Baltimore
Algebra Project (Baltimore, MD) - Baltimore Algebra
Project aims to organize student-driven demand for high quality education
in Baltimore City, using paid student-to-student tutoring as an organizing
tool to develop grassroots advocacy initiatives. By encouraging all
Baltimore City students to succeed in algebra and advanced mathematics
and using paid student tutors, the Project seeks to increase the economic
viability of students of color to provide a basis for public policy
advocacy and organizing. The Fellow, Thomas
Nikundiwe, will serve as Math Literacy Youth
Organizer. He will work to build the Project’s capacity
and supervise tutoring teams at community high schools, as well as coaching
a city-wide Leadership Committee of student leaders who will develop
and implement operational and advocacy plans for the program. Mr. Nikundiwe
received his B.S. in Mathematics and secondary school teaching certification
from Michigan State University.
Brotherhood/Sister
Sol, Inc. (New York, NY) - The Brotherhood/Sister Sol
works with Black and Latino youth, seeking to develop a cadre of youth
who are strong leaders, dependable and insightful women and men who
have knowledge of societal inequities, as well as the conviction and
skill to combat them. As the Art and Social Justice Program
Coordinator, the Fellow, Tara
Mack, will help integrate the arts and media into the organization’s
programs and will work with the organization’s youth participants
to explore ways in which to incorporate the arts in the struggle for
racial equity. She will spearhead a project to develop a community museum
where members of Brotherhood/Sister Sol will document local social justice
issues and transform them into multimedia exhibits. Ms. Mack received
her Masters of Journalism from the University of California at Berkeley.
Center
for Gender and Refugee Studies (San Francisco, CA) -
Housed at the University of California, Hastings College of Law, the
Center for Gender and Refugee Studies works to ensure the protection
of women's human rights through the recognition of women fleeing gender
violence as refugees. Through its work on individual cases, and its
program of providing technical assistance and training, as well as its
strategies involving national advocacy and legislative work, grassroots
activism, and public education, the Center aims to impact the development
of domestic and international law and ensure the evolution of the law
on issues related to gender asylum. As Appellate Advocacy
Fellow, Leena Khandwala
will coordinate a national project that will work with immigration attorneys
and law students to establish positive precedent in gender asylum law.
Ms. Khandwala is herself a Muslim immigrant who received her M.B.A.
from the Institute of Business Administration in Karachi, Pakistan;
she will receive her J.D. in May 2004 from Fordham Law School.
Equal
Justice Center (Austin, TX) - The Equal Justice Center
engages in advocacy efforts that empower working people to become active
in defending and advancing their own employment rights; it promotes
systemic reform of the underlying causes of injustice; supports workers’
capacity to organize and to lead the struggle for employment justice;
and uses the legal system to build equal employment rights regardless
of immigration status, national origin, gender, sexual orientation,
language or religion. As Immigrant Employment Rights Counsel,
the Fellow, Victoria Isabel Gavito,
will expand the capacity of EJC’s recently established Central
Texas Immigrant Worker Rights Center by overseeing, developing and refining
the Center’s worker-advocate program which helps immigrant workers
master knowledge, skills and strategies for recovering their unpaid
wages. Ms. Gavito will receive her J.D. from St. Mary’s School
of Law in May 2004.
Filipinos for Affirmative Action (Oakland, CA) - For
decades, Filipinos for Affirmative Action (FAA) has served as a multi-service
and civil rights advocacy organization, strengthening the Filipino community’s
capacity to participate as equals in the larger society. FAA’s
programs are aimed at building self-sufficiency among immigrant families
in order to promote stability and increase their capacity for advocacy
and organizing. As Advocacy Director, the
Fellow, Christopher Abalos Punongbayan,
will serve as a policy development expert for the Filipino community
on national and local workers rights, civil rights, and immigrant rights.
He will coordinate local advocacy campaigns on issues affecting the
Filipino American community and a national Filipino civil rights conference
in 2005. He will also train staff and volunteers on relevant immigration
rights, workers rights, and national security issues. Mr. Punongbayan
will receive his J.D. from the University of California Los Angeles,
School of Law in May 2004.
