Diversity Briefings Newsletter: November 8, 2010

Today’s New Diversity Topics: Two Immigrant Americans Honored, Texas A&M Diversity Conference Set This Week, The Holocaust and the Civil Rights Movement, School Warned Over Bullying, Black Legislators Lose Gains, Iowa Prosecutors Fight Free Speech, Fanatics Prefer Intolerance, Maps Errors Rekindle Border Conflict ,Using Correct Terms Increases Diversity Success

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Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 11/08/2010

Volume 1, Issue 13

Group Klopfer Diversity Consulting

Welcome back to Diversity Briefings. I hope you are enjoying these diversity stories and links. Please feel free to resend this Diversity newsletter on to friends and colleagues. If you would like to subscribe to receive daily updates, the form for Diversity Briefings is below. Also, if you have some extra time, take a look at the newdiversity and multicultural  glossary, upper left on this blog site. Take care and Good reading!

Susan Klopfer, editor and publisher

P.S. Again today -- look for a free gift offer inside today's issue!

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Today’s New Diversity Topics: Two Immigrant Americans Honored, Texas A&M Diversity Conference Set This Week, The Holocaust  and the Civil Rights Movement, School Warned Over Bullying, Black Legislators Lose Gains, Iowa Prosecutors Fight Free Speech, Fanatics Prefer Intolerance, Maps Errors Rekindle Border Conflict , Using Correct Terms Increases Diversity Success

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Upwardly Global Honors Two Immigrant Americans for Outstanding Leadership

NEW YORK, Nov. 8, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Upwardly Global, an internationally recognized nonprofit organization with a mission to eliminate barriers to professional workplace entry for foreign-educated immigrants and refugees in the United States, announced today the names of two influential immigrant Americans it will recognize at its annual 2010 Passport to Possibilities Gala, on Tuesday, November 16, 2010 at the Edison Ballroom. Deven Sharma, President of Standard & Poor's, and Mariam Assefa, Executive Director of World Education Services will receive the organization's prestigious Outstanding Leadership award for their personal and professional accomplishments elevating the profile of immigrant Americans as well as supporting diversity in the workplace. This story continues --

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/upwardly-global-honors-two-immigrant-americans-for-outstanding-leadership-106882683.html

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Big 12 Diversity Conference To Be Held At Texas A&M Nov. 12-13

COLLEGE STATION, Nov. 8, 2010 – Texas A&M University will host the annual Big 12 Diversity Conference Nov. 12-13, bringing together the chief diversity officers in the top-tier athletic conference that includes schools in seven states. The keynote address will be delivered by William Harvey, provost and vice president for academic and student affairs at Rosemont College and formerly vice president for diversity and equity at the University of Virginia. Stanley said Harvey is expected to share examples of successful initiatives and best practices and discuss methods for collaborating on strategies that support institution-wide diversity agendas. Continued --

http://tamunews.tamu.edu/2010/11/08/big-12-diversity-conference-to-be-held-at-texas-am-nov-12-13/

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Speakers link start of Holocaust to civil rights movement in the South

Rabbi Alvin Wainhaus : "It all came to a head on Kristallnacht, during which police and firemen were instructed not to intervene except to safeguard German citizens and their property," the rabbi said. "Sixty thousand Jewish males were sent to concentration camps that night, the start of the Holocaust. That event took place in darkness but the second was in broad daylight. That event turned out to be a tipping point toward justice and dignity for all people."

Joseph McNeil: "We didn't want to be carried out in a pine box, but it was a possibility,"one of the four Greensboro, N.C. students who led the nonviolent protest in 1960.

