(San Francisco, USA) by Hannah M. Hutton 
On January 6th, 2017, IANGEL participated in the “How to Be a Good Ally” strategic engagement conference.
Executive Director, Cecilia Lipp, and Development and Communications Intern, Hannah Hutton attended the event aimed at training lawyers, legal professionals, community leaders, and non-profit organizations to support anticipated needs arising in diverse, under-represented communities in the coming year.
The conference consisted of 1000+ professionals and community members and addressed urgent issues including including rising hate crimes and anti-Semitism; governmental targeting of the Muslim community; deportations and dreamers; the targeting of transgender people and religious exemptions to LGBT civil rights protections; reproductive freedom and saving Roe v. Wade; changes to the Affordable Care Act and health access and impacts on people with disabilities and at-risk populations; criminalization of communities of color; combatting domestic and sexual violence; environmental protections under siege; voting rights and access; economic justice and workers’ rights; and challenges to civil liberties and the civil justice system.
Each issue is consistent with IANGEL’s beliefs in human rights for all, and will help the organization use intersectional framework to target unique structural and societal challenges women face not only in the United States but around the globe. Among the panelists was Noreen Farrell, the Executive Director of Equal Rights Advocates and a long-time partner and friend to IANGEL. Though it was a long day of coming to terms with very tangible threats to human rights and thus women’s rights, Cecilia and Hannah left the conference reinvigorated knowing that there was a like-minded group in San Francisco that was ready to get to work.IANGEL will be facilitating a working group on women’s rights that will address reproductive justice and gender-based violence among other pressing issues. The group’s first conference call was filled to capacity, including legal professionals and local activists ready to use the knowledge from the conference to act not only as good allies, but as warriors towards our continued mission of justice for women and girls.
To get involved, sign up for the Women’s Rights working group that IANGEL is convening in conjunction with the Good Ally Collaborative:
Good Ally Conference, San Francisco