NsrapNeedsHelp

Nova Scotia Rainbow Action Project Needs Help

Dated: February 16, 2009

"We seek to foster change in our communities and our society at large so that people of all sexual orientations are valued and included. We will achieve this through community development, networking, outreach and political action."

http://www.nsrap.ns.ca/

We have need of some help, and not be a hindrance to working within our mission and toward achieving our objectives. On the other hand I am not willing to let NSRAP become known as a one-man operation. That would be neither helpful nor healthy for the community.

Unfortunately, I am not sure that we have the commitment and/or support from the community that is needed to get the job done.

What do we need?

At this point we need people! People from all across the province!

People who are wiling and able to share their expertise and give some time to the work of NSRAP. We are not talking about a lot of time, just a few hours a month would help. If you can identify an area of interest and feel that you have the skills that can help in that area, please let me know and I will try to coordinate your activity with others who have a similar interest.

Attached is a list of projects that we are currently working on or would like to consider. Our work does not have to be limited to that list. Any issue that is important to the community can be addressed as long as we have the people power to deal with it.

What can you do?

1. Consider what you are able to do (skill set/interest/time).
2. If you are willing to get involved please contact me and let me know what you like to work on and I will attempt to coordinate people with similar interests.
3. Attend an organizational meeting (even if you are not able to get more involved).

• For now we can set a tentative date of October 20, 2001
• Somewhere in the province Depending on interest and availability
• Please advise if you are able to attend.
• Attendance at this meeting will be an indication of the interest in the work of the organization.

Things To Be Done

Work with the police and the community to make sure our people are protected by the police and not intimidated by them.

• Meeting with the Chief of police (HRM)
• Community meetings
• Meetings with the Minister of Justice
• Conduct a research project to provide empirical evidence that there is a problem and the extent of the problem
• Follow up on the Police Act Review #. Meet with the Department of Education to ensure that our schools are safe places for members of our community (students and staff).
• We have established communication with the Minister of Education, it is important that this be maintained. #. Help to establish a ?Gay Teachers Association? #. Arrange for community meetings across the province so NSRAP continues to maintain contact with our community. That is our way to get feedback to make sure we are working in areas that are important to the community, the people we represent.
• We need someone who is able to:
• Arrange, through local contact people, times, places etc. #. Organizational meetings
• We should meet periodically to give and receive reports on our activities,
• We need someone who is able to arrange meetings (time, place, etc.)
• We should get together soon to determine our future #. Meet with the Provincial Human Rights Commission on an ongoing bases
• This contact is established and we have already meet with them on several occasions. It is important that this contact be maintained. #. Review legislation to determine priority issues affecting our community that could/should be changed. #. Communications:
• Continued support of our web page (thanks go out to our Web Masterunch of them, so post them here.

UPDATE by Ian Crowe

I attended the organizational meeting on November 17, 2001 in Truro. A dozen so people contributed to a lively discussion.

While there were numerous items to discuss, I came away from the meeting with a feeling that the most important issue was the need for NSRAP in the first instance.

I volunteered to be the press liaision for NSRAP. If I am going to spend some of my most valuable resource(time) on performing a task for which I have not a lot of professional qualification, I need to know what, if any, issues are important to our community. Please sound off in the discussions forum or write me directly at buckleycrowe@hfx.eastlink.ca

It would also be useful if there is someone out there with media experience who could offer me some advice.

Hoping to hear lots of opinions.

Is there a need for NSRAP? See: DoWeNeedNsrap for discussion.

Ian