State of the African–American Family Symposium: The Migration Pattern of Chicago Public Housing Residents Tuesday, June 22, 2010 University of Illinois at Chicago | UIC Forum 725 West Roosevelt Road | Chicago, Illinois FREE REGISTRATION FORM Name Title Agency/Organization Address City Phone State Zip Code Fax Email Submit completed form by June 15, 2010, to Susan Smith Ross, Illinois African‐
American Family Commission by mail 2925 South Wabash Avenue, Chicago, IL 60616; email ([email protected]); or fax (312) 326.1392. What Is This Symposium Designed To Do And Why Should I Attend? State of the African‐American Family Symposium: The purpose of the “State of the African‐American Family Symposium” is to bring together key stakeholders, including elected officials, public policy makers, researchers, family advocates and public housing residents to identify the impact that the Illinois Housing Choice Voucher Program has had on participants. Moreover, this Symposium will develop recommendations for public policy changes, legislation, programs and funding initiatives that will improve the economic and social well‐being of affected families. We will examine the social and emotional context of living in public housing and the impacts of mobility – both voluntary and compulsory – on Illinois families. Specifically, we will look at how the devolution of fixed‐unit public housing resulted in the disruption of family structures and decades‐long support networks and community ties. We also will explore how one policy solution for fixed‐unit public housing – the Housing Choice Voucher – has reshaped the physical and social geography of low‐income residence in states like Illinois and, in turn, become the nation’s largest low‐income housing program. These factors will be examined through the lens of human rights, and will inquire as to how justifications of public benefit “for the greater good” are balanced with the protection of individual rights and freedoms. We will look at how Housing Choice Voucher Program migration may challenge families’ basic human rights to freedom from arbitrary exile, from capricious interference with their homes, and to have a standard of living sufficient for the health and well‐being of their families, as outlined in Articles 9, 12 and 24 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted on December 10, 1948 by the General Assembly of the United Nations and Articles 5, 18, 19 and 27 of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on November 20, 1989. An anticipated outcome of the Symposium will be the development of public policies and legislation that strengthen and preserve African‐
American families. It is hoped that these findings will facilitate the removal of institutional barriers, promote the coordination of public policies across state agencies, and result in a more equitable distribution of housing and human services resources for African‐American families and communities. The Migration Pattern of Chicago Public Housing Residents FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Tuesday, June 22, 2010 8:00 am to 1:30 pm UIC Forum University of Illinois at Chicago 725 West Roosevelt Road |Chicago, Illinois 60608 Hosted By: African‐American Family Research Institute The Chicago Committee for the Ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child Illinois African‐American Family Commission University of Illinois at Chicago Institute for Research on Race & Public Policy University of Illinois at Chicago Jane Addams College of Social Work Norman Rockwell CEUs Available The University of Illinois at Chicago, Jane Addams College of Social Department of Financial and Work is approved by the Illinois Professional Regulations as a sponsor of social work continuing education. For all other professions, it is the participant’s responsibility to seek approval/acceptance of CEUs for attendance at this symposium from his or her professional organization. Attendance at this conference is approved for up to 3 hours of CEUs. Sponsors Tentative Agenda 8:00 am 9:00 am Continental Breakfast & Registration Welcome: Creasie Finney Hairston, PhD Dean and Professor, Jane Addams College of Social Work, University of Illinois at Chicago 9:15 am 10:00 am 10:15 am Keynote Address: Housing as a Human Rights Issue Break Panel Presentation  Dwight Lucas – CEO, East Central Illinois Community Action Agency  Von Nebbitt, PhD – Professor, Jane Addams College of Social Work, University of Illinois at Chicago  Janet Smith, PhD – Associate Professor & Co‐Director, Nathalie P. Voorhees Center for Neighborhood & Community Improvement, University of Illinois at Chicago
11:00 am 12:00 pm Roundtable Discussions: Having Your Say – Solutions, Comments, Reactions, Insights, and Recommendations Lunch African‐American Family Research Institute The AAFRI is an Illinois 501(c)(3), non‐profit corporation developed to promote the social and economic well‐being of African‐American families and children by conducting research, facilitating an exchange of information and providing support and technical assistance to agencies, providers and consumers. The Chicago Committee for the Ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child The Chicago Committee provides information and education on the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child. The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the first comprehensive international treaty that protects children by setting standards in health care; education; and legal, civil and social services. It provides local, national, and regional governing institutions with a comprehensive organizing mechanism for understanding and promoting survival, security, participation and development rights for children. Doing whatever is in the best interest of the child is the convention's guiding principle. Illinois African‐American Family Commission The Commission is a collaborative effort between government, child welfare agencies, community‐based organizations, families, community leaders and representatives from the public and private sectors. Established in 1994 by Executive Order, the Commission was created to assist the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services in developing and implementing programs relevant to African‐American children and families. The Commission builds partnerships, facilitates the training and education of key stakeholders, conducts research and advocates for public policy, legislation and programs aimed at preserving the well‐being of African‐American families and children. University of Illinois at Chicago Institute for Research on Race & Public Policy The IRRPP promotes, coordinates, and conducts innovative research at the intersection of race, ethnicity and public policy. The IRRPP represents a major commitment by UIC to better address growing racial and ethnic diversity in Chicago, the nation and the world. A central aim is to increase the quantity, quality and relevance of research on racial and ethnic groups that face persistent inequalities and inequities. Based in the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs, this university‐wide institute focuses on historically under‐represented people of color as they are affected by and as they affect public policy. University of Illinois at Chicago, Jane Addams College of Social Work The Jane Addams College of Social Work builds on the legacy of its namesake, the Illinois‐born social reformer, Nobel Peace Prize winner and pioneer of American social work. Jane Addams founded Hull House in 1889, which became an internationally famous settlement house that led to the development of the social work profession through its programs to enhance health, literacy, workplace safety, education, justice for children, outreach to oppressed immigrant groups and social investigations. JACSW continues to carry out the mission of Jane Addams and the Hull House movement, adapting it to contemporary needs and the realities of today’s urban settings.