January 2013 Volume 15 Issue 1 Page 1 of 4

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Page 1 of 4
January 2013
Volume 15 Issue 1
The Alliance
ACEH to See Film, Discuss
“Education Under Fire:
Persecutions of Baha’is in Iran”
On Thursday, January 10
The Alliance for Cultural
and Ethnic Harmony is
dedicated to promoting
unity, justice, equal
opportunity, ethnic
awareness, cross-cultural
understanding, and
appreciation for diversity
Inside
This
Issue:
Membership
2
News of Members
2
MLK Events
2
ACEH Holiday Party
3
JFON Fundraisers
4
Board of Directors
Yessenia Ordaz Aguirre*
Patricia Bradfield
The Alliance for Cultural and Ethnic Harmony (ACEH) will
meet Thursday, January 10, at 6:30 p.m. to view the
film “Education Under Fire,” focusing on Baha’is, called “the
most persecuted religious minority in Iran…who face
discrimination that ranges from being unable to practice
their faith to being denied access to basic services and
education.”
The program, which is open to the public, will be held in
Winants Auditorium, Graves Hall, on the Hope College
campus, College Avenue and 11th St, Holland. Note this
month’s change of usual date, time and location for
ACEH.
A discussion following the film will be led by David Douglas, a
local Baha’i who with his wife, Kim, and others, founded ACEH in
1999. Participating with him will be Shahnaz Damasio, Sundra
Maytan, and Kim Douglas.
Bin Lim
Norma Luna
Al Minert
Ngoc Mong Pham
Maggi Rivera
John Yelding
Marvin Younger
Youth Advisors:
Jen Ramirez
Yadah Ramirez
*Vice president Yessenia
Aguirre will lead ACEH for
the next three months.
In addition to arrests, imprisonment, and economic hardship
experienced by their parents, Baha’i schoolchildren have been
harassed, persecuted, expelled from school, and denied entrance
to universities. The website http://www.educationunderfire.com
offers more information about the campaign to relieve their
suffering in Iran.
The Baha’i faith, founded a century and a half ago, has some five
million followers who live in virtually every country; some 2,100
different ethnic and tribal groups are represented. Its beliefs
include the ideal of world citizenship, unity, social and economic
justice, elimination of all forms of prejudice, full equality between
the sexes, and the “essential oneness of the world’s great
religions.” A local group of Baha’is meets regularly in Holland.
ACEH was founded in Holland in 1999 to promote unity, justice,
equal opportunity, cross-cultural understanding, and appreciation
for diversity. For information, see the website
www.harmonyalliance.org or call (616) 396-2201.
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Become an ACEH Member in 2013
Welcome to new member Remi Spicer Rakipi. And thank you to renewing members Kathy Beal,
Phil Coray, Jauanna Jackson, Sylvia Jones, and David and Julia Marckini.
ACEH dues support community programs, advocacy and outreach, partnerships with other organizations,
social events, and publications, as we work together to make West Michigan a place where all are welcomed
and respected. The dues structure is:
Individual:
$20.00 one year; $35.00 two years
Family: $30.00 one year; $50.00 two years
Nonprofit:
$40.00 one year
Business:
$75.00 one year
It’s easy to join or renew, with one of these options: (1) You can write a check to ACEH and send it to
Treasurer Bin Lim, c/o ACEH, P. O. Box 3007, Holland, MI 49422-3007; (2) You can pay by credit card and
use the secure Pay Pal system by clicking on this link: http://www.harmonyalliance.org/join.html; (3) You
can join in person at any ACEH meeting or social event. In lieu of, or in addition to paying dues, you may
make a pledge of service to ACEH. To find out if it’s time for you to renew, please contact database manager
Herb Weller at hpweller@comcast.net.
News of Members
Congratulations to Rev. Bill Freeman, who will receive a Social Justice Award from the Holland
Human Relations Commission on Wednesday, January 16, at 7 p.m. at City Hall, for his advocacy and
efforts to have the Holland City Council expand its equal rights ordinance on housing and employment
to include gay, lesbian, and transgendered persons.
ACEH vice-president Yessenia Ordaz Aguirre was featured in the Hope College Anchor’s Nov 21
issue on Diversity and Multiculturalism. “ACEH helped me define my voice,” she said. “I know now
that Holland is a place that I can stand up for justice and equality, even if I didn’t feel that before
joining…ACEH is intentional about bringing people of diverse backgrounds together.”
Our sympathy to Sandra Eaton, whose mother died December 31, and to Herb and Ann Weller, on
the death of their sister-in-law December 21.
