New Mexico Human Rights Coalition - challenging affronts and injustices to human rights, human dignity and equality

Adelante Development Center began in 1978, when six families joined to provide an enriching, high-quality environment for their adult children with autism. Originally called the Teaching Home, the agency grew steadily, expanding to serve people with a variety of disabilities. In 1980, the name was changed to Adelante Development Center. Today, it provides comprehensive services to more than 600 people with disabilities in Bernalillo, Sandoval, and Valencia counties.

The Albuquerque Human Rights Office (AHRO) is a city agency that enforces the Human Rights Ordinance of 1974 which prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. The ordinance protects those who believe that they have been discriminated against because of their race, color, religion, sex, national origin or ancestry, age, or disability. Anyone who wishes to challenge discriminatory or unequal treatment may contact the Albuquerque Human Rights Office to seek advice or discuss filing a complaint. The office will advise individuals of avenues for resolution of complaints or refer them to other appropriate agencies. Visit the AHRO website: www.cabq.gov/humanrights/

Albuquerque Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) promotes the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons, their families and friends through support to cope with an adverse society, education to enlighten an ill-informed public, and advocacy to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights. PFLAG provides the opportunity for dialogue about sexual orientation and gender identity and acts to create a society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity. We offer a helpline at 505-873-7373. For more information about our activities and our monthly meetings, please see our website at: www.pflagabq.org.

The ACLU of New Mexico, founded in 1962, protects and advances our rights under the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution. The ACLU-NM is perhaps best known for the lawsuits it sponsors to defend people against major, systemic abuse of civil liberties. Contact Peter Simonson, executive director, 266-5915. Visit our website at aclu-nm.org.

Americans for Indian Opportunity (AIO) catalyzes and facilitates culturally appropriate initiatives and opportunities that enrich the cultural, political and economic lives of indigenous peoples. Founded by LaDonna Harris (Comanche) in 1970, AIO draws upon traditional indigenous values to foster enlightened and responsible leadership, inspire stakeholder-driven solutions, and convene visionary leaders to probe contemporary issues and address challenges of the new century. See our website www.aio.org.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is an international organization that fights prejudice, discrimination, and anti-Semitism worldwide. In New Mexico, a statewide board of directors represents Albuquerque, Carlsbad, Los Alamos, Roswell, Santa Fe, and Las Cruces.

The ADL investigates and exposes extremists of the right and left.; safeguards religious freedoms and the separation of church and state; builds bridges of understanding among racial, religious and ethnic groups; fights discrimination in education, housing, employment and public accommodations; champions and protects civil rights; exposes and analyzes anti-democratic individuals and organizations to inform law enforcers, lawmakers, opinion-molders and the public; provides educational programs for academic, religious, corporate and civil leaders to deal sensitively with the increasing diversity in American life.

For further information, contact Susan Seligman, regional director, 505-823-2712, P.O. Box 21639, Albuquerque. NM 87154, new-mexico@adl.org or www.ADL.org.

This community based organization is dedicated to serving the needs and promoting the rights of Spanish-speaking immigrants in Albuquerque with a focus on serving victims of domestic violence.

ENLACE’s mission is to work with Latino immigrants to eliminate domestic violence and strengthen their community. Our target population is low income Latino immigrant families in Albuquerque, and our focus is on domestic violence and community development in the immigrant community.

The mission of Equality New Mexico is threefold: to create an environment where sexual orientation and gender identity/expression are protected by law; to strengthen community networks; and to create coalitions between and among organizations.

It is a federation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT), and allied organizations from throughout New Mexico that support full civil rights and an end to discrimination in all forms for all people. The coalition works to ensure that all LGBT people and their families can live their lives openly and proudly without fear of violence or discrimination. Equality New Mexico, visit our Web site at www.eqnm.org, or call us at 244-0201.

Founded in 1929, the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) is the nation’s largest and oldest Asian American civil rights organization (www.nmjacl.org).

