Southeast Immigrant Rights Network

WHAT IS THE HUMMINGBIRD INSTITUTE?

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The Hummingbird Institute is a new initiative of the Southeast Immigrant Rights Network (SEIRN) in partnership with Blueprint NC, NC Collaborative for Strong Latinx Communities and United for a Fair Economy. This initiative seeks to bring together grassroots immigrant and refugee leaders from around the Southeast to advance their leadership and organizing skills.

 

The goal of this initiative is to strengthen the collective/democratic leadership and organizing skills of grassroots immigrant and refugee organizers in the Southeast, and foster a collective vision of justice and dignity for all.

 

This Hummingbird Institute is for Southeast grassroots leaders committed to: 

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• Organize and strengthen the power of their community to defend their human rights and dignity

• Exercise collective and democratic leadership and support the development of new leaders within their groups and in the movement

• Deepen their understanding of how the fight for the rights of immigrants is linked to a broader movement for justice

• Advance a collective vision of justice centered on the dignity of all people

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OBJECTIVES:​

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• Form a committed group of Southeast immigrant and refugee leaders to deepen our understanding of collective leadership and community organizing.

• Create spaces for reflection and collective learning about the different leadership styles we exercise and how they affect our struggle for justice.

• Seek/identify alternative solutions or strategies to address challenges we face when organizing in the community.

• Learn about popular education and why and how to integrate it into our community organizing practices.

• Learn about healing justice and how to incorporate it into our organizing work.

• Expand our political analysis and challenge our beliefs about what the struggle for immigrant justice entails.

• Create individual action plans and an accountability process to continue strengthening our leadership during the program and after it ends.

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WHO IS THIS INSTITUTE FOR? 

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This initiative is for grassroots immigrant or refugee leaders who:​

• have taken (or are committed to take) steps to establish a comité or grassroots group in their community.

• organize in the Southeast as part of a grassroots group.

• have been organizing for a minimum of one year.

• commit to a collective learning process acknowledging that there will be difficult conversations.

• commit to participate in three in person gatherings in North Carolina and virtual follow up sessions between gatherings.

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PROGRAM DETAILS AND TIME COMMITMENT: 

 

• The first gathering will take place June 9th through the 11th in Durham, North Carolina.

• The second gathering will take place August 11th through the 13th in Durham, North Carolina.

• The third gathering will take place November 17th through the 19th in Durham, North Carolina.

• Gatherings will begin with dinner on Friday at 5:00 pm and end with lunch on Sunday at 2:00 pm.

• Participants are expected to participate for the entire duration of the gatherings.

• Participants will be expected to commit to 10 hours of virtual meetings between gatherings.

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PROJECT FEATURES:

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• This project will be open to a maximum of 25 grassroots immigrant/refugee leaders from the Southeast.

• We will pay for travel expenses and lodging for all participants.

• We will offer a $500 stipend to participants to partially offset lost income from missing work to participate in the program (partial stipends will be processed after each in-person gathering).

• We will provide interpretation and childcare.

• Meals covered at the gathering include: dinner on Friday; breakfast, lunch and dinner on Saturday; breakfast and lunch on Sunday.

• Participants will deepen relationships with other committed immigrant/refugee leaders from the Southeast.

• As part of the program, participants will develop and implement an action plan to further their leadership and organizing skills, with support from SEIRN staff and fellow comrades.

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HOW TO APPLY & APPLICATION DEADLINE: 

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• The deadline to submit your application is Sunday, April 16th.

• You may apply here. 

 

If you have any questions or need help filling out this application, feel free to contact Cristo Salazar at cristo@seirn.org or 919-602-6812.