Here is more --

http://www.newstimes.com/news/article/Speaker-links-start-of-Holocaust-to-civil-rights-802408.php

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U.S. Dept. of Education Warns Schools Over Bullying; Protects Gay Students For 1st Time

Joseph DiSalvo  of The San Jose Inside writes: The US Department of Education’s Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Russlyn Ali, in a new advisory released Oct. 26, warns that schools can lose federal dollars if they do not comply with the civil rights laws to protect gay students. It has been a traditional Office of Civil Rights policy to protect US students against discrimination based on race, gender, religion, national origin and disability, however this is the first time a government advisory mentions LGBT discrimination. Here is more --

http://www.sanjoseinside.com/news/entries/11_04_10_end_anti-gay_bullying_in_schools/

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Alabama civil rights attorney fears loss of gains by black legislators

Tuesday's elections marked the 40th anniversary of the election of the first African-American lawmakers to serve in the Alabama Legislature since Reconstruction.The year was 1970, and Fred Gray Sr. had already gained fame as a civil rights attorney. Gray, a son of Montgomery, was actively keeping the secret pact that he had made with himself to become an attorney and "destroy everything segre­gated (he) could find" in Alabama. This article continues --

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20101107/NEWS02/11070360/Civil-rights-attorney-Gray-fears-loss-of-gains-by-black-legislators

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First Amendment Rights: Iowa Prosecutors Ask Court to Ban Peaceful Protestors

Prosecutors in Polk County Iowa have requested the court ban two anti-war protestors from the Federal Building in Des Moines after their arrest for trespassing. One of the activists, Christine Gaunt of Grinnell, Iowa, has been staging non-violent protests against the continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in the offices of Sen. Tom Harkin (D) and Sen. Charles Grassley (R) for the past eight months.

The Right to Petition Your Government

Civil rights advocates have expressed concern about the request questioning whether such a move represents a violation of the First Amendment, which guarantees American citizens the right to free speech and the right to petition the government.

Continued --

http://www.care2.com/causes/civil-rights/blog/prosecutors-request-court-to-ban-protestors-from-federal-building/

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Receive a free inspirational quote every day from me. Just visit

http://www.quoteactions.com/a/profile/841 

for information. Lots of my friends are enjoying this free gift.

Susan

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Do America’s religious fanatics prefer intolerance over civil rights?

Blog Eideard: "If you want to understand how the Taliban thinks, you need look no further than America’s fundamentalist army of fanatics. Free thought and education are meaningless to ideological cave-dwellers who would not allow processes that differ with theirs..."

http://eideard.wordpress.com/2010/11/07/americas-religious-fanatics-prefer-intolerance-over-civil-rights/

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Still More Diversity Notes

Google Maps errors rekindle border conflict between Nicaragua and Costa Rica

Google Maps error is being blamed for Nicaraguan troops accidentally invading Costa Rica last week. The troops have been accused of crossing the hotly disputed Nicaragua border into Costa Rica in Central America and setting up camp for the night after taking down a Costa Rican flag and raising the Nicaraguan flag.

http://en.mercopress.com/2010/11/08/google-maps-errors-rekindle-border-conflict-between-nicaragua-and-costa-rica?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily


Diversity Management Tip of the Day

Working Harder at Using Correct Terms Increases Diversity Success


Susan Klopfer writes:

Ana is talking with one of her team members about a newly employed woman who has a "strange" last name. "I wonder where she's from. I'll bet you she's an illegal alien," Ana whispers to a co-worker.

But Ana receives an unexpected reaction from a nearby team member, who has been listening in to the conversation.

"Say, wait a minute. My name isn't so common, and I was born in Oregon," Jan Ishi calls over to Ana and her friend. "You had better be careful what you're calling someone at work!"

"Oh I didn't mean anything bad, especially about you," Ana says, as she grabs her coffee and leaves the room red-faced.

http://www.submityourarticle.com/articles/Susan-Klopfer-7986/diversity-128763.php

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Feel Free to pass this Diversity Briefings Newsletter on to your co-workers and others. Thank you for visiting the Diversity Briefings website. Please note that the information located on our site is general and not intended to provide specific legal advice. You should consult with an attorney and not rely on any information contained herein regarding your specific situation.

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Diversity Briefings: 11/2/2010

Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 11/2/2010

Volume 1, Issue 9

Group Klopfer Diversity Consulting

Susan Klopfer, editor and publisher

It's great to see you here. I hope you are enjoying the stories and links. Please feel free to resend this Diversity newsletter on to friends and colleagues. If you would like to subscribe to receive daily updates, the form for Diversity Briefings is below. Good reading!

And remember ... It's Election Day—Get Out And Vote!

The midterm elections held today will determine who controls Congress and have a profound impact on redistricting. Be sure to make your voice heard.

