City of Portland Declares April 3, 2011 to be 'Ombuds Day'

In recognition of the International Ombudsman Association annual conference being held in Portland April 1-6, Mayor Sam Adams has declared April 3 to be 'Ombuds Day."  Full text of the proclamation after the jump.

Whereas, Ombuds offices exist throughout the world in academia, government, and business to assist people in reaching fair resolutions to conflicts, misunderstandings and ethical questions that naturally occur in every setting; and

Whereas, Ombuds offices project values of justice, fairness, ethics, and civility and help protect individuals and institutions from costs associated with conflict and ethics violations; and

Whereas, Ombuds offices’ pursuits and accomplishments increase in value as the diversity and complexity of an organization or community increases; and

Whereas, Ombuds promote peaceful and creative resolutions to disputes and can investigate and resolve conflicts in a timely and satisfying manner, thereby, strengthening relationships in organizations and in communities; and

Whereas, Ombuds empower individuals, families, communities, organizations, and businesses to foster communication and devise solutions that are acceptable to the needs and interests of all parties involved; and

Whereas, the benefit of an Ombuds Office as an informal means of investigating and resolving conflict, provides a valuable and practical alternative to using a formal process that can be costly, time consuming, and complex; and

Whereas, in its sixth year, the International Ombudsman Association, an organization of over 600 members, promotes the support and advancement of the global organizational ombuds profession and ensures that practitioners work to the highest professional standards; and

Whereas, April, 1-6, 2011 marks the International Ombudsman Association sixth annual conference in Portland; and

Now, therefore, I, Sam Adams, Mayor of the City of Portland, Oregon, the “City of Roses,” do hereby proclaim April 3, 2011 to be

Ombuds Day

in Portland, and encourage all residents to observe this day.

Related posts:  IOA Posts Agenda for 2011 Conference.

Update 3/4/11: Scan of declaration.