THE ETHNIC HOOSIER ���...��December 2001

Supplement for members of the Nationalities Council of Indiana, Inc.

 

  1. Sharpen your pencils and warm up your word processing programs! The Nationalities Council needs YOU to nominate US for one of the Indianapolis Mayor�s Celebration of Diversity Awards. THE DEADLINE IS 5 DECEMBER 2001, so there�s no time to waste. To download the application, log onto: http://www.indygov.org/mayor/mcod/index.htm -- or you can fill it out on line and send to the Mayor�s Office without an envelope or stamp! The new award is designed to recognize �businesses and organizations that embrace, celebrate and apply holistic inclusion and participation of a diverse people whereby�the community is a better place in which to live, work and raise a family.�� As the only organization in central Indiana that attempts to embrace, celebrate and apply diversity, both through our very existence as a coordinating organization for ethnic clubs, and through our very public International Festival, we are a natural � if we are nominated. So, get busy. The more nominations, the better.

 

Obviously we don�t qualify under �workforce diversity,� as we have no employees and no workplace. However, we�re a natural fit for �development� (our purposes include providing opportunities for diversity education and communication within our organization as well as without). �community relations� (our International Festival, which just completed its 25th year, is the flagship activity in Indianapolis which encourages and supports diversity in the community), and, finally, �leadership� (NCI actively supports the outreach activities of its diverse member organizations as well as reinforcing the existence of the city�s ethnic diversity� through participation in such groups as the Race Relations Leadership Network of the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee).

 

Take a look at the page on �criteria for nomination� and write a concise paragraph (or more!) about what we do and how we do it. One of the sample questions, for instance, is �Hold diversity special events?� � Yes! we hold the biggest one in central Indiana! �Encourage diversity in the community?� � Yes! nobody celebrates a wider diversity in our community than we do! �How is diversity involved in the organization�s long-term planning? � Just take a look at our board to find the best diversity involvement in town! �Has the organization implemented any innovative initiatives in regard to diversity? � Yes! once again, our International Festival is not only innovative but unique in Indianapolis!

 

Here are some of the details you�ll need to complete the form: the name of our organization is: Nationalities Council of Indiana, Inc. Contact person: Susan McKee, president (317:297-0502). Nature of organization: non-profit, all-volunteer,� with IRS 501(c)3 status. The purposes of NCI (according to our by-laws � and according to what we actually do) are 1) to provide a structure for organizing and promoting cultural and ethnic activities of a non-political and non-religious nature; 2) to promote and increase communication and cultural exchange across ethnic and racial lines among people of all nationalities and cultures, and 3) to support the cultural and ethnic activities of our member groups and other cultural and ethnic organizations. The NCI address: P.O. Box 1623, Indianapolis, IN 46206-1623.

 

Web site address (use our NEW one!): http://www.nationalitiescouncil.org. Number of years in existence: 25+; number of employees: 0. Add: number of board members: 20; volunteers in the thousands.

 

Under �nominator info� goes YOUR name, phone number etc., as the nominator.

Under �racial/ethnic diversity� put �not applicable: no employees�

Under �vendor diversity� put �International Festival vendors come from (at least) four continents�

 

  1. The Mayor�s� Indianapolis Cultural Development Initiative is available on the web. Click on http://www.indygov.org/mayor/cultural_dev/index.htm.

 

  1. The annual NCI �winter gala� will be 19 January 2002 at St. Alban�s Episcopal Church � details will come in the mail later (or, you can contact Cecilia Dickinson by e-mail if you can�t wait to find out� more � [email protected]).

 

  1. Everyone�member or not-- is welcome to attend NCI general meetings on the

second Monday of each month (except December and January). You don�t have to be a member to come � but we actively seek and welcome new members.

 

  1. We don�t hold general meetings in December or� January (again, according to the NCI by-laws � which are available on line through the new address by clicking links first to the Nationalities Council and then to the by-laws, or directly by clicking on http://www.cs.iupui.edu/~smckee/nci_bylaws.html.

 

  1. The next NCI general meeting will be 11 February 2002 in the Willkie Room at the Athen�um. 401 East Michigan Street in downtown Indianapolis.

 

  1. However, there will be a planning session for the members of both the out-going and in-coming NCI board of directors at 7 p.m. Monday, 3 December, in the Max Kade Room in the Athen�um

 

  1. Although The Ethnic Hoosier newsletter goes to all who are interested, this�������������� supplement is prepared especially for NCI members.

 

 

Susan McKee

President

Nationalities Council of Indiana