The primary focus of the league has been and continues to be to protect and fight for the civil and human rights of all people in and outside of New Mexico. However, the organization also recognizes the importance of education and promotion of the Japanese culture, as New Mexico is a multicultural state. Members strive to be “Better Americans in a Greater America.”

The Jewish Federation of Greater Albuquerque serves the needs of Jews locally, nationally, and worldwide by promoting and supporting the continuation of Jewish culture, identity, and community. The local federation is one element in a global network of federations that share these common goals.

The federation accomplishes its goals by coordinating and planning for the development of a strong and viable local Jewish community. For further information, contact the Jewish Federation of Greater Albuquerque at 505-821-3214, 5520 Wyoming Blvd, NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109.

This non-profit organization is dedicated to the upward mobility of Hispanic women and their children in New Mexico. Education, employment, health, equity for women, and fostering cultural awareness are issues we address.

The mission of the NAACP, the oldest civil rights organization in the country, is “to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination.” The history of the NAACP in the United States ranges from investigating and protesting segregation and discrimination to providing testimony before congressional committees on issues such as tactics used to bar Blacks from voting.

The Rio Rancho Northwest Mesa NAACP Branch is in full swing. The Branch meets on the 3rd Saturday of each month at the Taylor Ranch Community Center, 4900 Kachina Road NW, Albuquerque. The executive committee meets at 10 a.m. with general membership at 11.

The Branch work includes civil rights issues, senior citizen assistance, increase membership and of course involvement of the youth in all areas of the Branch. Through the assistance of the Branch several citizens were assisted with a variety of issues including employment, education, and health through calendar year 2006. The Branch will continue to assist all citizens in specific areas of the Branch’s expertise or will assist in providing appropriate referral service. For more information contact Charles Mayfield at 505-379-7792

The National Lawyers Guild, founded in 1937 when the American Bar Association would not admit blacks nor support the New Deal programs, is dedicated to the need for basic change in the structure of our political and economic system. It unites lawyers, law students, and legal workers as an effective political and social force in the service of people. Our aims are to: eliminate racism; safeguard and strengthen the rights of workers, women, farmers and minority groups, upon whom the welfare of the entire nation depends; maintain and protect our civil rights and liberties in the face of persistent attacks upon them, and use the law as an instrument for protection of people, rather than for their repression.

Our peace project counsels groups on human rights, represents demonstrators, and gives talks to schools and peace groups. Please see blog at website http://nlgnm.blogspot.com.

The New Mexico State National Organization for Women and the Albuquerque NOW Chapter are both affiliated with NOW in Washington, D.C.

National NOW began when Pauli Murray, an African American feminist and Episcopalian minister, suggested to Feminine Mystique author Betty Friedan in the mid-1960s that women needed a group to advocate on their behalf.

NOW’s official statement of purpose, which Friedan scribbled on a napkin, remains the same today: “to take action to bring women into the full participation in the mainstream of American society now, exercising all privileges and responsibilities thereof in truly equal partnership with men.”

The Albuquerque chapter meets every second Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Towers Apartments party room (5404 Montgomery NE between San Mateo and San Pedro NE). Men and women are welcome. For additional information, contact Bonnie Rucobo at (505) 889-4672.

The New Mexico Conference of Churches (NMCC) began in 1965 with a mission to bring understanding and reconciliation among churches and provide justice and quality of life for all New Mexicans.

Together member churches of the NMCC represent over 600,000 New Mexicans. Visit our website: www.nmchurches.org.

The New Mexico Holocaust & Intolerance Museum, founded in 1998, is located in Albuquerque. A local nonprofit corporation, it is a national institute for the prevention of hate and intolerance through education. New Mexico and the City of Albuquerque are truly multicultural mosaics. The museum recognizes the many forms of hate and intolerance which have occurred throughout history and includes exhibits on not only the Jewish Holocaust, but also the Native American Cultural Genocide, Armenian and Greek genocides, the Bataan Death March and Black slavery.

