Saturday, April 30, 2016

In the Interest of Justice


Sergio Klor de Alva (1992-2016) was a passionate idealist who thought of himself as a realist; he had planned to make fighting for social justice his life’s work.  

In honor of his memory, Sergio’s friends and family have established a fellowship named after one of his pet phrases: “In the Interest of Justice” (IIJ).  The IIJ foundation will provide funding to people of limited financial means who wish to pursue unpaid internships in areas of politics and social justice*. Preference will be given to candidates from historically underserved populations, as well as to first-generation college graduates. The IIJ Fellowship is geared toward candidates of any age with a college degree or work experience, rather than to undergraduates. 

Why internships?
In his twenty-four years Sergio interned and volunteered with numerous diverse social and political campaigns as well as working for candidates for office and elected representatives in the San Francisco Bay Area and Washington D.C.  He learned to canvas neighborhoods, speak to strangers on the street, and make cold calls; to coordinate and inspire volunteers; to send out press releases and conduct interviews; to speak and write eloquently on the issues. In short, Sergio was learning how to be an effective agent of social change…in the interest of justice.

Sergio often spoke about how fortunate he was to pursue his dreams without having to worry about paying the bills. He was acutely aware of the privilege that allowed him to pursue unpaid positions and internships, thereby growing his resume and gaining the experience, confidence, and networking opportunities that lead to paid positions in in areas of politics and social justice. Sergio believed that anyone with a dedication to social justice and hard work should be afforded the same luxury; in particular, he wanted to provide internship possibilities to historically underserved populations in the hopes that they would go on to increase the diversity of those in positions of power in the U.S.

When will this happen?
IIJ is currently in the process of applying for non-profit (510c(3)) status. Donations will be retroactively tax-deductible; we will send out official confirmation to donors as soon as we receive our non-profit status.

If you are interested in applying for an IIJ fellowship, sign up for our mailing list – and be sure to check back in the future! We will announce when we are ready to start accepting applications for fellowships.

More important than ever
The In the Interest of Justice fellowship will encourage people from diverse backgrounds to pursue careers in social justice and politics. You can help – please donate, and spread the word!

*Due to the requirements for tax-exempt status, IIJ will not be allowed to fund fellows working directly on political campaigns. However, we will accept applications for internships in political offices without regard for political party.

Donate to IN THE INTEREST OF JUSTICE
If you would like to help us expand Sergio’s lasting influence by contributing to this fund, please do so below.


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