Montgomery County Hosting 2023 International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies Annual Conference, Aug. 15-16, in North Bethesda

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, August 15, 2023

The International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies (IAOHRA) is celebrating 74 years of uniting, strengthening and highlighting the work of local, state and federal agencies in promoting and protecting civil and human rights. The organization’s 2023 annual conference is being held TODAY, Tuesday, Aug. 15, and will continue through Wednesday, Aug. 16, at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center in North Bethesda. Montgomery County’s Office of Human Rights is hosting the conference.

The Bethesda North Marriott conference center is located at 5701 Marinelli Road in North Bethesda. Members of the media will receive complimentary registration.

This year’s annual conference theme focuses on “embracing truth and healing: securing equity and justice for all.” IAOHRA’s mission is to provide opportunities and forums for the exchange of ideas and information among member agencies and other human rights advocates. It also seeks to expand and uplift services and programs that can make equity inclusion and respect for everyone’s human dignity a reality for all.

To download the full conference agenda click here.

To download the full conference program click here.

Specific events of interest include:

• Tuesday, Aug. 15, 7 p.m. “Fireside Chat.” The Who We Are Project was founded by attorney and racial justice activist Jeffery Robinson. The organization is an outgrowth of a talk that Robinson has been giving for more than 10 years on the history of anti-Black racism and White supremacy in the United States. This talk will form the basis of the feature-length documentary film.
  
  
• Wednesday, Aug. 16, 10:45 to 11:45 a.m. “Just Action: Creating a Movement That Can End Segregation Enacted Under the Color of Law.” Racial segregation characterizes every metropolitan area in the U.S. and bears responsibility for most serious social and economic problems. The Color of Law demonstrates that residential segregation was created by racially explicit and unconstitutional government policy. Just Action describes how to address this, providing dozens of strategies local groups can pursue to redress segregation in their own communities.

For almost three-quarters of a century, IAOHRA has represented and advocated for more than 250 million residents within its member agencies in developing and enforcing anti-discrimination statutes. From urging courts and schools to implementing bias training to supporting civil rights protections for transgender residents, IAOHRA continues to be a strong voice for safeguarding the human and civil rights of all people.

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Media Contact: Jennifer Garfinkel 240-962-1506