Legal Activists of Color: Call for Applications: Soros Justice Fellowships

Via nlg List-serves - FYI, AB

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From: Kate Black
Sent: Friday, June 09, 2006 1:38 PM
Subject: Call for Applications: Soros Justice Fellowships

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I seek your assistance in reaching outstanding individuals for the upcoming round of Soros Justice Fellowships. The Fellowship Program supports new and seasoned lawyers, advocates, grassroots organizers, activist academics, print and radio journalists and filmmakers to implement innovative projects that address one or more of the criminal justice priorities of OSI's U.S. Justice Fund. Since its inception in 1997, the Program has supported over 200 dynamic individuals working across the country for local, state, and national criminal justice reform. The U.S. Justice Fund supports individuals through two programs: the Soros Justice Advocacy Fellowships and the Soros Justice Media Fellowships. Projects should seek to accomplish one or more of the following:

o advance death penalty reform and abolition efforts;

o improve public defense services;

o combat racial profiling;

o promote leadership in progressive justice reform efforts among people who are or have been imprisoned;

o encourage systemic reforms that create incentives for community-based solutions over parole and probation revocation;

o challenge unreasonable civil and legal barriers to the reintegration of people returning from prison;

o redirect criminal justice monies to strengthen community resources and responsibility for public safety and justice;

o advance sentencing and drug policy reform efforts;

o curtail prison expansion;

o empower communities most affected by mass incarceration to develop and advocate for alternative policies that address underlying social, racial, and economic inequality.

Projects also may emphasize the intersection of the above priorities with the particular needs of: communities of color; immigrants; gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities; and women and children.

The Advocacy Fellowships have two tracks. Track I supports new and emerging advocates with two to six years of advocacy experience. Track II supports seasoned leaders with demonstrated expertise and a minimum of ten years experience in their fields and five years of advocacy experience. Both tracks are 18 months in duration and may be implemented in conjunction with large or small not-for-profit organizations. The Media Fellowships support mid-career and veteran print and radio journalists, filmmakers and writers. They are 12 months in duration.

Guidelines and application information are now available on our website at: http://www.soros.org/initiatives/justice/news/justicefellows_20060530

The Fellowship deadline is Wednesday, September 13, 2006 at 5PM

Please forward this information to associations, organizations, potential gatekeepers, listservs and throughout your professional networks to help get the word out! Feel free to contact me with any questions or ideas for how to publicize the Fellowships far and wide and reach strong potential applicants around the country.