For More Information Contact:
Colleen Pillus
(845) 486-2000
E-mail: cpillus@dutchessny.gov
Poughkeepsie…The Dutchess County Human Rights Commission will host its third event in the “Listening Session Series” on Thursday, September 28th at the Red Hook Community Center, located at 59 Fisk Street in Red Hook, from 6:00pm to 7:30pm. The listening sessions are opportunities for community members to meet with members of the Human Rights Commission and discuss the issues that concern them most in their community. The Listening Sessions are part of a series of initiatives the Human Rights Commission has launched as part of its stated mission of “Protecting Human Rights, Building Bridges, and Embracing Diversity.”
Previous Listening Sessions were held over the summer in Millerton and Beacon and several residents took advantage of the opportunity to share their thoughts and concerns. Conversation included the need for cross cultural dialogue, affordable and safe housing, transportation in rural areas to reduce isolation, issues impacting veterans, diversity in employment and accessibility for people of all abilities.
Other initiatives organized or co-organized by the Commission include the “100 Cups of Coffee” Transformative Dialogue Project in the City of Poughkeepsie, in collaboration with the Northern Dutchess NAACP and the Dutchess County Interfaith Council, and the Hudson Valley observance of International Human Rights Day. The 2016 International Human Rights Day event was held in December in partnership with the Franklin D Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum, the Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill, and the United Nations Association of the Mid-Hudson Valley. The 2017 International Human Rights Day event is scheduled for December 8th, 2017.
The next listening session is scheduled for Wednesday, October 11th at the Fishkill Recreation Center, located at 793 Route 52 in Fishkill, from 5:00pm to 6:30pm.
For more information about the Dutchess County Human Rights Commission, upcoming events, or about membership on the Commission, please visit www.dutchessny.gov/humanrights.