Susan Klopfer

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Today’s New Topics:  Searching for Religious Freedom, Mix It Up Day, Australian Pride in Diversity, Families and Job Interviews, Discrimination on Appearance, Juan Williams Redux, New Business in Battling Office Bullies, Spaghetti Wednesdays and Cultural Roots
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Searching for Religious Freedom

The Hutterites, members of a small Christian group in the United States and Canada, are no strangers to persecution. The most recent Teaching Tolerance magazine includes a short article about Hutterites.
Continued --
http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-38-fall-2010/war-peaceful?newsletter=TT110210

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Are You Ready to Mix It Up?

If you haven't signed up for Mix It Up at Lunch Day yet, there's no time to waste. Add your school to the Mix It Up map now. You'll be joining thousands of other schools across the country as they help students cross social barriers and shake up cliques. National Mix It Up at Lunch Day will take place Nov. 9—next Tuesday.
Continued --
http://www.tolerance.org/mix-it-up/map?newsletter=TT110210

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Australian Federal Police Sponsor implementation of Australian Equity Index Through Pride in Diversity

The Australian Federal Police today launched the Australian Workplace Equality Index, a measure which aims to ensure gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees always enjoy a safe and supportive workplace.
Continued --
http://www.news4us.com/the-australian-federal-police-sponsor-the-implementation-of-the-australian-equity-index-through-pride-in-diversity-australia/222779/

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"How's the Family?": Family-Responsibilities Discrimination In Job Interviews

By now, most interviewers know it is inappropriate to ask in an interview: “How old are you” (you can ask if the person is 18 years of age or older) or “Do you celebrate Ramadan?”  There is another danger zone in interviewing, which is often unrecognized by employers but which can get them into just as much trouble: questions pertaining to an applicant’s family or family responsibilities.
Click here to continue -- http://www.delawareemploymentlawblog.com/2010/11/hows_the_family_familyresponsi.html

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Beauty And The Bias

The controversy over discrimination in employment based on appearance is heating up again. Newsweek recently ran a special report entitled "The Beauty Advantage" that included a survey of hiring managers, 57% of whom said qualified but unattractive candidates will have a harder time landing a job. More than half of the managers in the survey advised job applicants to invest time and money in "making sure they look attractive" instead of on polishing a resume. In addition, Stanford law professor Deborah Rhode has authored a new book entitled The Beauty Bias that decries appearance discrimination and urges legal reforms to prohibit it.

Click here to continue --
http://www.laborlawyers.com/showarticle.aspx?Beauty-And-The-Bias&Ref=list&Type=1119&Cat=3386&Show=13361

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Why bias shows up in surprising places

The debate on the firing of commentator Juan Williams from NPR has addressed virtually every aspect of the topic. But it’s a good illustration of an issue that comes up in the workplace when discrimination and discriminatory words come into play: People somehow think that members of certain groups are incapable of insensitivity.
To continue click here --
http://www.kansascity.com/2010/11/01/2380392/why-bias-shows-up-in-surprising.html

Still More Notes

There's big business in battling office bullies:

With his goatee, Darth Vader-sized bald head, and an NFL lineman's build, Gary Namie doesn't look like someone to mess with. And in his case, appearances do not deceive. Namie has carved out a tough niche — he's the guy who bullies the office bullies. Two weeks ago in San Francisco he and his wife, Ruth, were set to give a keynote address at a seminar hosted by a group called California Healthy Workplace Advocates. They were scheduled for a similar event the next day in Sacramento. At $10,000 per appearance, the Namies are becoming the Sarah and Todd Palin of the rapidly expanding office bullying universe — a universe that owes its existence, in large part, to the Namies.
To learn more continue here --
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39914851/ns/business-bloomberg_businessweek/

Diversity Management Tip of the Day

'Don't Miss Wednesday Spaghetti'; Managing Diversity Takes Companies To Their Cultural Roots

If the idea of managing diversity has piqued your company's interest, here are several critical questions to consider: What basic assumptions drive your organization − what makes life tick at your place of business? What fundamental understandings do people quickly learn that help them fit in and work in acceptable ways, and how are these assumptions passed on to employees?

