All posts filed under: Human Rights

Podcast – Politics of Choice in San Diego, Why Planned Parenthood Matters

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Nora Vargas led a wide-ranging discussion on the politics of choice in San Diego County, why Planned Parenthood matters, and plans for this election cycle. She also provided details on her start in San Diego activism and history with clubmember Anne Hoiberg. We encourage you to subscribe to our Podcast channel here. You can also find us on the iTunes Store just search for Point Loma & OB Dems or click here, as well as on Stitcher. Recordings used during the discussion do not contain explicit language. Music used by kind permission of the Oily Buoys. What are Podcasts? Our podcasts are edited recordings of our meetings made freely available on the Internet. They’ll usually be audio but we may make video recordings available as well. One-third of all Americans (12 years of age or older) have listened to a podcast according to Pew Research on Podcasts. Our podcasts are a great way to share information from our guest speakers for free and enable us to reach a wider audience. We hope you enjoy our podcasts. Let us know what you think in the comments.

May 22 – Politics of Choice in San Diego, Why Planned Parenthood Matters

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Nora Vargas, the VP of Community and Government Relations department of Planned Parenthood Action Fund of the Pacific Southwest will be speaking about the politics of choice in San Diego County, why Planned Parenthood matters, and she will share some of our electoral plans for this election cycle. Nora E. Vargas is an accomplished public affairs and political management professional, with over fourteen years of experience working with government entities, NGO’s, foundations, corporations, grass tops and grassroots organizing. Chair of the Board, Hispanics Organized for Political Equality (HOPE) Governing Board Member at Southwestern Community College District Vice President of Community Engagement at Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest Nora is a graduate of the University of San Francisco. She has completed graduate work in both Public Administration and Latin American Studies at San Diego State University and has a Master’s Degree from Claremont Graduate University. Growing up in the Tijuana-San Diego region, Nora Vargas’ mother and father (an economist and professor) stressed to their four children the importance of education. Vargas took it to heart, …

Human Rights, Refugees, and San Diego

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Whether we are talking about the rights of Syrian refugees, the rights of black Americans, child soldiers, girls being trafficked for sex, or students being shot while at school, a discussion on human rights seems very timely. Not just because it’s Human Rights Day, but because of the upheaval that is putting record numbers of people at risk in conflicts here and around the world. In his 1941 State of the Union address, President Franklin D. Roosevelt articulated what he called the “Four Freedoms”. He asserted that people “everywhere in the world” should have: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. Events this year — whether in the wake of the uncertainty and violence in the Middle East or the heated rhetoric of the Presidential debates — are testing our values as a human and humane civilization. Countries from Venezuela to China silence political prisoners who dare to speak out. A U.S. presidential candidate advocates closing our borders and mosques to millions of Muslims. Floods of refugees flee war and violence that has decimated their lives …

Dec 10 – Human Rights Day – Community Action for Refugees

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December 10th is Human Rights Day! Join the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans – PANA and 20 other organizations 5pm downtown at the Waterfront Park (by the County admin building) to demonstrate support for refugees! County Center/ Little Italy trolley stop (Green line) MTS buses 280 / 923 / 83 We will be gathering as a community to lift up the refugee crisis, to stand up against hateful rhetoric, and to ask our public officials to take responsible action to welcome refugees. “California welcomes the most U.S. refugees each year, and San Diego is the #1 destination city. Every day, 10 refugees move to San Diego, and 80% are women and children.” Welcoming refugees requires that we ensure their inclusion in economic, social and political opportunities.​

Tell Governor Brown: We Deserve the Right to Online Privacy

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Technology has come so far in recent years – but our digital privacy laws haven’t kept pace. They haven’t been updated since the days of floppy disks (remember those??) despite more and more of our personal information being captured on the Internet. That’s not just crazy – it’s downright dangerous. The good news is, states are taking the lead to protect us, including Texas, Virginia, Maine, and Utah, while legislation continues to move at a snail’s pace through Congress. California could be the next to pass a law to update its digital privacy laws and stop warrantless searches of our digital information. S.B. 178, the California Electronic Communications Privacy Act, just passed the legislature with overwhelming bipartisan support – but it has one more hurdle to go. Add your name to call on Governor Brown to sign S.B. 178 into law to bring California’s privacy protection laws into the 21st century. There’s no better place to make a statement that we need to improve our online privacy protections than California – it’s not just our …

Notes from September Meeting – Fight for $15 – Rabbi Laurie Coskey of the Interfaith Center for Worker Justice

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Club President Susan Peinado called the meeting to order at 4:03 PM. Susan welcomed and introduced guests, including Lucy, Maggie, and Beth. She also welcomed new club members Jess Durfee, Phil and Debbie Currier, Brian Pease, Rena Marrocco, Laura Fink, Deanneka and Ricardo Flores, and Craig Roberts. She then gave a ‘rant’ on the conditions of club’s meeting location – the Point Loma Assembly – and the need for monies for air conditioning and a new electrical system. Susan then introduced elected officials and candidates and welcomed each to give 2 minutes of remarks: Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins (who is seeking election to Senate District 39)  provided a legislative update noting that legislation to increase the state’s minimum wage would come up in January or February; Todd Gloria (who is seeking election to Assembly District 78), provided a brief legislative update on City affairs; Georgette Gómez (candidate for San Diego City Council District 9); Sarah Saez (candidate for San Diego City Council District 9); Joe LaCava (candidate for San Diego City Council District 1); and Mara Elliott (candidate for San Diego …