vision and common dreams. These goals could not be achieved or realized without your full support and participation as individuals and as groups, a participation that will be greatly rewarded in a Portland that belongs to all of us. Together, we can build a stronger, more vibrant, more inclusive city. We hope you will join us!

LANGUAGE INTERPRETING AND CHILD CARE WILL BE PROVIDED (pre-registration for child care is required).

Download a flyer for the August 19th event

Listen online to last year's forum

View a slideshow from last year's event

IMMIGRANT RIGHTS MARCHES PLANNED FOR PORTLAND
Monday, May 1, 2006

Place: Meet at the South Park Blocks (SW Park Ave and Mill)
Time: Monday May 1
9:30 AM - Music, dance, and a play
11: AM - Rally
Noon - March
3:00 PM - more music & speeches
4:00 PM - Rally

Portland, Oregon (April 27, 2006) On Monday May 1st beginning at 10:00 AM, Portland immigrant rights, labor, environmental, religious, women's rights, indigenous rights, GLBTQ, and other community groups will gather at the South Park Blocks (SW Park and Mill) to celebrate International Workers' Day with music, theater, and speeches, culminating in a march which will begin at Noon.

May Day is recognized around the world as a working class holiday, a day of solidarity between workers of all nationalities.

The May Day events in Portland are being organized as part of the Great American Boycott of 2006/el Gran Paro Americano 2006. Nationwide, hundreds of thousands are expected to walk out of work and school in solidarity their fellow immigrant workers to demonstrate the invaluable contributions immigrants make to the economy of the United States and to demand an end to anti-immigrant legislation like the Sensenbrenner Bill (HR 4437). Criminalization is not the solution.

We call for immigration policy that includes the following: Legalization with a clear path to citizenship, family reunification, and the restoration of civil rights and liberties.

We ask each worker to access their situation and if at all possible join us that day. Certainly almost every one can join in economic solidarity and not buy anything that day. Consider this:

• Immigrants contribute $7 billion in social security per year;
• Immigrants contribute $25 billion more to the U.S. economy than they receive in healthcare and other social services;

The Coalition that organized these events include the following groups: American Friends Service Committee, Center for Intercultural Organizing, Escuela Magdalena Mora, Freedom Socialist Party, Latino Network/La Red Latina, Portland Anti-Imperialists, Portland Central America Solidarity Committee, Portland IWW, Portland Jobs with Justice, Radical Women, VOZ:Worker's Rights Education Project, and many more.

COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSIONS
May and June, 2006

Listening Circle Dates:

• Thursday, May 25th, East Precinct Area
• Thursday, June 1st, Central Precinct Area
• Thursday, June 8th, North Precinct Area
• Thursday, June 15th, Northeast Precinct Area
• Wednesday, June 21st, Northeast Precinct Area

Trainings: Tuesdays fefore the listening sessions
Listening Sessions: Thursdays (community members wishing to give testimonials must attend the Tuesday workshops)

WHICH MAN LOOKS GUILTY? All too often, people think they can answer that question. Fortunately, the Portland Police, Mayor, City Commissioners and the public all agree that racial profiling is wrong. What they don't agree on is whether it's a problem in Portland. That's why the Center for Intercultural Organizing has joined with Oregon Action and other community organizations to hosting a series of Community Listening Sessions to give the Police and the Mayor a chance to hear first-hand the experiences of community members.

On Wednesday, May 17 2006, Portland Police Bureau released information about the racial makeup of drivers in traffic stops for the years 2004 and 2005. These publicly released statistics show that police stop people of color at a much higher rates than whites. Come to the listening sessions and hear what community members, elected officials and police officers have to say about it.

Portland Police Bureau Main Page:
http://www.portlandonline.com/police/index.cfm?c=cjhai

Stops Data Collection Summary: http://www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=116691

Stops Data Collection 2005 Statistical Report:
http://www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=116690

Stops Data Collection 2004 Statistical Report:
http://www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=116689

Listening Session Sponsoring Organizations:
African-American Health Coalition
Alliance for Police & Community Accountablity
Center for Intercultural Organizing
Highland Church
Jobs With Justice
NE ReEntry Committee
NW Constitutional Rights Center
Oregon Action
Oregon Commission on Black Affairs
Western Prison Project

Refugee and Immigrant Solidarity Education (RISE) Workshop
A Four-Week Popular Education Course
Saturday, June 3 – 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Sunday, June 11 – 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Saturday, June 17 – 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Sunday, June 25 – 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Immigration is a major force shaping the economic, racial, and cultural identity of the United States. Public policy about immigration changes constantly due to social and economic factors, and significant immigration reform proposals will be considered in the coming years.

The Refugee and Immigrant Solidarity Education (RISE) Workshop is a popular education course—led by the Center for Intercultural Organizing—designed to build a common understanding in our community about the historical forces shaping immigration policy and the current political interests at stake. Its purpose is to inform community members on how they can become good allies in the struggle for immigrant and refugee rights.

In addition to participating in a community learning setting, participants will plan and manage a Center for Intercultural Organizing event. Participation in this popular education course will help individuals to develop a thorough knowledge of the dynamics of immigration, political influences on immigration policy, as well as equipping them to participate in open discussion and public advocacy on immigration issues. Read more.

QUEENS OF AFRICA - A SILENT AUCTION & BENEFIT CONCERT
For Kgotso African Cultural Arts featuring Loveness Wesa

Thursday, April 20, 2006
Student Union - 2:00 PM to 12:00 Midnight
6:00 PM - Doors / Silent Auction Begins
7:00 PM - Benefit Concert & Show Begins (ends 10:00 PM)
Wonder Ballroom
128 NE Russell, Portland

Portland is fortunate to have Zimbabwean performing artist Loveness Wesa in our midst. A talented singer, dancer and teacher, Loveness was first exposed to the traditional music and dance of her country as a small child watching her mother, aunt and grandmother who were Sangomas - the traditional spirit mediums who use song and dance to channel ancestral spirits.

In 1998 Loveness founded the Kgotso ("Peace") African Dance Theatre as a vehicle for bringing works by women artists to Zimbabwe's stage. In 2001 Ms. Wesa became her country's first woman theatrical producer when she brought her dance drama "Brooms" to the Amakhosi Theatre in Bulawayo. Loveness Wesa made her American debut in 2004 as a choreographer with her production Langivela Khona (Where I Come From), a dance theatre piece based on the stories of young African refugees and immigrants living in Portland, Oregon.

Now, Loveness is working to bring five female performing artists (all single moms) to the United States for her "Queens of Africa from the City of Kings" tour, scheduled to begin in August 2006.

The Center for Intercultural Organizing invites you to support the Queens of Africa tour by attending a fundraising event on April 20th. Help Loveness and Kgotso African Cultural Arts can share their art and culture with communities across the country!

Tickets: $15 adults, $12 seniors/students, $5 kids, under 5 free!
Sponsored by the Center for Intercultural Organizing
For more information, call: (503) 287-4117

March 4, 2006
March for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
Human Rights for All
Help uphold the fundamental principles of democracy and justice in our community by showing solidarity with targeted immigrant and refugee communities. Join us for a march for immigrant and workers' rights on Saturday, March 4.
About the Event

March 1 , 2006
Immigration Forum
Learning from the Past - Struggling for the Future
As public policy attacks against immigrants and refugees continue to mount, human rights advocates are responding with information. Come to this public forum featuring immigrant voices and learn what you can do to help secure equality, dignity, and respect for all.
About the Event

2008 PRESS RELEASES

2007 PRESS RELEASES

2005 PRESS RELEASES