ADVOCACY

Since 2006, the Idaho Human Rights Education Center has included policy advocacy in it's mission in order to advance human rights across the state. The Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial reminds us of the terrible cost of failing to act when action is required so Center leaders lend our civic voice to the policy arena when human rights are at stake.

Our Advocacy Work Includes:

• grassroots lobbying
• maintaining partnerships with other human rights groups (see below)
• holding policymakers accountable to human rights standards
• making community presentations on the human rights framework
• tours for lawmakers at the Memorial
• and speaking out in the Idaho Legislature

Our Advocacy Priorities Are:

• Equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Idahoans
• Justice for immigrant families

Our immigrant justice efforts include support of the Idaho Student Investment Act, farmworker pesticide safety, and the Welcoming Idaho Campaign, a project of the Idaho Community Action Network. The Center also collaborated with several local progessive organiztions to produce Facing Race: A 2009 Legislative Progress Report on Racial Equity in Idaho.

Our primary legislative focus since 2008 has been the amendment of the Idaho Human Rights Act (IHRA) to include sexual orientation and gender identity in the state's civil rights statute. Read our Idaho Statesman guest opinion on this proposed legislation. The Center is well respected for its human rights framework trainings. If you would like to schedule a presentation for your organization, please contact Amy Herzfeld at (208) 345-0304 or amy@idaho-humanrights.org.

The Center collaborates with the following organizations to advance human rights in Idaho:

• Ada County Human Rights Task Force
• American Civil Liberties Union of Idaho
• Canyon Area Human Rights Task Force
• Friends of Minidoka National Monument
• Idaho Black History Museum
• Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs
• Idaho Community Action Network
• Idaho Education Association
• Idaho Commission on Human Rights
• Idaho Inclusiveness Coalition
• Idahoans for Fairness
• Idaho Office for Refugees
• Idaho's Journey for Diversity Human Rights
• The Interfaith Alliance of Idaho
• Western States Center