The assumptions that drive life in corporations are different from values and traditions, which are usually made clear in some way. Once I applied to work as an intern for a company that celebrated "Spaghetti Wednesdays" in the corporate lunchroom. I was told about the tradition when interviewed for the job and I still believe to this day if a person would have revealed they didn't like spaghetti, they would not have been hired!

Susan's article on Diversity continues here -- http://www.submityourarticle.com/articles/Susan-Klopfer-7986/diversity-119115.php

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Feel Free to pass this Diversity Briefings Newsletter on to your co-workers and others. Thank you for visiting the Diversity Briefings website. Please note that the information located on our site is general and not intended to provide specific legal advice. You should consult with an attorney and not rely on any information contained herein regarding your specific situation.

You can subscribe to Diversity Briefings:


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Diversity Briefings: 10/25/2010

Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 10/25/2010

Volume 1, Issue 4
Group Klopfer Diversity Consulting
Susan Klopfer, editor and publisher

Today’s Topics: constitutional issues in gay marriage; China moving closer to civil rights?; religious freedom of roomates; Juan Williams, Part II; Islam and peace, a conversation; too complicated for diversity?

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A federal law suit filed last year by two California same-sex couples (one gay; one lesbian) has raised constitutional issues in the gay marriage context and is unfolding in a momentous trial. In Massachusetts, another federal case tests whether a federal statutory provision that draws a sexual-preference distinction is constitutional; California sees advantages of immigrants

To continue, click here

http://healthnew.org/2010/10/same-sex-marriage-cases-go-constitutional/

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The world is watching China as its leadership works towards improving the human rights situation in the country and allows individual political and civil freedoms to flourish just as much as economic freedom, said a UN human rights official.

To continue, click here

Read more: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/?id=452604&type=Opinion

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A civil rights complaint has been filed against a woman in Grand Rapids, Mich., who posted an advertisement at her church last July seeking a Christian roommate. The ad "expresses an illegal preference for a Christian roommate, thus excluding people of other faiths, according to the complaint filed by the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan.

To continue, click here

http://theblogprof.blogspot.com/2010/10/civil-rights-complaint-filed-against-mi.html

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A public opinion poll from the Los Angeles Times and the University of Southern California shows that 48% of voters who will be going to the ballot box next November 2 believe immigration is advantageous for the state.

To continue, click here

http://en.mercopress.com/2010/10/25/california-voters-support-undocumented-immigrants-as-advantageous?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily

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The uproar surrounding National Public Radio's decision to terminate Juan Williams' contract is partly a reflection of changing standards in journalism and an evolving understanding of the line between news analysis and commentary, according to one former media insider.

To continue, click here

http://www.blogger.com/goog_1080272004

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More Notes

Islam is a religion of peace, or it isn't? Imam Khalid Latif is a chaplain for New York University and Executive Director of NYU's Islamic Center. Last week, New York University hosted the Intelligence Squared Debates at its Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. Four panelists, two for and two against, presented arguments on the motion of "Islam Is a Religion of Peace."

Keep reading at http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/10/11/my-take-islam-is-a-religion-of-peace-or-it-isnt/?iref=allsearch

Diversity Management Tip of the Day

Aren't associated management problems such as resistance and conflict making diversity too difficult to adopt by most organizations? It's a good question to ask, and two popular diversity spokespeople state diversity is clearly possibile, as long as leaders are well educated in the requisite skills for managing it.

Consider the imaginary XYZ Company - a useful model for understanding diversity. During the last ten years XYZ has experienced at every level an increase in the number of women and people of color. One department, previously all male, transitioned to 35 percent female. Mid-management, formerly almost entirely comprised of white males, now includes 30 percent people of color - from African American to Latinos and members of the LGBT community…

Continue this article by Susan Klofer at

http://www.submityourarticle.com/articles/Susan-Klopfer-7986/diversity-122620.php

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Feel Free to pass this Diversity Briefings Newsletter on to your co-workers and others. Thank you for visiting the Diversity Briefings website. Please note that the information located on our site is general and not intended to provide specific legal advice. You should consult with an attorney and not rely on any information contained herein regarding your specific situation.


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Enter your email address:


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