(Detroit, MI) - The National Association of Human Rights Workers (NAHRW) and the International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies (IAOHRA) will partner to host their joint annual international convention at the MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit, September 13-19, 2008.

The week-long conference will provide strategies to addressing the global and domestic issues facing human rights professionals.

"In a profession that requires a lot of dedication and commitment it is vital for us to come together in unity and support one another," Linda V. Parker, Director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights said. "This type of interaction not only provides enrichment, but it also helps propel our momentum towards reaching a better future."

The Michigan Department of Civil Rights and the city of Detroit Human Rights Commission are co-hosting the event. This year's theme is "Gateway to Freedom: Honoring the Past. Marching Towards the Future."

Conference workshops will explore civil and human rights topics such as: fair housing conditions, predatory lending, discrimination and hate crime. International issues of genocide/holocausts, human trafficking and other forms of human rights abuse will also be addressed.

"In one year, there were 8,000 nationally reported hate crimes in the U.S. alone. You can only imagine the unreported rate that spans the globe," Leon Russell, President of IAOHRA, said. "We are working to promote universal solutions to a universal problem."

Among the confirmed speakers will be: Rana Khan of the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees, international human rights lawyers Bridgette Carr from the University of Notre Dame Law School and Nick Rine from the University of Michigan Law School, who specialize in human trafficking and human rights issues of asylum seekers and refugees. Other speakers include, Mary Rose Oakar, National President of the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee, Alvin Sykes, President of the Emmett Till Campaign and Linda V. Parker, Director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights.

A brief press conference featuring Leon Russell, President of IAOHRA, Willie Ratchford, President of NAHRW, and Linda V. Parker, Director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights will be held Monday Sept. 15 at 8:30 a.m. in front of the Theater in the MotorCity Casino Hotel. Media booths will be open everyday at the conference from 9:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.

For more information on the IAOHRA/NAHRW Conference please visit http://www.iaohra.org/