The free event will provide an opportunity for Roseville immigrants and other newcomers to share stories about living in the city as well as the challenges and opportunities facing their communities.

"We are excited to partner with Advocates for Human Rights and hear from residents about their experiences of living in our city,” said Wayne Groff, chair of the Roseville Human Rights Commission. “We define ‘welcome’ as the ability to live with dignity and fully enjoy basic human rights, and we want all residents and visitors to feel welcome in our community.”

The conversation is part of the One Voice Minnesota Monitoring Project. An initiative of The Advocates, a Twin Cities non-profit, the project’s goal is to eliminate anti-immigrant bias and build communities in which the human rights of all Minnesotans are respected, protected, and fulfilled.

The conversation in Roseville is important because of its large immigrant population. Eleven percent of people living in the city were born in other countries, with Mexico, China, Laos, India, Canada and Somalia as the leading countries of origin.

Commission Chair Groff also noted that the Roseville City Council’s adopted Community Aspirations statement begins with “As a community, we aspire to be: Welcoming, Inclusive, and Respectful.”

“The first step toward helping Minnesotans realize their human rights and feel truly welcome is to identify where Minnesota and its communities stand today and how to move forward together,” said Madeline Lohman, staff with The Advocates.

The Roseville Community Conversation is one of several around the State of Minnesota organized by The Advocates. They plan to create a “blueprint for welcome” from the information collected from the conversations. Aiming to ensure that all Minnesotans feel welcome and enjoy their basic human rights, the blueprint’s recommendations are intended to be used by state and local leaders and others when developing policies, drafting laws, and creating initiatives.

Date: January 15, 2014
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Roseville City Hall, 2660 Civic Center Road, Roseville MN 55113

Registration is requested. Email carolyn.curti@ci.roseville.mn.us or call 651-792-7026 to register.

The Roseville Human Rights Commission provides leadership and advocacy intended to secure human and civil rights for Roseville residents, and to advise city officials on engaging city residents in civic governance and community affairs. To learn more, visit www.cityofroseville .com/humanrights .

In its 30th year, The Advocates for Human Rights, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is dedicated to promoting and protecting internationally-recognized human rights. To learn more about The Advocates’ local, national, and international work, visit theadvocatesforhumanrights.org