A Primer on Prayer at Graduation Ceremonies
It's graduation time! Citizens Project congratulates all soon-to-be graduates on your achievements.
Students, parents, and school district personnel alike may be wondering about the appropriate role for prayer in graduation ceremonies. Citizens Project has prepared a brief informational primer to clarify the issue. The bottom line?
Organized prayer in the
public school setting, whether in the classroom or at a school-sponsored event,
is unconstitutional.
The only type of prayer that is constitutionally
permissible is private, voluntary student prayer that does not interfere with
the school's educational mission.
Read the full Primer...
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Upcoming Events
Progressive Meet and Greet with The Center for Progressive Leadership
Friday, May 29
5:30pm - 7:30pm
Gay and Lesbian Fund in Colorado Springs
315 East Costilla St.
Colorado Springs 80903
RSVP BY 5-26-09 to Cecile: cjohnson@progressiveleaders.org
Inside Out Youth Services
Golf Tournament
Friday, June 26, 2009
Cheyenne Shadows Golf Club
Fort Carson
Shotgun start at 8 am
4-person scramble
$95 per person
Tournament fee includes breakfast, 18 holes golf, cart, gift bag, lunch and free future round of golf prizes, course games, live auction
CS Society for Human Resources Management
Fall Diversity Conference Colorado Springs Society for Human Resources Management (CSSHRM), in partnership with the Colorado Springs Diversity Forum, will host a Diversity Conference in Fall of 2009. We are currently recruiting speakers and participants. If you are interested in either of these opportunities, please contact CSSHRM Diversity Chair
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Articles of Interest
ABC News
May 5, 2009
CNN
April 29, 2009
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Citizens Project Thanks Our Partners:
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Immigration and Gangs: Making our Community Safer
By Megumi Nakamura
As a community organizer in Colorado Springs, I thought it strange that there is hardly any mention of gangs in public - I have actually come across people who don't believe gangs exist in our city. However, my organization, the Pikes Peak Immigrant and Refugee Collaborative (PPIRC), which works toward immigrant integration, is aware that gangs are in fact present in our community, and that we must not ignore them. So, we decided to host a community forum dedicated to this "taboo" subject, and we invited guest speaker Sam Quiñones, a Los Angeles Times reporter and best-selling author who has covered gangs in both the US and Mexico for more than 20 years.
The Community Forum, held April 9th at the Penrose Library in downtown Colorado Springs, drew 75 people including students, educators, faith leaders, media representatives, community members, and police officers. We used an interview-style format for the presentation, and I began by asking Quiñones to address the relationship between immigration and gangs. He explained that, although immigration doesn't equal gangs, immigration has had a significant effect on gang formations. Newly-arrived immigrants have historically been marginalized and somewhat segregated in their new communities; consequently, they sometimes felt the need to "protect their own" and organize neighborhood watches, which sometimes grew into violent gangs. There is always a spectrum of involvement, however, with some gang members being more violent and "committed" to their work than others. Throughout our conversation, Quiñones emphasized the need to put more effort into saving the gang wanna-bes, "the kids who haven't committed social suicide by tattooing devil horns on their foreheads," but who want to be seen as "tough guys". Quiñones believes that if we can strictly enforce the law on these individuals and give them a wake-up call when they are young teenagers, they have a much better chance to escape a future in gangs.
To begin helping our local youth stay away from gangs, we need to acknowledge that Colorado Springs has a gang problem - not a major problem - but a problem nonetheless. Quiñones' presentation made it clear that we need to begin addressing gangs now, before it becomes a huge problem. To be successful, there must be collaborative efforts between the community and the police department, with special consideration given to diverse populations, particularly immigrant communities. One major roadblock is the perception of the police. Immigrants are often afraid of men in uniforms because in their home countries men in uniforms are often corrupt, brutal, abusive, incompetent, and lazy. If these negative stereotypes are to be challenged, our local police officers must continue to build strong relationships with the immigrant community. Likewise, we as community members must encourage a two-way street, and work together to make our community a safe place where all children can succeed.
Whenever Quiñones reflects on "good cops," he mentions a police officer he knew in L.A. named Dale Wagner. The gang members that Wagner dealt with respected him because they knew he would do his job and lock them up if they broke the law, but they also knew he would advocate for the kids who needed a second chance. Every child is different, and Quiñones admits that there's no formula to keep youth away from gangs, but he strongly believes that communities can make a difference by bridging the communication lines between youth and the police department - always letting kids know that there are no excuses for bad behavior, but if they're willing to change, there are people that will help them, people like their families, community leaders, their churches, and police officers. The Colorado Springs Police Department has already taken an interest, and the PPIRC is currently organizing a follow-up session to bring a diverse group together to help make Colorado Springs a safer and stronger community.
If you are interested in getting more involved, please contact the PPIRC: megumi@ccharitiescs.org / 719.866.6510.
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Citizens Project's 5th Annual
Creating Community Breakfast!
7:30-8:30am - FREE
Bigg City Event Center, 5825 Mark Dabling Blvd, 80919
Mark your calendar and save the date for the Creating Community Breakfast - one of the most inspiring and motivating events you'll attend all year! This fun and free fundraising breakfast will feature speakers, musical entertainment and a few surprises. Join more than 400 community members to learn more about the work Citizens Project is doing in the Pikes Peak region to promote equal rights, diversity, religious freedom through separation of church and state and civic engagement.
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Religious Banners Posted on City Light Poles
"Jesus Is Alive" banners have been posted on thirteen city owned light poles in downtown Colorado Springs, in an apparent violation of the separation of church and state. After Citizens Project received a complaint about them, our inquiries to the city uncovered a surprising fact: there is no current policy with regard to who can post banners and what content is allowed. However, the city is planning to put together a citizens committee to work over the summer to draft guidelines, and Citizens Project was invited to join. We will advocate for a policy that respects everyone's religious freedom by not allowing tax dollars to promote any one religious faith, while ensuring that churches are free to post their messages on their own property. Please let us know if you are interested in participating. Citizens Project welcomes reports of any violations of separation of church and state, and we'll ensure a strong community voice to protect religious freedom.
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Election Contributions
The Colorado Springs Gazette recently created a searchable online database listing campaign contributions for the April 7, 2009 municipal election. Find out who contributed to which campaigns here.
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Committee Opportunities
TOPS seeks new working committee members
The City of Colorado Springs Parks and Recreation Advisory Board seeks applicants for the TOPS Working Committee. The committee determines spending priorities for the Trails, Open Space and Parks sales tax, which is the one-tenth percent sales tax approved by voters in 1997.
The group meets biweekly or once a month depending on the volume of applications or projects. City Council will have the final authority on land acquisition and approval of the budget for TOPS-related projects.
Interested citizens should meet any or all of the following criteria:
· Have involvement with an organization dedicated to promoting trails, parks, or open space.
· Live within the city limits of Colorado Springs.
· Demonstrate an interest associated with parks, trails or open space.
To apply, send a one-page resume outlining the above qualifications and a one-page answer on why you want to serve on the TOPS Working Committee. Please indicate your Council District number on your letter. Send all information to Chris Lieber, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services; 1401 Recreation Way; Colorado Springs, CO 80905 before Friday, May 15, 2009.
For more information, call Chris Lieber, TOPS Program Manager, with the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department at 385-6530.
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