Remembering Labor Day’s Roots - SEIU and Marching for Health Insurance Reform.

Labor Day typically evokes images of backyard barbeques, freshly sharpened pencils and notebooks, and one last day of respite before the return to the 9 to 5 pace.

But at Camino PR, we’re celebrating a return to Labor Day’s roots as union members – including our clients from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) — take to the streets for quality, affordable health coverage for all. On Labor Day weekend, SEIU will participate in large-scale events across the country to call for health insurance reform, including this Saturday, Sept 5, when working people will gather in Indianapolis, and on Monday, when SEIU will join with President Obama in Cincinnati.

Camino PR is proud to have clients who provide services to better the world and spark the kind of social change that will make our society more just. And here’s one example of why:

SEIU didn’t sit on the sidelines when it came to the health of our nation’s children. They won victories for millions of children and parents across the country with the groundbreaking passage of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Thanks to their efforts, parents will no longer have to choose to either pay the rent or buy inhalers and other medications. Now we’re all talking about health insurance reform.

It’s been a summer of vitriolic debate, but did you know…

· One in five U.S. workers are currently uninsured?

· Every day, 14,000 more people lose their insurance coverage during this economic crisis— left on their own in the private market?

· The average family of four is paying $29,000 a year for healthcare in taxes, lower wages and out-of-pocket expenses?

· In 2004, half of all people filing for bankruptcy cited medical costs as a reason. And in 2008, half of all home foreclosures were due in part to the high cost of coverage and care?

· The U.S. economy lost as much as $207 billion in 2007 as a result of the poor health and shorter life spans of the uninsured?

· Young people (18-29) and Hispanics have the highest uninsured rates?

Not just Talking the Talk- Marching by Example

The 1199SEIU Benefit and Pension Funds are a model for providing affordable and quality health care. The Benefit Funds provide a full package of benefits — including hospital, medical, prescription, dental, vision and quality of life benefits — to 400,000 members, retirees and their families with little or no out-of-pocket expense to members. The Benefit Funds have consistently provided coverage for far less than the average cost of coverage under other plans – proving that health care can be affordable and comprehensive.

Join SEIU this Labor Day weekend and make your voice heard.

Kennedy and Leadership

Senator Ted Kennedy was deeply engaged in civil rights and equal rights. As a man of immense privilege, he uniquely saw the struggles of those whose lives were very different.

Senator Kennedy voted against the nomination of John Roberts as Supreme Court Chief Justice because he was not convinced that Roberts fundamentally understood the role of civil rights and equal rights in this country. Further, he didn’t believe that Roberts would be a leader in this country’s march toward equality. Kennedy’s unfavorable opinion about Roberts was heavily influenced by Robert’s comments about the role of judicial leadership during the Brown v Board of Education decision, when most white Americans were in favor of segregation.

Like Kennedy, last month Senator Graham raised the issue of Brown v Board of Education during a Supreme Court nomination hearing. This time it was Judge Sonia Sotomayor under scrutiny. Senator Graham asked Sotomayor about judicial leadership and the Brown v Board of Education decision. Graham explained to Sotomayor that had he been a Senator at the time of the Brown decision, he probably wouldn’t have been “brave” enough to stand up to segregation like the Justices did. In contrast to Kennedy, Senator Graham expresses a very different view of leadership and its responsibility to civil rights.

Kennedy became a Senator on the heels of the Brown decision and he was a forceful leader in the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. After 11 failed attempts, the civil rights legislation finally passed.

Kennedy was right to judge the qualification for leadership through the prism of civil rights and equal rights. He is missed.

Women’s Equality Day: Barbie, Birth Control and the Media Trends that Matter

Women’s Equality Day
Barbie, Birth Control and the Media Trends that Matter 

On Women’s Equality Day, Camino PR pays tribute to our clients on the forefront of dismantling sexism and bias. At our firm we only promote clients who are sparking the kind of social change that will make our society more just. It’s not the most profitable niche, but it is the best way for us to have rigorous expertise in social change communications.

It hasn’t been an easy year for women’s advocates.  In domestic news reporting related to sexual health, the terms “promiscuous” and “shame” got about the same number of media mentions as the terms “dating” and “pleasure.” New author Jordan Christy has just begun her media push for a return to “feminine values,” with an etiquette book for young women with chapters titled “Keep Your Chin Up and Your Skirt Down.”

The fashion industry toasted Barbie’s 50th birthday by making her the first toy to enjoy membership in the Fashion Designers Council of America. Among the Barbie - themed products was a new lip gloss called “Huge Lips Skinny Hips,” which causes lip swelling and the absorption of an appetite suppressor into the blood stream. 

