2014. I have served on boards like Green Hill, Elsewhere and FaithAction but I will not serve on the City of Greensboro's International Advisory Committee (IAC).
September 23, 2014 — If asked, I will not serve on the International Advisory Committee. If given the opportunity, I will not nominate myself or allow my name to be offered. Why?
Through the Office of Human Relations, Greensboro wants to establish a direct connection to newcomer refugee and immigrant neighborhoods and communities whose numbers are now over 35,000. The International Advisory Committee (IAC) has been needed for a long time because until now a patchwork of groups and individuals have stood in the space normally occupied by responsible local government and accountable elected officials.
Now Greensboro is joining other North Carolina municipalities to recognize newcomers' rights, dignity and value, and the question comes up, Who can best represent them on the IAC? As an advocate for newcomers I can't know their experiences as they do. I don't live in poverty as many do, I don't suffer the indignities of uncaring bureaucrats or housing dangers caused by unscrupulous landlords. I don't live in fear of arrest. But I do know that from the tens of thousands who call Greensboro home there are community leaders who know and live these realities.
Greensboro’s unequal past included those who argued for decades, “We know best" while denying others their rightful place to speak, decide, and control their futures. I thought this old thinking died long ago. As an advocate I know my place. It’s about time newcomers were heard and about time the City listened, but not to me. Now the voices of community leaders must be heard.
In cities like High Point and Winston-Salem, officials are recognizing that these voices deserve full, undiluted attention.
I hope all advocates who have stood for equal rights and fairness in our city will agree. I hope the City will do the right thing and respect genuine voices from the community.
(Oct.) Update: Some have suggested that this blog has contributed to an environment of “hate” and “shame and blame”. To my knowledge, only those with the power and influence and ability to expedite rightful empowerment of newcomers are saying this. And since they don’t address the blatant breaking of rules governing IAC leadership, these wayward accusations seem intended only to hide their motives and entrench their power and influence.
As there has been disagreement about how apparently the Human Relations Department decided to change the rules of IAC leadership, below are copies of the attendance records of past IAC meetings under then chairman Arwan.
(Nov. 6) Update: The Human Relations Commission seated Dr Moussa Issifou, an immigrant from Togo, as a full member of HRC. The HRC voted to overturn any previous action naming David Fraccaro, Lori Khamala, Sarah Ivory and Maha Elobeid to IAC leadership. It voted to make Adamou Mohamed liaison to community leaders to improve communications and scheduling. It voted to create a working committee that prominently includes refugee and immigrant leaders to create a new IAC leadership structure.
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| Doing it right: Al Heggins, from High Point’s Human Relations Office, presiding over presentations by citizens' groups from many North Carolina cities at the Building Integrated Communities conference at UNC. |
September 23, 2014 — If asked, I will not serve on the International Advisory Committee. If given the opportunity, I will not nominate myself or allow my name to be offered. Why?
Through the Office of Human Relations, Greensboro wants to establish a direct connection to newcomer refugee and immigrant neighborhoods and communities whose numbers are now over 35,000. The International Advisory Committee (IAC) has been needed for a long time because until now a patchwork of groups and individuals have stood in the space normally occupied by responsible local government and accountable elected officials.
Now Greensboro is joining other North Carolina municipalities to recognize newcomers' rights, dignity and value, and the question comes up, Who can best represent them on the IAC? As an advocate for newcomers I can't know their experiences as they do. I don't live in poverty as many do, I don't suffer the indignities of uncaring bureaucrats or housing dangers caused by unscrupulous landlords. I don't live in fear of arrest. But I do know that from the tens of thousands who call Greensboro home there are community leaders who know and live these realities.
Greensboro’s unequal past included those who argued for decades, “We know best" while denying others their rightful place to speak, decide, and control their futures. I thought this old thinking died long ago. As an advocate I know my place. It’s about time newcomers were heard and about time the City listened, but not to me. Now the voices of community leaders must be heard.
In cities like High Point and Winston-Salem, officials are recognizing that these voices deserve full, undiluted attention.
I hope all advocates who have stood for equal rights and fairness in our city will agree. I hope the City will do the right thing and respect genuine voices from the community.
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| While the City of Greensboro languishes in a dispute about the propriety of an IAC leadership consisting of 75% White leadership and faith-based organizations, the City of High Point has already adopted a Building Integrated Communities (BIC) plan. BIC is a project of UNC Chapel Hill. The Welcoming Greensboro Initiative final report originated from a parallel movement, Welcoming America, a national organization, and Uniting NC. In Greensboro, City government seems loathe to be involved in newcomer residents’ needs if it can unload them on nonprofits. In High Point, officials are ready to accept responsibility. |
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| Refugee and immigrant newcomers speak: Notes from Building Integrated Communities breakout session include the last items under “Barriers”, “Tokenism in advisory bodies” and “Resistance to change”. The session was also attended by officials from Triad municipalities, including the City of Greensboro. |
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| In 2008, Greensboro marched forward with the creation of the IAC. In 2014, why are we marching backwards? |
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| Changing names: Within days a new name with the additional title of “Commissioner” appeared, then disappeared. Community leaders have reported mysterious edits like this to the City’s Human Relations Department Website that undermine “good-faith” discussions and hearings. At one hearing a City official stated lack of knowledge about who might be authorizing or executing these edits. |
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| Attendance under Chairman Arwan: There has been disagreement about how apparently the Human Relations Department selected FaithAction’s David Fraccaro, Church World Services’ Sarah Ivory, CNNC’s Maha Elobeid, and American Friends Service Committee’s Lori Khamala to serve as IAC’s new leadership. There has been further disagreement about who was consulted based on their attendance when this selection process took place. So, for the record, here are the attendance forms. |
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| IAC attendance under Chairman Arwan |
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| IAC attendance under Chairman Arwan |
Links
City Ordinace: creation of the Human Relations Commission (PDF)
Creation of the International Advisory Committee (PDF)
International Advisory Committee, Chair Umar Awan (PDF)