Homies
Unidos (Los Angeles, CA) - Homies
Unidos addresses gang violence through advocacy, action, public awareness
and a focus on prevention and intervention. The organization’s
work pools and links human and financial resources to support community
building efforts that tackle gang violence on an international level.
As International Campaign Director, the Fellow,
Rocío Santacruz, will
research, plan, and execute an international human rights campaign to
bring attention to human rights abuses surrounding repressive government
attempts to address youth violence in Central America, with a focus
on El Salvador. She will research US immigration policy on youth deportations
and study the effects of those deportations on Central American civil
society. She will also study parallels between the implementation of
“el Plan Mano Dura” in El Salvador, human rights initiatives
in the region, and current global economic initiatives such as FTAA,
CAFTA and NAFTA. Ms. Santacruz received her Bachelor of Arts degree
from the University of California, Berkeley in May 2003.
Immigration
Equality (New York, NY) - Immigration Equality fights
for equality under U.S. immigration law for LGBT and HIV positive immigrants
through education, policy advocacy, and legal action. The organization
is built on a coalition of immigrants, attorneys and other activists
who address the widespread impact of discriminatory immigration laws
on the lives of those in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
community and immigrants who are living with HIV/AIDS. As HIV
Detention Project Coordinator, the Fellow, Sarah
Sohn, will formulate and implement a strategy to collect
information about HIV positive immigrants who are being detained by
the Department of Homeland Security and use this information to prepare
a report which can be used as an educational tool to improve access
to appropriate medical treatment and to advocate for stricter enforcement
of HIV confidentiality laws. She will also perform trainings for advocates
and DHS officials, and work with media to focus more attention on this
issue. Ms. Sohn will receive her J.D. from University of Michigan Law
School in May 2004.
Institute
for Wisconsin's Future (Milwaulkee, WI) - As a research
and community outreach center, the Institute for Wisconsin’s Future,
compiles accurate information on issues and policies that affect the
lives of low and moderate income families, and conducts community outreach
to inform, involve and mobilize community members to take part in public
policy debates and decision making. The Fellow, Jennifer
Epps, will serve as Education Outreach Specialist,
organizing urban high school students in Wisconsin to establish youth
participation in the state’s network on education funding. She
will also work with university students to establish an internship program
at IWF, and will be a key spokesperson to the legislature, media, civic
groups and congregations to increase public awareness of educational
injustice. Ms. Epps will receive her BS from University of Wisconsin-Madison
in May 2003.
Junta
for Progressive Action (New Haven, CT) - Junta for Progressive
Action provides services, programs and advocacy that improve the social,
political, and economic conditions of the Latino community in Greater
New Haven, nurturing and promoting its cultural traditions as it builds
bridges with other communities. As Director of Economic
Development, the Fellow, Michael
Montaño, will manage the Economic Development Program,
which will include community organizing and advocacy efforts; conducting
research, creating reports and other public education materials; capacity
building efforts on behalf of a local small business neighborhood association;
and facilitating additional opportunities for Latinos to create capital,
develop community skills, and invest in their communities. He will also
conduct research into employment practices of Latinos in New Haven and
will organize efforts to improve local employment hiring practices.
Mr. Montaño received his B.A. in Philosophy from Yale University
in May 2003.
National
Day Laborer Organizing Network (Los Angeles, CA) - The
National Day Laborer Organizing Network strengthens and expands the
work of local day laborer organizing groups in order to become more
effective and strategic in building leadership, advancing low-wage worker
and immigrant rights and developing successful models for organizing
immigrant contingent/ temporary workers. As Legal Program
Coordinator, the Fellow, Chris
Newman, will work with local and regional day laborers
and their advocacy groups to advance worker protective state legislation
and city ordinances and will design, oversee, and carry out a campaign
to address the growing epidemic of unpaid wages to day laborers. He
will also develop a legal training curriculum for day laborer educators
and organizers and monitor and analyze developments in public policy
in order to provide guidance to grassroots organizers. Mr. Newman will
receive his J.D. from the University of Denver, College of Law in May
2004.
