The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

Those in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania literally feared for their lives. Others, whether in big cities, small towns or rural outposts, tasted the vague, overwhelming fear of a faceless enemy and a looming war.

And a small but significant group of U.S. residents knew the ugly, palpable fear of reprisals. Across the country, many Arab and Muslim Americans — anyone, in fact, with perceived similarities to the suspected terrorists — were justifiably concerned that their neighbors might turn on them.

Civil rights advocates and law enforcement officials shared their fears.

Fortunately, in several communities, those concerned about the rights and safety of Arab and Muslim Americans were able to act more decisively than ever before, thanks to CommUNITY 2000 — a national program designed to reduce, respond to, and reconcile community tensions.

CommUNITY 2000, funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, originated in 1999. It is a collaboration between national and local groups that addresses tensions arising when people exercise their rights under the federal Fair Housing Act.

The project is divided into two Phases. Phase I began July 30, 1999 and ended December 31, 2001. Phase II began December 1, 2000 and will end in 2003.

Phase I of CommUNITY 2000 brought together the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund (LCCREF), the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) and local advocacy groups in Boston, Chicago and San Diego. This coalition spent untold hours working to reduce the sorts of tensions that, at their worst, lead to violence and hate crimes, as well as developing crucial relationships among people of good will who work to foster understanding and respect.

As a result, CommUNITY 2000's national and local partners were ready to move quickly when tragedy struck on September 11:

• Three days later, the Fair Housing Council of San Diego sent fliers, written in Arabic, to San Diego area organizations with ties to Arab and Islamic populations. The fliers explained state and federal laws protecting citizens from hate crimes, and encouraged people to contact the Council if they felt victimized. The Council also sent copies of the fliers to NFHA's more than 80 member organizations, suggesting they adapt and use the information. The Council was prepared because months earlier it had used CommUNITY 2000 funds to translate the fliers into numerous Latino, Asian and African languages.

• On September 18, NFHA and LCCREF issued a press release to announce publication of their comprehensive handbook, "Fight Hate" A Prevention and Response Guide for America's Neighborhoods, " and a Rapid Response Strategy, Steps for Providing Immediate Assistance to Victims of Housing Related Hate Activity. Staff at NFHA spent the previous year preparing the manual, which helps community leaders, fair housing advocates, and others address housingrelated hate crimes and tensions. The timing of its release allowed NFHA and LCCREF representatives to remind people of their rights under the 1968 Federal Fair Housing Act during this critical period. Further, they took the opportunity to highlight NFHA's toll-free hotline as a resource for citizens, especially Arab Americans, to report housing-related hate activity.

• Many strong alliances were nurtured and fostered by the Leadership Council for Metropolitan Open Communities, a CommUNITY 2000 Chicago partner. One such local advocacy network was RELATE -- Religious Leaders Acting Together for Equality. Among RELATE's objectives was to be able to respond swiftly and unanimously when citizens faced discrimination on Chicago's North Shore. Very shortly after September 11, RELATE issued a widely-distributed statement, which read, in part: "We also abhor the misguided acts of hatred against particular institutions in our communities, in the Chicago area and across the nation. We abhor the stereotypebased assumptions made about and actions taken against people of any particular faith tradition, ethicity, or nation of origin."

• Within weeks of September 11, an ad hoc group of Greater Boston civil rights, and community organizations and agencies released "Prejudice is not Patriotic: A Declaration of Respect." The short, succinct statement reaffirmed the patriotic duty of all Americans to safeguard the rights of their neighbors, regardless of their racial, religious or ethnic background. Andy Tarsy of the Massachusetts Anti-Defamation League convened the group, which included the Fair Housing Center of Greater Boston (FHCGB), a CommUNITY 2000 partner. David Harris, director of the FHCGB, played an integral role in drafting the "Prejudice is not Patriotic" declaration. "He was always one of the leaders who insisted on the importance of getting the statement issued quickly and in the right way," Tarsy said of Harris.

Actions taken on behalf of Arab Americans following September 11 are merely the most dramatic examples of the myriad ways that CommUNITY 2000's local and national partners have joined forces to foster respect, understanding and harmony. Additional strategies for easing community tensions range from the tried-and-true to the innovative.

The two CommUNITY 2000 local partners in Chicago were among the most established in the field of fair housing nationwide. The Leadership Council, founded in 1966, is the country's oldest fair housing center. The second Chicago partner, Access Living, is one of the oldest centers for independent living for the disabled.

The Leadership Council used its affiliation with CommUNITY 2000 to enhance its proven existing programs while shifting focus to emphasize responding to, reducing, and reconciling neighborhood tensions.

At the other end of the spectrum, Access Living took the unprecedented position that the civil rights of the disabled were as likely to be violated in the government-subsidized group homes where many disabled persons reside as in their surrounding neighborhoods. Access Living thereby broadened CommUNITY 2000's definition of "community" to include the environment within the group homes themselves.

Whether responding to nationwide injustice, or a single incident of housing discrimination, the driving premise behind CommUNITY 2000 is the belief that when people of good will are unified, good will prevails.

For anyone interested in quelling community tensions and fostering safe, welcoming neighborhoods, the strategies that were developed by national and local partners for Phase I of CommUNITY 2000 can be replicated and duplicated in numerous ways across all sectors of American society.

What follows in this CommUNITY 2000 summary report is:

• A Menu of Strategies highlighting numerous ways in which the CommUNITY 2000 national and local partners worked to reduce, respond to and reconcile community tensions. The "Menu" can serve as both a resource and guide for anyone looking for ways to create more harmonious neighborhoods.

• Chapters that provide substantive details about local and national partners' contributions to the CommUNITY 2000 project.