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Minority Affairs Committee

Diversity Award
Diversity is an integral part of our society and military experience. The MAC encourages the entire veteran’s community to appreciate and experience diversity within the Vietnam Veterans of America. In support of the overall VVA’s diversity initiative, the MAC has established an annual Diversity Award to be given at the National Convention and the Leadership Conference.

Download The Award Criteria Here
Download The Nominations Procedures Here

VVA Minority Affairs 2006 Business Plan:

The Minority Affairs Committee is established as a standing committee at the national level of Vietnam Veterans of America in accordance with the Constitution of the Vietnam Veterans of America, Article 1, Section 7, Paragraph B, and further defined in Appendix II. “The Minority Affairs Committee shall identify and develop programs of awareness of, and programs of interest to, minority veterans of the Vietnam Veterans of America, and shall seek to expand the membership of minorities in the Vietnam Veterans of America. The Committee shall coordinate its activities closely with the President, other Officers, and committee chairpersons.”

The mission of the Minority Affairs Committee is twofold. First, it is to ensure that the unique circumstances, needs and concerns of our diverse minority veterans are valued, respected and addressed. The second is to ensure that the inclusive organizational mission respects and values the unique circumstances of our diverse veterans. Our vision is a committee and veterans’ organization that promotes and values diversity within its organizational structure.

The Minority Affairs Committee will be working to ensure that the health care needs of our minority veterans and their dependents are identified, addressed and responsibly serviced by the Veterans Administration, its staff, facilities and programs. As a part of the national organization we are dedicated to ensuring that the VA is adequately, consistently and sufficiently funded in order to meet the needs of our veterans. The Committee Chair serves as a member of the Government Affairs Committee.

Recent Accomplishments:
Organized and led NBOD-sponsored Asian-American Pacific Islander Veterans Roundtable in Los Angeles (March 2006)

Developed requirements, solicited nominations and presented first Minority Affairs Committee Diversity Award at Leadership Conference in Tucson (July 2006)

Attended and testified at VA Center For Minority Veterans Advisory Panel Hearings in Los Angeles and Long Beach (April 2006)

Attended meetings of VA Center For Minority Veterans Advisory Panel in Crystal City, VA (December 2005)

Testified at VA Veterans Disability Benefits Commission Public Hearing in San Diego (June 2006)

Attended Quarterly Meeting of Japanese American Veterans Association in Potomac, MD (April 2006)

Testified at Cares Commission Local Advisory Panel Hearing at West Los Angeles Greater Health Care System Headquarters in Los Angeles (September 2005)

Reprinted 5000 copies of Committee information and recruitment trifold brochure for distribution (June 2006)

Developed seminar for inclusion in 2006 Leadership Conference

Deliverables:
Identified three goals critical to the Minority Affairs Committee’s success in the next two years:
Outreach to Veterans
Working Closely with the VA Center For Minority Veterans

Development of our political agenda

Prepare bimonthly articles for the Minority Affairs Committee column in the VVA Veteran

Coordinate with National and regional minority veteran organizations to recruit minority members

Measurements:

Participate in VVA membership recruitment booth at national or regional conventions of minority organizations such as NAACP

Represent minority veterans concerns at public hearings of VA, CARES Commission and other similar federal panels as well as local, regional, state and national governmental bodies

June 21, 2006 MAC Business Plan

Print your copy Minority Affairs Brochure