Community and College to Honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Events in the Holland community and on the Hope College campus in January will honor the legacy of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
--Mon, Jan 21, 7 pm: Community Celebration, “Strength to Love,” led by Rev. Denise Kingdom
Grier and Rev. Wayne Coleman. A Youth Rally will take place at 4 pm. At Maple Avenue Ministries,
427 Maple, Holland.
--Tues, Jan 22, noon: MLK Social Justice Luncheon. “What is this Dream All About?” by Dr. John
Lee of MSU. RSVP by Fri, Jan 11 to OME@Hope.edu or call (616) 395-7867. At Maas Auditorium,
Hope College, Columbia Ave at 11th St, Holland.
--Wed, Jan 23, 11 am: Commemorative March, sponsored by Hope College Multicultural Student
Organizations. At Graves Hall Anchor (College Ave at 11th) ending at Martha Miller Center Rotunda
(Columbia & 10th), Holland.
--Thurs, Jan 24, 4:30 pm: MLK Community Outreach, sponsored by Multicultural Education and
CASA. At Lubbers Hall, 10th St between College and Columbia, Holland.
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Lots of Fun, Fellowship, and Food at
Holiday Potluck and Cultural Sharing Party
On December 8, 2012, some 100 adults and children gathered at First United Methodist Church for the
annual ACEH holiday potluck. There were lively performances by the Barvinok Ensemble, playing,
singing, and dancing to Ukranian and Russian music, and by Greg Hulsebos and his grandson Christian
on guitar and washboard. Cynthia Hagedorn’s art activities were popular with the kids, and everyone
contributed their thoughts on diversity and unity by writing on paper hands that were made into an
“ACEH” wall poster. The evening ended with the traditional circle as together we sang “Let There Be
Peace on Earth..and Let It Begin with Me.” Special thanks to MC Jack Hyde and auction planners Ngoc
Mong Pham, Patricia Bradfield, and Al Minert. Our gratitude to all the individuals, businesses, and
artists who contributed auction goods and services, raising $1,600 for ACEH, and to Boar’s Head, Jus’
Ribs and More, and Thai Palace for their donations of food.
Many thanks to volunteers who helped make it a great evening: Yessenia Aguirre, Kathy Beal, Bobbie
Brown, John/Mary Buttrey, Dean/Mary De Ridder, Jauanna Jackson, Judy Laidler, Bin/Lise Lim, Norma Luna,
David/Julia Marckini, Peg Minert, Bill Mungall, Karen Prins, Yadah Ramirez, Bob Ramirez, Maggi Rivera,
Patricia Strachan of Smooth Running Events, Herb/Ann Weller, John Yelding.
Additional photos are on the website www.harmonyalliance.org or on Facebook at ACEH –
Alliance for Cultural and Ethnic Harmony.
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THE ALLIANCE FOR
CULTURAL AND
ETHNIC HARMONY
Box 3007
Holland, MI 494223007
PHONE:
616-396-2201
E-MAIL:
aceh@harmonyalliance.o
rg.
WEB ADDRESS:
www.harmonyalliance.
org
FACEBOOK:
Look for ACEH
under Groups
Bringing People
Together from
Worlds Apart
The Alliance for Cultural
and Ethnic Harmony
Box 3007
Holland, MI 49422-3007
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Justice for Our Neighbors (JFON) to Hold
Events in Holland, Grand Rapids
Justice for Our Neighbors, a national Methodist organization that
provides free immigration legal services, education and advocacy,
will hold a luncheon in Holland and an evening program in Grand
Rapids to raise funds for JFON/West Michigan; since 2004 JFON
clinics in Holland and Grand Rapids have assisted more than 1,500
clients from 60 countries whose cases involved family reunification,
citizenship applications, refugees, human trafficking, and special
humanitarian concerns.
The events will focus on immigration and social justice issues that
impact communities and congregations, screening the documentary
“Jasmine’s Story” followed by discussion with Rev. Melanie Carey
and immigrant Jasmine Franco and a reading by Dr. Stephen
Monsma from his book “Healing for a Broken World: Christian
Perspectives on Public Policy.”
--Holland: Tues, Jan 22, noon: Lunch; suggested donation $15.
Register at www.JFONWestMichigan.org or call Mary DeRidder at
(616) 399-2161. At St. Francis de Sales, 171 West 13th St.
--Grand Rapids: Tues, Jan 22, 6:30 pm: Meal and silent auction.
Suggested donation $25. Register at www.JFONWestMichigan.org
At Keystone Community Church, 655 Spaulding Ave SE, Ada.
For information about the events or sponsorship opportunities, contact
JFON regional coordinator Laura Rampersad at (616) 481-8145 or
L.Rampersad@jfonwestmichigan.org