Meeting Story

Moscow’s annual Inclusive Community Week will look a little different this year, the City of Moscow Human Rights Commission decided Tuesday.

In previous years the Inclusive Community Week, held for one week in September, featured a variety of community themed events. This year, however, the Human Rights Commission, which plans the week, will not host any specific events. Instead it is sending out letters to 140 organizations, inviting them to join a discussion on inclusiveness during the entire month of September.

“We’d have a week-long focus in September with multiple events and almost no turnout,” Lynn Ate, a commissioner at the human rights commission said. “This year we’re going to try to take the dialogue to them.”

The change will give the commission an opportunity to reach out to completely new groups, from fraternities and sororities at the University of Idaho, to the Sojourners Alliance, Ate said.

Organizations that accept the invitation will be given a list of inclusivity topics and asked to discuss at least one topic during the organization’s regular meeting in September. The results or highlights of the discussion will then be sent to the commission and posted online.

The commission hopes the online postings will be a launch-pad for even more discussion, said Head Commissioner Ken Faunce. Commission members also plan to tie in their annual social justice forum to the inclusiveness week, Faunce said.

During its meeting Tuesday the City of Moscow Human Rights Commission also announced a $1000 budget cut and discussed ways to cut spending. Moscow Police Chief David Duke suggested they cut out snacks during its presence at the Finding the Center Conference—an almost $1000 annual cost.

Despite city wide budget cuts during the past few years this is the first time the commission has seen any decrease in its budget, Faunce said. The budget cut will bring the commission’s yearly budget to $5000, he said.

Also discussed during the meeting was the possibility of hosting an event focusing on teachers and professors who speak English as a second language and if this changes a learning environment.

The commission came to no formal decision but it is unlikely any such event will be held. Commissioner Tim Gresback said such an event might have an overall negative effect. By putting specific focus and attention on such professors and teachers the event might bring them into perceived place of non-equality, Gresback said.

The commission also announced its upcoming presence at the Moscow Pride Day, its success at the community walk with over 300 people, and it’s involvement with a local poverty forum.

According to its website the City of Moscow Human Rights exists to affirm, encourage and initiate programs that uphold human right.

The commission itself is quite diverse with multiple nationalities and a whole spectrum of ages. One member of the commission, Robin M. Kok, 17, is a student at Moscow High School. Kok said although she doesn’t contribute to discussion often she comes to every meeting and quite enjoys them. Her main goal is to link fellow students with the commission and to provide volunteers for events, she said.

Due mainly to the commission’s hard work Moscow is the only certified inclusive city in Idaho according to the National League of Cities.