From the Concord Journal
Concord – The seventh Climate for Freedom award will be presented at the Concord-Carlisle Human Rights Council’s annual Human Rights Day Breakfast on Monday, Dec. 1, 7:30 a.m. at the Trinitarian Congregational Church on Walden Street.
This year, the award goes to the Concord Chapter of P-FLAG, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, for its work in promoting understanding, support for families, respect and a safe environment for the gay community. All are invited to the breakfast to hear Pam Garramone, executive director of Greater Boston P-FLAG, talk about their work and describe the impact it has on the community.
The climate of the community is the responsibility of the community — that has been the belief of the Human Rights Council since its inception 30 years ago. Council members apply that to the local scene, but it is no less true of the national or global community. Viewed in those terms, the world’s climate as seen some pretty dark years, but it looks as if people may be seeing something new in the United States. Certainly, people are seeing events that would not have been possible 50 — or even 20 — years ago.
Can we keep working to change the climate of our community? We start here, in our own backyard. We try to infuse our children, our friends, our colleagues with our belief in the possibilities within humanity; we vote; we keep on keeping on.
A billion small butterfly wing beats of change have produced a climate in which a Barack Obama can become President of the United States. Maybe – just maybe – what we have been doing here in Concord and Carlisle has been one of those wing beats.
So – don’t stop. Who knows what lies ahead?
Polly Attwood Concord-Carlisle Human Rights Council Co-chair
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