Dear Friends of the Human Rights Council:
We write this as our nation prepares to vote for our next president on November 6. We are reminded of the privilege and power of exercising our right to vote. Maya Angelou’s words resonate with the mission of the HRC: “…every voice is equally powerful – don’t underestimate your vote. Voting is the great equalizer.”
Once again, it has been a busy season for us. This summer we ran a table and a game at the Picnic-in-the Park as we do every summer. Events like this are a good way to reach out to potential new members and to educate Concord citizens about our work. after saying goodbye to our beloved former chair Polly Attwood – Polly moved to England in September – we welcomed new members to the Council at our first meeting of the year. Hedi Charde, Wade Rubinstein, Nancy James, Louisa Paushter and our new treasurer Libby Kurten. Our new members have joined our Committees and are already busy working on upcoming events.
This is the year that we give our Biannual Climate for Freedom Award to a group or organization in our community, one that fosters a climate for freedom in its work and mission. a committee of five worked to gather updated information on the main organizations being considered for this year’s award. The finalists were forwarded to a panel of panel of judges, whose deliberations resulted in a recommendation to the HRC Board. This recommendation was approved unanimously by the HRC Board in October. The recipient this year will be Communities for Restorative Justice for their work to build a community-police partnership that offers restorative justice to those affected by crime. Their mission states that their process “recognizes that crime is a violation of people and relationships, not just a violation of the law.” This award is a richly deserved recognition of the importance of their mission.
The award will be presented at our annual Human Rights Day Breakfast on Monday, December 3 at 7:30 am at the Trinitarian Congregational Church on Walden Street. all are invited to join us and to hear Executive Director Jennifer Larson-Sawin, who will receive the award and be the keynote speaker. all Human Rights Council events are free and open to everyone.
As always, thank you for your support – especially in these economically challenging times – it is very much appreciated and we could not continue our work without it.
Sarah Napier & Ronni Olitsky Concord-Carlisle Human Rights Council co-Chairs