LULAC and LA VOZ DEL ANCIANO TO HOST EDUCATION CIVIL RIGHTS WORKSHOP

By Richard Sambrano, LULAC District III Civil Rights Coordinator LULAC District III Director Rene Martinez and La Voz del Anciano Board President Gil Cerda today announced that their organizations will sponsor an interactive workshop designed to preserve civil rights for students and the community. The workshop will be presented on Sunday, December 8, at the Flores Ball Room at 4615 Singleton Boulevard in West Dallas beginning at 1:00pm. Co-sponsoring the workshop will be: the newly created Dallas Tejano Democrats headed by Frances Rizo; La Camara de Empresarios Latinos headed by Frank Cortez; West Dallas Senior Center directed by Lonita Munoz; the Southern Methodist Human Rights Department headed by Rick Halperin; and, the Southeast Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Victoria Neave chair elect. The workshop, Know Your Rights, will be led by Richard Sambrano, retired as mediator of the Community Relations Service, U.;S. Department of Justice, member of the national LULAC civil rights committee and LULAC District III civil rights coordinator. Presenters will be tttorney Vicky Neave, Owner/CEO of Neave Law Firm and president of the North Texas LULAC Council for Justice, Equality and Economic Development, Norma Hennessy, coordinator of the LULAC mentoring program at R.L. Turner High School and LULAC district treasurer, and Koni Kaiwi, district and state LULAC official who founded the Garland Multi-Cultural Committee to address local civil rights and related issues. The workshop is free and is open to students, parents and the general public. Menudo and pan dulce will be served. The workshop is being offered in an effort to enhance the capacity of participants and their constituents to address educational issues and answer questions parents and community leaders routinely ask about their dealings with various school districts. This includes one on one conflict resolution activities and formal mediation. Attorney Neave and Norma Sambrano Hennessy will share with participants their experiences with the R.L. Turner High School mentoring program written by Ms. Neave and funded by the Ford Foundation thru the National LULAC office. Ms. Kaiwi will focus on her experiences with the Garland School Independent Distirct and the multi-cultural committee she founded as well as her participation in mediation facilitated by the Community Relations Service, U.S. Department of Justice. To complement the training Lonita Munoz will sponsor an exhibit program (a la garage sale mode) with tables around the Ball Room where folks can sell their products and display their organizations. There will be a $20 charge for folks wishing to be a part of the exhibit and should contact Lonita 214-363-7414 or lmunoz2011@hotmail.com.