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CAIR California

Los Angeles

Muslim Community Action Network (MCAN) Organizing Leadership Cohort

Apply to the MCAN Organizing Leadership Cohort by submitting this form! The application will take about 15 minutes to complete. 

CAIR-LA is hosting an informational webinar on Wednesday, May 15, at 6 p.m. PST for applicants and those interested in learning more about the Leadership Cohort. Learn what to expect in the program and have the chance to ask questions. Click here to register!

About MCAN Organizing Leadership Cohort

CAIR-LA is recruiting its first Muslim Community Action Network (MCAN) Organizing Leadership Cohort who will learn and work with CAIR-LA and a group of their peers June 2024 through August 2024. 

The Organizing Leadership Cohort is right for you if you are already an activist in your community (or a budding activist) and want to dive deeply into advocacy for the Muslim community. You should bring some knowledge and experience but also be excited to learn and practice more. Cohort participants will have a wide range of experience with advocacy and organizing. 

Participants in the MCAN Organizing Leadership Cohort must be able to commit 5-10 hours per month to organizing with CAIR-LA and be excited to work in collaboration with Muslim activists from across Southern California. Participants will have ample opportunity for professional development and gain access to support and resources to organize Muslims in your community. 

The fellowship will kick off with a training to get to know CAIR-LA and each other. The Organizing Leadership Cohort training will take place on approximately 7 Saturday mornings from June through August. Three of the Saturday meetings will be in person while the other Saturday meetings will be virtual. In addition to the Saturday meetings, participants will lead weekly meetings with a subset of participants. The weekly meetings are scheduled within small groups of participants at times and locations, including virtually, that are convenient to them.  

Skills you can expect to gain or strengthen during the Organizing Leadership Cohort include: 

  • Knowledge about policymaking and the United States’ electoral system. 
  • Advocacy and organizing. 
  • Event planning and project planning. 
  • Collaboration and networking with Muslim activists across Southern California. 
  • Effective communication and public speaking.

Participants in the Organizing Leadership Cohort are expected to use the information, skills, and resources they gain to raise awareness and educate the Muslim community about the importance of their civic engagement and activate members of their community to take action. During the Organizing Leadership Cohort, you will build a plan for what your advocacy will look like in partnership with CAIR-LA staff and other participants. Examples could include advocating for specific legislation at the state level or policy in schools, tabling in their communities, hosting panels or speakers, or voter outreach. 

Timeline and How To Apply

Application Process
  • April 30, 2024: Applications open.
  • May 15, 2024 (Optional): Info session for applicants. You will hear from CAIR-LA staff about what to expect in the program and have the chance to ask questions. A recording will be shared after. Click here to register!
  • May 20, 2024: Applications close.
  • May 23, 2024: Decisions announced to applicants. 

The following meeting dates are tentative ad subject to change. 

In Person Saturday Meetings: (9 a.m.-12 p.m.); in-person meetings will rotate across various locations in the Greater Los Angeles region. 

  • June 1 (In Person)
  • June 8
  • June 15 
  • June 29 (In Person)
  • July 13 
  • July 27 
  • August 17 (In Person)

Weekly Meetings: Weekly subgroup meetings will be scheduled at a time and place convenient to the group. 

Ongoing Meetings: Fellows will organize ongoing meetings in their communities (see responsibilities below). 

  • Contributing approximately 5-10 hours total to the MCAN Organizing Leadership Cohort per month.
     
  • Attending Saturday training and weekly meetings. Participants are expected to actively share, learn, and collaborate during group meetings, which will typically consist of collaborative work time and/or skill-building workshops. 

  • Be a self-starter. Participants should be willing and able to organize and work remotely in your community in between meetings with CAIR-LA. 

  • Meeting 1:1 with members of your communities and serve as an ambassador for CAIR-LA. 

  • Writing and/or recording public communications (including public testimony, blog posts, social media content, and letters to the editor). 

  • Organizing local teams and host “house meetings” to organize your team. Although we call them house meetings, they can take place anywhere including your home, a local mosque, or a library. 

  • Organizing at least one event or activity in your community (such as tabling, attending a public meeting, meeting with an elected official, etc.). 

To apply to the MCAN Organizing Leadership Cohort, complete and submit this application form.  

The deadline to apply is 11:59 PM PT on Monday, May 20, 2024. 

If you have any questions about the application or the Organizing Leadership Cohort, contact CAIR-LA Community Organizer Atra Flemons at aflemons@cair.com. 

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