Northwest
Federation of Community Organizations (Seattle, WA)
- The Northwest Federation of Community Organizations is a regional
organization whose mission is to achieve systemic change by building
strong state affiliate organizations and executing regional and national
campaigns that advance economic, racial, and social justice. The Federation
has trained hundreds of grassroots leaders and community organizers
and built substantial regional issue campaign areas with research, policy,
and organizing components. The Fellow, Leo
Morales, will work as a Community Organizer,
responsible for building a base of community activists among Idaho's
immigrant communities of color. He will design and implement strategies
for outreach and recruitment of a corps of community activists and will
assist grassroots leaders with identifying issues of importance to their
communities, setting campaign goals and strategies, and carrying out
campaigns. He will also participate in developing strategies for a regional,
grassroots network fighting for immigrant rights. Mr. Morales will receive
his Bachelors degree from Boise State University in May 2004.
Public Interest Litigation Clinic (Kansas City, MO) -
Guided by the principle that every human being is entitled to the fullest
and most complete access to justice and fair treatment by the courts
and society at large, the Public Interest Litigation Clinic protects
the right of meaningful access to the courts by representing, and training
others to represent, indigent clients on death row. The Fellow, Joseph
Amrine, will serve as Paralegal/ Community
Outreach Representative, educating citizens and policymakers
on criminal justice issues and training criminal defense attorneys to
represent their clients more effectively. He will also identify ways
in which persons outside the criminal justice system can become involved
in advocating for alternatives to the death penalty, assist lawyers
in the investigation and preparation of cases, counsel prisoners involved
in trials, and serve as a liaison-advisor to local and national organizations.
Mr. Amrine earned a paralegal certificate in 1984.
Raksha, Inc. (Atlanta, GA) - Through confidential support
services, education, and advocacy, Raksha, meaning "protection,"
promotes a stronger and healthier South Asian community that works actively
towards the elimination of domestic violence, sexual violence and child
sexual abuse. As Raksha's Community Leadership Development
Fellow, Sonali Sadequee
will lead several community organizing strategies, while increasing
mainstream service provider's cultural competence in assisting immigrant
women and girls. She will also lead Raksha's Breaking the Silence initiatives
which involves asset building within the community on issues of sexual
assault and child sexual abuse. This includes community engaging, organizing
and educating both mainstream service-providers for improved advocacy
for immigrant women as well as community based organizations for increased
civic responsibility in creating change. Ms. Sadequee received her Bachelor
of Arts and Science from Georgia State University with a double major
in Psychology and Women's Studies.
Southwest Workers' Union (San Antonio, TX) - Southwest
Workers' Union empowers people of color, youth and low-income workers
and residents to have a voice in the decision-making process at the
local, state and federal levels, through education, leadership development,
training and direct organizing. As Lead Environmental Justice/
Human Rights Organizer, the Fellow, Jill
Johnston, will serve as the lead community organizer to
bring together membership to fight the toxic cleanup of the former Kelly
Air Force Base and will coordinate meetings between communities and
scientists working to develop a comprehensive plan that represents community
voices. She will also work with Texas-Mexico border organizations to
highlight human rights abuses occurring on both sides of the border.
Ms. Johnston received a B.A. in Earth and Environmental Science from
Wesleyan University in December 2002.
Sylvia
Rivera Law Project (New York, NY) - The Sylvia Rivera
Law Project (SRLP) strives to increase visibility and political voice
for low-income transgender, transsexual, intersex and all gender variant
people, and to improve access to sensitive, respectful, and affirming
social, health and legal services for this population. SRLP addresses
gender identity discrimination and poverty through free legal representation,
direct organizing, policy reform, and public education. The Fellow,
Rickke Mananzala, will serve
as Direct Organizing Coordinator, leading
the SRLP’s Policy and Organizing Team as a key figure in the development
and implementation of the organizing efforts in which SRLP engages.
These organizing initiatives will focus specifically on transgender
youth in the juvenile justice system and the foster care system, transgender
access to homeless shelters, adult and youth access to gender-related
medical care, and discrimination against transgender youth in public
schools. Mr. Mananzala draws on a wealth of organizing experience.
