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Fredrikson & Byron, P.A. and
Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights
are pleased to announce the next lecture in our
Human Rights and National Security Speaker Series
Refugee Resettlement and the Hmong in Minnesota
presented by
Colleen Beebe and Ilean Her
Thursday, December 16, 12:00-1:00 P.M.
at
Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.
4000 Pillsbury Center
200 South Sixth Street
Minneapolis, MN
Minnesota is home to the second largest community of Hmong refugees in the United States. Over the last 25 years, the U.S. has resettled 160,000 Hmong refugees. The last group of Hmong refugees to be resettled in the U.S. will arrive to the U.S. throughout 2004-2005. Of these, approximately 5,000 will come to Minnesota to reunify with family members. Panelists will discuss international and national laws governing refugee resettlement, the U.S. refugee resettlement process, the special relationship that the U.S. has with the Hmong, and details about this latest group of Hmong refugees arriving to Minnesota. Complimentary lunch will be provided for those who preregister. Application will be made for one CLE credit.
Colleen Beebe, Esq., is the B.I.A.S. (Building Immigrant Awareness and Support) Project Coordinator at The Advocates. Ms. Beebe is responsible for education and outreach related to the needs and challenges of refugee and immigrant communities. Ms. Beebe is an attorney with expertise in immigration matters. A graduate of the University of Minnesota and cum laude graduate of Hamline University School of Law, she is also an Adjunct Professor at Hamline University School of Law and the University of Minnesota, where she has taught about the inter-American human rights system. Ms. Beebe has worked with refugees and immigrants for twenty years through organizations such as the Refugee Resettlement Unit of Lutheran Social Service, the Minnesota Overground Railroad, the Migrant Unit of Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, and most recently with the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota. Ms. Beebe is co-founder of Peace and Hope Partnership International, a local human rights non-profit that exists to support the work of faith-based human rights groups in the Americas.
Kao Ly Ilean Her, Esq., has been the Executive Director of the Minnesota State Council on Asian-Pacific Minnesotan since 1997. In her role at the Council, Ms. Her works to develop legislation and public policy, serves as community liaison, and advises the governor and members of the legislature on broad issues impacting the Asian Pacific community in Minnesota. Prior to joining the Council, Ms. Her worked at the Minnesota Department of Employee Relations, Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity, the private law firm of Thao and Li, P.A and as a law clerk at the Minnesota Supreme Court serving under Justice Sandra Gardebring and Justice Esther Tomljanovich. She is on the board of the Hmong American Partnership, Citizens League, Harriet Tubman Women’s Center, and Asian Women of Tomorrow. Born in Laos, Ms. Her came to the U.S. with her family in 1976 as political refugees. Ms. Her received her J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School and a B.A. in International Relations from Hamline University. Ms. Her traveled with St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly’s delegation that visited the Hmong refugees at Wat Krambok in Thailand this year.
This human rights speaker series will continue be held on the third Thursday of every other month throughout 2005. Lectures are free and open to the public (registration required). For more information, please contact Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights. You may find directions to Fredrikson & Byron at: www.fredlaw.com/contact.htm
Please R.S.V.P. to Min Chong at Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights
by noon on Tuesday, December 14th. |
