The late Michael McConnell passes the baton to younger staff at 2012 AFSC Chicago benefit. AFSC
Many of us were blessed to be directly touched by Michael’s passion - his creative compassion, tireless justice-making, and deep commitment to end war and resolve conflicts nonviolently. Maybe you worked with him in the early days of the Sanctuary movement, or joined him on a hunger strike in Springfield to protest cuts to essential human services. Perhaps his words in worship stirred your spirit, or broke your heart open in new ways. Or maybe you witnessed the “Eyes Wide Open” display of hundreds of pairs of boots in Federal Plaza, symbolizing the human cost of the U.S. war in Iraq, and were forever changed. You may also know Michael’s work indirectly, through his 23 years as Regional Director at the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), his service to the community of Wellington Avenue UCC as Associate Minister of Peacemaking for 41 years, or through someone who was shaped by him.
Michael frequently supported and spoke to the importance of passing on the torch to young people, training up new leaders to be champions of peace with justice. When Michael passed in 2013, he left behind a powerful legacy, one that we hope to honor with this Fellowship.
The Michael McConnell Peace with Justice Fellowship
Wellington UCC and AFSC Chicago have come together to launch the Michael McConnell Peace with Justice Fellowship position. In honor of Michael’s powerful legacy of working for social justice and his dedication to investing in the next generation of leaders, this Fellowship will create a new part-time position for a young, emerging, organizer with the AFSC Chicago team to receive mentorship from an experienced team and work on the peacebuilding issues of ending police violence, incarceration and surveillance, and winning investments in community resources that help foster peace with justice.
Download our brochure about the Fellowship to learn more, including how you can support.
What kind of a position will this Fellowship Create?
The Fellowship position will be 25 hours per week, run for one year, and will include health insurance benefits for the Fellow. We are currently intending to offer the Fellowship for three consecutive years, so that three individual young people can have this opportunity to build their skills and work for justice with AFSC Chicago.
How much will it cost?
Each year of the fellowship will cost $32,000, so we are fundraising $96,000 over the course of the next three years to cover the costs. (If we’re able to raise more than that, we would love to expand the fellowship!)
How much do we need to raise now?
Wellington has already pledged seed funding, in the form of half the cost of the first year of the fellowship. We currently need to raise the remaining amount for the first year, $16,000, in order to launch the fellowship and begin the hiring process.
What will the Fellow do?
The Fellow will get to do hands-on work with high school aged youth, and develop an AFSC youth club to teach about our issues, and activate teenagers interested in getting involved in social change. They will lead workshops within schools, recruit a team of youth leaders to attend regular club meetings, and support high school students of Color in participating in actions, talking to the media, and creating art for social justice year-round.
What issues does the AFSC Chicago Peacebuilding program work on?
Since 2014, we have been working closely with local leaders in Chicago as part of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, to get the city to divest from policing and invest in Black youth and communities instead. Together with Assata’s Daughters and the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, we coordinated the #NoCopAcademy campaign which sought to redirect $95 million away from a new building for police, and into youth programs instead. That campaign received awards from the Crossroads Fund, the National Lawyers Guild, the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, and more for the ways we supported youth leadership and took on the political machine in this city. Today, we participate in several city-wide campaigns to end racist policing and youth incarceration, and instead invest in preventative alternatives to keep youth safe and out of trouble in the first place. You can sign up for our monthly newsletter here to get updates about our work.
Who are we trying to hire for the Fellowship?
The ideal fellow will be a young person, under 25 years of age. We will prioritize Black, indigenous and POC applicants. Each year, AFSC would open an application process through which we identify the fellow for the following year, and work with a hiring committee inclusive of stakeholders from our work to select the Fellow.
How does this promote Racial Justice?
As a Quaker organization, we believe our role is to support and resource racial justice movements. In Chicago we work with young Black people, young people of Color, and with Arab and Muslim communities to fight policing and surveillance. Every summer we offer youth internships that have served as powerful incubators for youth organizing. We have heard repeatedly from the young folks who work with us that even a part-time job for a recent college graduate is a critical stepping stone towards the beginning of a life-long career committed to peace and social justice work. AFSC has a track record of getting people started, and we’re excited to build on that!
Who will the Fellow be working with?
The Fellow will be supervised by AFSC Chicago Peacebuilding’s Program Coordinator, Debbie Southorn, who has more than ten years experience working with youth in Chicago. Additionally, as a small team, AFSC works closely with several partner organizations including the Children and Family Justice Center at Northwestern University, Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, and Dissenters - a new youth movement to end war and militarism. The Fellow will get to build relationships with powerful organizers with whom we collaborate across the city.
How do I donate?
You can donate directly to the Michael McConnell Fellowship Fund through our secure platform by clicking here.