That’s why, in this climate where the most vocal are often the least reasonable, we applaud our clients for their dedication to creating true equality for women and girls in the United States and around the world. Here’s a snapshot of some of our clients and the fantastic work they are doing on behalf of women:

·      One in four low-income women in the United States who faces an unintended pregnancy would choose abortion but cannot because of lack of funding.  Thanks NLIRH for lobbying to end federal restrictions on abortion funding for low-income women. And, a huge thanks for winning a federal court battle this year that expands access to emergency contraception for young women!

·      Almost 20% of women in this country are uninsured and many more face absurdly high premiums because insurers treat pregnancy as a disease and Caesarean sections as a pre-existing condition. Thanks Planned Parenthood and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) for pushing our leaders to enact real health care reform!

·      Latinas make up less than 2% of lawyers, and an even smaller fraction of judges in this country. Thanks Planned Parenthood and NLIRH for supporting Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination!

·      One in four teenage girls has a sexually transmitted disease. When professors at Georgia State University came under fire by state elected officials for teaching about sexuality, the National Sexuality Resource Center sprang into action and created a national outpouring of support. Thanks NSRC for the awesome leadership!

·      Nine out of 10 LGBT students report being harassed at school.  Research also shows that many of the students that witness acts of harassment experience feelings of helplessness and powerlessness, and develop poor coping and problem-solving skills.  Thanks Ford Foundation for being part of the solution by supporting research that explores sexuality education as it relates to issues of class, race, gender, and sexual orientation!

Camino is proud to be working with such committed organizations that reflect our values and strive daily to achieve equal footing for women.

For additional information contact Andrea Hagelgans at ahagelgans@caminopr.com

Kids on the Border

The Arizona Daily Star printed an article today about Project Libertad, a new media project (supported by CPR!) that amplifies the voices of Mexican adolescents living near the Mexico-Arizona border.  Pablo created this storytelling initiative to give voice to the kids growing up at the center of border wars and wading through gritty realities like family separation, poverty, violence, discrimination, and under-education.

Pablo translates the unfiltered voices of adolescents into fictional narratives.  He first imbeds himself in a community, provides tools for authentic stories to emerge, and turns these stories into a feature film or other digital media product.

His first feature film, Runnin at Midnite, explored the midnight basketball culture of youth in the barrios on the U.S. side of border.  In the development phase of this first effort he established a youth educational program in Tucson’s south side.  Only kids who had been kicked out of many high schools were eligible to study filmmaking with Pablo, with just one catch: they had to show up everyday to work toward their GED.

The teens who shaped Runnin at Midnite were not the  model “at-risk” youth that are the delight of intervention programs.  Pablo’s kids were beyond at-risk, they were post-risk.  In fact, the Department of Labor had classified this community as one of the nation’s neediest in regard to at-risk youth. Many participants were teen parents, most had a history of drug or alcohol use, most had a criminal record, most lived amidst serious violence, all lived in poverty.  These teens were well beyond the No Child Left Behind hype.  But a strange thing happened when Pablo handed them a camera and taught them to tell their authentic stories: they re-engaged high school studies.  Pablo’s high school graduation rate among these youth was so high that it earned him kudos from the White House.

Many of these barrio kids can be seen in the acclaimed Runnin at Midnite.  In this next film effort, Project Libertad, Pablo heads across the border to Mexico.  For the last few years Pablo has been traveling to Mexico to visit with people in the underbelly of border crossing politics: people who wade through sewer tunnels to cross underneath the border, kids living on their own while their families do seasonal work, families living in shacks and whole communities terrorized by cross-border drug wars.

Pablo starts this next film project by teaching border kids in Mexico about the art of storytelling.  His workshops are in formation now; more kids in need than he can ever serve are anxiously hoping to participate.  If you’ve got any inclination or ability to sponsor some of these kids, please send a donation.  Or if you can’t donate, please become a fan of Project Libertad on Facebook.  This story will unfold over the next few years and I guarantee you will be fascinated to watch it from the inside.

Camino PR Creative Director Featured in the Arizona Daily Star for Media Arts Work on Social Justice Campaigns

Camino PR’s creative director, Pablo Toledo, is profiled in today’s Arizona Daily Star for his creative media arts and storytelling on behalf of social justice issues. Pablo founded Project Libertdad, which brings together homeless youth from Mexico and teaches them how to use film and creative media to tell their personal stories. Later this year, Pablo will travel to Mexico to establish a media center and help area youth learn storytelling, drawing and video. Project Libertdad coincides with the upcoming production of his second feature film, Libertdad, a story about a Mexican-American detective who returns to Mexico after his brother is accused of murder. It follows the success of “Runnin’ at Midnight,” a film about inner city teens who shoot hoops at midnight in Tucson. Through digital and graphic arts, Pablo is able to capture the essence of their struggles and connect their needs with a larger audience. Let Camino PR and Pablo tell your story and advance your issues!

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