2003 Latino Summit to Address Labor, Legal and Advocacy Issues

Bloomington, IN—A summit addressing labor, legal and advocacy issues facing members of the Latino community in Bloomington and Monroe County will be

held on September 18, 2003 at St. Paul’s Catholic Center in Bloomington. The day-long summit, entitled “Learning to Serve Spanish Speakers: Transforming the

Present and Working Toward the Future within Labor, Law and Legal Issues,” begins at 9 am. Registration is $10 per person and includes lunch.

“The 2003 summit will revisit and expand on the great foundation laid during our 2001 summit,” said Mayor John Fernandez. “Our goal is for this summit to take us

to the next level in terms of mobilizing individuals and agencies toward new and improved community partnerships involving advocacy on behalf of our Hispanic/Latino neighbors. These partnerships are important to providing culturally-competent healthcare, educational, employ-ment and other services to our Spanish-speaking residents.”

Summit goals include identifying current issues and recent community initiatives geared to assist Latino residents in Bloomington, as well as promoting pro-active partnerships between service providers and community members. In addition to discussion groups and a networking reception, the Summit will include panel

discussions and breakout sessions on “Current Issues in the Community” and “Resources and Suggestions.”

Speakers for these sessions include: Sergio Aguilera Beteta, Mexican Consulate, Indianapolis; Hannia Burke-Aguero, Mujeres en Conexion; Roger Kelley,

Bloomington Police Depart-ment; Barbara McKinney, Bloo-mington Human Rights Commi-ssion; Pedro Roman, Centro Communal Latino; Brenda Ogborn, Monroe

County Probation Office; Carl Salzmann, Monroe County Prosecutor; Martha Carvajal, Office of Senator Evan Bayh; Scott Newman, former Marion County

Prosecutor; Lt. Adolfo “Rudy” Olivo, Columbus Police Department; Michelle Gutierrez, former attorney, Hispanic Law Center, Indiana Legal Services.

Summit sponsors include Bloomington Hospital and Healthcare System, Community Health Services-Community Access Programs; Community and Family

Resources Department, City of Bloomington; the Mayor’s Safe and Civil City Program; Bloomington Human Rights Commission; La Casa—Latino Cultural Center,

Indiana University; Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office; Monroe County Probation Department; Mujeres en Conexion; St. Paul’s Catholic Center.