The museum also brings important traveling and changing exhibits to Albuquerque throughout the year. Artifacts, memorabilia, pictures, artwork, documents and a library/research center for local educators are on display, as well as a speakers bureau, which sends speakers to schools and community organizations throughout the state. The museum ships boxes of educational materials to schools across New Mexico free of charge and in 2005 funded 50 busloads of Albuquerque Public School students for field visits to the museum. Plans are being made for a series of multi-cultural events in Albuquerque that will serve to build bridges of friendship and understanding across diverse cultural groups. Admission to Museum is free and open to the public. Volunteers are always needed by the museum and funding comes from private contributions and grants. The museum is located at 415 Central Avenue NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico, phone (505) 247-0606. Visit our website: www.nmholocaustmuseum.org.

New Mexico Voices for Children (NM Voices) is a statewide policy advocacy organization that advocates for policies, and oversees community-based programs, to make New Mexico a place where all children can thrive. The work of NM Voices is guided by four core values (economic justice; healthy communities; anti-discrimination; and citizen participation) and focuses on a range of issues, such as tax policy; funding for essential programs like Medicaid, education and child care subsidies; youth development; anti-bullying programs; community mobilization against substance abuse; and child abuse and neglect. Much of the organization’s work addresses the underlying problem of poverty in New Mexico.

For more information about New Mexico Voices for Children visit our website at www.nmvoices.org.

The Rape Crisis Center of Central New Mexico has been providing services to for those who have experienced sexual assault for 34 years. The mission is to provide support and advocacy to survivors of sexual assault and abuse within central New Mexico, and to serve as a community resource on issues regarding prevention and awareness of sexual violence.

The Center provides emotional support and advocacy to people who have been sexually assaulted in any way, regardless of when the sexual assault or sexual abuse occurred. Services are free of charge, confidential and available in English and Spanish.

For further information, contact Bette Fleishman, Executive Director, (505) 266-7711, 1025 Hermosa SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106. Visit our website at: www.rape-crisiscnm.org.

Somos un Pueblo Unido was founded in 1995 with the purpose of protecting and expanding immigrants’ rights in New Mexico. Because we believe that every person should have the freedom to move in order to pursue a better life, Somos works to build a community that does not discriminate against people based on their national origin, that institutes humane immigration polices, and that protects the human rights of everyone irrespective of where they are born or what documents they carry.

With a membership base of over 500 people, Somos is actively committed to preparing immigrant leaders to create institutional change through its programs, which include: Civil Rights Project, Immigrant Policy Project, Civil Rights Youth Initiative, Workers Rights Project, Immigrants’ Rights Center and Proyecto Vivienda Digna, a renter’s rights project.

The Arc of New Mexico is a statewide not-for-profit organization that advocates on behalf of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. Affiliated with the Arc of the United States, The Arc of New Mexico has nine local chapters. The mission is to improve the quality of life for individuals with developmental disabilities of all ages by advocating for equal opportunities and choices in where and how they learn, live, work, play, and socialize.

For further information contact The Arc of New Mexico at 3655 Carlisle NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87110. Phone: (505) 883-4630 or toll-free in New Mexico 1-800-358-6493. Website: www.arcnm.org.

United South Broadway Corporation (USBC) is a local Community Development Corporation that works with older historic neighborhoods to address housing opportunities, commercial revitalization, crime prevention and youth development. USBC was established in 1986 as a non-profit CDC that grew out of a neighborhood driven initiative.

The goals for USBC are to increase the availability of quality affordable housing for people with low- and moderate-incomes; develop models for center-city neighborhood commercial revitalization; develop comprehensive solutions to revitalize inner-city civic infrastructures and preserve neighborhoods and end displacement of local residents; provide comprehensive homebuyer’s education for individuals and families seeking home-ownership opportunities; and provide support to neighborhood driven initiatives in the area of education, service learning and crime prevention.

NMHRC Member Organizations and Agencies