Item 3: Appt.Human Rights Comm. - Laserfiche WebLink

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2. What three major issues do you identify as facing the community of Eugene over the next 20 years? , One of the most emerging issues is the large increase in Eugene's Latino population. Eugene is going to have be ready to make the needed changes to make Eugene accessible to the ever growing number of Spanish speaking residents. We will need to make public services and facilities accessible to Spanish speakers. We will need to work to gain employers in Eugene to sustain the employment needs to Spanish speaking workers and we will need to be prepared to protect their rights in our community. Another issue Eugene will face is the constant struggle our underprivileged citizens have in getting needed services and housing. Social services locally and na~onally have been and will continue to face drastic cuts. This creates a larger homeless population, increase in unemployment, hunger, and an increase in crime and drug use. Eugene will have to work together as a community and with local non-profits to combat these issues at the local level. VVe can help to support after-school programs to provide care for working parents and to help keep kids out of crime and off of drugs in those critical after school hours. We can support our local food banks and help them to grow so that we can supply citizens with the most basic need, FOOD. VVe can support local agencies that help citizens gain employment and we can support new businesses coming into the area that would provide needed employment. Finally, we can all work together to gain more Iow- income and affordable housing for the residents of Eugene. Finally, the last but not least is the continuous debate in the community over the protection of the human rights of all the residents in Eugene. For the past several years, gender identity has been a very hot issue; we need to not let this issue be on the back burner any longer. VVe need to face that and all of the other extremely vital concerns of the community. The work to protect human rights can never be successful if people think we can have an issue deal with and be done. The only true way to be successful is to realize that this type of work is continuous and on-going, to face an issue and find a solution is great but the work to create a community inviting and accessible to all of its residents is constant and changing. 3. Members Of the Human Rights Commission represent the diversity of Eugene. Please describe your strengths and weakness related to group dynamics within a diverse group. First of all, I am a very dedicated member of this community. I have been involved in many community activities and organizations, not for any employment reasons but just because that is where my abilities can be best utilized. I am a graduate of the University o~ Oregon, with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a minor in Ethnic Studies. I have served as co-chair of the Department of Human Services, District 5, Diversity Committee (I was a member for 5 years). I am a current member of the Education and Outreach Committee for the EHRC and I was a member of the Lane County Human Rights Advisory Committee. I also helped to create the guidelines and training material regarding diversity for my employer and currently serve on the diversity committee for Catholic Community Services. I feel that one of my