PHILADELPHIA (January 28, 2021) The American Friends Service Committee – a Quaker organization with a century of experience mobilizing young people for peace and justice – is launching a new hands-on learning program to support the next generation of young leaders. The Emerging Leaders for Liberation program participants will gain an understanding of systemic oppression through trainings and experiences regarding accompaniment, anti-racism, organizing, advocacy, resourcing, and Quaker principles. AFSC will be hosting an online info session about the program on February 2 at 8pm ET; register here to attend.
“I am so excited to work with young activists from across the country and to help them build their leadership skills,” said Mariana Martinez, Emerging Leaders for Liberation director. “Young people today are at the forefront of movements to address the crises of climate change, pandemic, wealth inequality and racism. This is an opportunity for us to support emerging movement leaders in this important work.” Martinez comes to the director role after years of organizing with AFSC in Florida, where she was an essential part of the successful campaign to shut down the Homestead detention center.
Participants in the ELL program will take part in local campaigns and systems-level advocacy efforts. As part of the initiative, participants will deepen their engagement on an existing or new project. Applicants must be 18-25 years old as of April 1, 2022 and have a relationship to an AFSC program, a Quaker college/organization, or a Quaker meeting. The program will be eight months long and will use a hybrid model with in-person gatherings and online sessions. The 2022 cohort applications are opened January 31 through February 28.
Learn more about the program at http://afsc.org/ell
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The American Friends Service Committee is a Quaker organization that promotes lasting peace with justice, as a practical expression of faith in action. Drawing on continuing spiritual insights and working with people of many backgrounds, we nurture the seeds of change and respect for human life that transform social systems.