Item 6: Interim Appointment to Human Rights Commission

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~:>!- 3. A1..f.!.r!.lN.r;i of the Human Rigf!!~..Crl!.1Jt!lission represent the di}!.fD~tfY.__Qt:Jj,ugene. p lea<;e tii?~~r::rjPfJ!(llJ.r../i/rengths and weakfJ.g!..,'i.f,'i..r.dq/fl4...t....Q. group dvnamic.LwM!Jil1 ~Ldi.l!.erse group. .. The key weakness I see is simply the matter that we all face: we are usually born and bred as members of a distinct group, and have grown to identify levels of trust and safety among those with whom we share amnities. I think the ongoing battle against the tendency to view "the other" as the lesser or the threat is largely a matter of education. The US Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the International Declaration on Human Rights, to name three, need to be learned. So the weakness I would see is that the learning process is never complete. It is a continuous challenge. · My strengths with n.~gard to group dynamics are several. With regard to the foHowing, I see my strengths in \vorking \"lith people aided by these factors: t J have lived and traveled in many cultures and drastically different physical environments. I have watched or been part of local issues (problems and solutions) in rnost of these environments. r come at life \vith a need to observe" learn and try to improve things. 11. I enjoy and even thirst for individual differences, so I don't naturally come at situations of change or differing outlooks or experiences as problems. lH. As an enemy of author Ayn Rand's "philosophy" of objectivism, I am dedicated to altruism as a sought-for and rewarded community virtue. As a result, I think I find altruisrn vs. self1shness easier to identity in the dynamics of group interaction, which makes it easier to work with as an Issue IV. As an HIV-positive gay man, I understand a lot about the p(~rsonal and collective experiences of being a minority within a dominant group. Tlus has informed me a great deal about prejudice, institutional discrimination and fear-based behaviors and attitudes. I think this exposure has been a strong factor in my success dealing with group dynamics. v. And finally, but not least, I am helped by my wide exposure to our capitalist system. r gmw up very poor (.tinanciaUy), eamed my own education, drove myself to experience the world as a whole, traveled widely, earned a good living, and have been through the continuum of poverty-thru-sustainability. I have worked tor .financial institutions tor a good chunk of my career" and have grown to understand some key differences between real and apparent capital activity. This background, too, helps me to maintain equilibrium in group d)'11amics.