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Public hearings on civics in Illinois' public schools

9/18/2014

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The Illinois Task Force on Civic Education will hold four public hearings throughout the state this fall. They will begin in Chicago on October 13th and conclude in Carbondale a few weeks later on November 6th. The specific dates and venues are identified below. Each hearing is scheduled from 4-6pm.

·         Monday, October 13: University of Illinois-Chicago, Student Center East
·         Wednesday, October 15: Willowbrook High School, Villa Park
·         Tuesday, October 21: Lanphier High School, Springfield
·         Thursday, November 6: Carbondale Community High School
See complete addresses for above locations here. 

Each public hearing will begin with an overview of the Public Act creating the Task Force and the charges of its membership. A brief presentation of task force findings and recommendations will follow, and the balance of the hearing will be devoted to public comment.

Comments may be submitted via email at CETFR@isbe.net until November 7th. Please provide concise comments and include your first and last name and city as well as your title and affiliation (if applicable). Comments will be published.

Please help spread the word to your contacts in the education world (students teachers, school leaders, and parents), and plan to participate in as many of the hearings as possible.

Guidelines for preparing, writing and giving testimony are available here.  
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CAC Welcomes Qasim Rashid: First Amendment Advocate and 2014 Constitution Week Speaker

9/9/2014

 
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COMMEMORATE CONSTITUTION DAY, CELEBRATE FIRST AMENDMENT FREEDOMS,
AND INSPIRE CIVIC PARTICIPATION


WHAT: CAC Constitution Week Forum,  FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

WHEN: Tuesday, September 16, 2014 at 7:00 P.M.
          
WHERE: Elmhurst Public Library* 125 S. Prospect Avenue,  Elmhurst, Illinois 60126

Constitution Week commemorates the signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787.  Celebrating this momentous event in our country’s history gives us pause to remember the importance of a document held in esteem worldwide for empowering “We the People” with the rights and responsibilities to engage in the democratic process. The First Amendment Freedoms, (freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom to petition our government, freedom to assemble, and freedom of religion) are essential components that ensure a healthy democracy and the capacity to hold government accountable.

“Constitution Week recognizes the importance of our founding document by introducing students and adults to constitutional issues through dynamic speakers with first-hand knowledge of what it means to fight for freedom. Mr. Rashid’s experience demonstrates the importance of the First Amendment’s Free Exercise of Religion Clause to American democracy, while sharing a remarkable personal story,” said Andrea Alvarez, community lawyer at the Citizen Advocacy Center.

In collaboration with area high schools and with support from the McCormick Foundation, Mr. Qasim Rashid will be speaking at high schools in DuPage and Kane County and at a public forum to discuss the Free Exercise of Religion Clause of the First Amendment as an important thread in the fabric of our democracy. 

Mr. Qasim Rashid is a vocal human rights activist.  Mr. Rashid is the author of The Wrong Kind of Muslim, an autobiographical personal journey into his heritage and religion as a vehicle into the history and ongoing phenomenon of faith-based persecution and target-killings in Pakistan – starting with a childhood bullying incident in Chicago. He blogs for The Huffington Post, Washington Post, and CNN. His work has appeared in USA Today, National Public Radio, Richmond Times-ispatch, Virginia Pilot, San Francisco Chronicle, among various other national and international outlets. Mr. Rashid regularly interviews in a variety of media including the New York Times, Pittsburg Post-Gazette, Muslim Television Ahmadiyya International, Huff Post Live, NBC, CBS, the Christopher Gabriel Program, Voice of America, among several other national and international outlets. He also regularly lectures on Islam and human rights at various universities and places of worship worldwide.

Mr. Rashid has won numerous awards for his community service, activism, and writing. He serves as the current Chairman of the Muslim Writers Guild of America, serves as a Volunteer Chaplain for the Virginia State Prison system, and also offers pro bono legal assistance to victims of domestic and sexual violence through the Virginia Poverty Law Center. Mr. Rashid  is a practicing attorney in Richmond, Virginia.

Born in Pakistan in 1982, Mr. Rashid  migrated to the United States in 1987 and to the western suburbs in 1988. He is a graduate of Glenbard South High School. In 2007, he received his Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Mr. Rashid received his juris doctorate from the University of Richmond School of Law in 2012.

In previous years, Citizen Advocacy Center hosted dynamic speakers showcasing other precious First Amendment freedoms.  These include: Mary Beth Tinker, free speech advocate and plaintiff in a landmark Supreme Court free speech case; Toni Locy, free press advocate and award-winning reporter and professor at Washington and Lee University; Jessica Ahlquist, freedom of religion advocate and plaintiff in a successful lawsuit challenging her high school’s endorsement of religion; and Kelly Hayes, advocate for our freedom to peaceably assemble and community organizer for large scale protests in the City of Chicago.                                                                               

The Citizen Advocacy Center is a non-profit, non-partisan community based legal organization dedicated to building democracy for the 21st Century by increasing the citizenry’s capacities, resources, and institutions for self-governance.

* This meeting/program is not an Elmhurst Public Library activity

Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce recognizes CAC 20th Anniversary

9/9/2014

 

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  • Home
  • FAQ
  • About Us
    • Leadership Personnel >
      • Executive Director Search
    • Internships
    • Board of Directors
    • Advisory Council
    • Founder
    • Citizen Initiative Awards
  • Core Activities
    • Answering Questions of Public Concern
    • Education, Training, & Resources
    • Monitoring Government Activity
    • Advocacy to Strengthen Laws & Institutions
  • Events
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    • Newsletter Archive
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    • Policy Reports >
      • Good Government Research Studies
      • Survey of Government Regulations on Public Assembly in DuPage Municipalities
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      • Public Access Counselor Determination Letter Index
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