The application period is now open for the free Faith-Rooted Organizing Leadership Cohort sponsored by CLUE – Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice – from January through May 2022. Participants will meet once or twice a month over five months to connect their faith or spiritual values with economic, social, and racial justice advocacy work alongside communities in Los Angeles or Orange Counties.
Participants are encouraged to bring their own religious or spiritual values and traditions into our interfaith discussions as we address how we can help effect real, life-changing justice in our communities. The sessions will be guided by the leadership of those who are impacted the most by the violence in our society.
Who is this cohort intended for?
- People of faith who wish to pursue justice and desire to move from being activists to faith-rooted organizers
- People who have been hurt by religious institutions and are looking for liberating faith spaces to support them in living out their call to doing justice
- People who have experienced that charity and community development work is not enough and therefore wish to change structures/policies upholding the violence and dehumanization of people, especially among marginalized and BIPOC communities
- People who want to build stronger, more effective justice committees within their congregation
- People in anti-racist book clubs who wish to turn their learnings into meaningful anti-racist action
What is this cohort about?
Building a multigenerational and multicultural learning community committed to pursuing justice that is rooted in their own faiths/spiritual values.
Topics will include but are not limited to:
- History, spirituality, vision, and strategy of faith-rooted organizing
- History, philosophy and strategy of Nonviolence and Nonviolent direct action
- Building successful, meaningful, and sustainable grassroots campaigns
- Identifying and framing issues in your community
- Mapping and analyzing community power structures
- Storytelling and deep listening as a ritual for change
- Planning effective delegations to elected officials/people in power
- Recruiting people of faith into the movement
- Sustaining the struggle
- Being a respectful, accountable ally in diverse, multi-faith and non-faith settings
Where does this cohort meet?
Depending on the needs of most of the participants, the cohort could be in-person or a hybrid of virtual and in-person meetings.
Are there any fees or requirements?
This faith-rooted organizing cohort is FREE, but space is limited. However, we know that meaningful learning or transformation often happens in community when we are willing to engage in the work. Therefore, each participant will have the opportunity to be a part of CLUE campaigns to gain hands-on experience. In exchange for this training, we would appreciate participants offering around 15-20 hours/month (i.e. 3-5 hours/week) of in-person or online support for CLUE campaigns during the cohort.
Interested in joining this cohort?
Please apply TODAY at
bit.ly/FaithRooted2022!
The deadline application deadline is Friday, November 19, 2021. If your application is chosen, we will follow up with you for an interview by the beginning of December.
For any questions, please contact Adam Overton via [email protected] and Rev. Mary Duong via [email protected].
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