PWC Human Rights Commission to hold town hall meeting at Colgan HS on Dec. 10

Prince William County Human Rights Commission will be “Celebrating Our Diversity in a Time of Adversity”— a town-hall-style meeting on Dec. 10 from 7 to 9 p.m.at Colgan High School where county leaders will discuss the rights and the protection of the people in the county, especially in times of adversity.

The meeting is scheduled to coincide with National Human Rights Day on Monday, Dec. 10. Colgan High School is located at 13833 Dumfries Road. The idea for the event came after some people in the community raised questions and concerns about the distribution of Ku Klux Klan fliers in the county.

“Part of living in a diverse community like Prince William County is that there are a wide variety of competing beliefs, world views, ideologies and political opinions,” said Raul Torres, the newly appointed executive director of the county’s Human Rights Office.

“Seeing the world through those different lenses offers people the opportunity to engage with others and foster a greater awareness and understanding of our differences, as well as similarities.”

The event will include an interactive panel with a question and answer session. Panel members include representatives from the Human Rights Commission, the Prince William County Police Department and the Prince William Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.

“The goal, is to discuss the rights of citizens and help the community understand how the Human Rights Office, the Prince William County Police Department, and Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office protect the community, particularly during those times where adversity and civil unrest are heightened,” Torres said.

Torres said he hopes the meeting will promote unity, dignity and inclusion. “Adversity is posed within our community by certain extreme elements who seek to influence members of our community, and that is where the adversity comes from, but we want to be on the positive side and create an environment of tolerance and respect, which are the fundamental values of the majority of the members of this community.”

More information about the Human Rights Office is available at pwcgov.org/humanrights.