Intern for Peace
Internship Opportunities
The Mid-South Peace and Justice Center is an interfaith, interracial organization dedicated to nonviolent education, advocacy, and action for local and global peace and justice. The Center opened on January 15, 1982, the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Its office is located in a culturally and economically diverse neighborhood in the heart of midtown Memphis. The Center engages issues of human rights, peace and nonviolence, economic and social justice through joining together with individuals and groups to educate and empower for participatory change. The Center seeks to further the legacy of past peacemakers and justice seekers, such as Dr. King, Gandhi, and Dorothy Day.
The Mid-South Peace and Justice Center’s current activities include:Current programs work to assist the diverse needs of an impoverished community, and address the root causes of injustice we find in Memphis. Programs include the Alternatives to the Military Project that counters the tide of militarism engulfing the city’s public schools, Food Not Bombs, an outdoor soup kitchen that feeds the hungry while demonstrating the ability to feed people at a low cost, Grow Memphis community gardens to empower neighborhoods and youths, the Progressive Media Project that airs local issues not provided by commercial media, the Annual Gandhian Conference on Nonviolence that attracts participants from all over the world to present ideas on using nonviolent methods in problem solving, Youth Dialog Sessions to bring together young people from the Jewish and Muslim faiths to learn conflict resolution, and the Peace Committee which provides education on and protest against war and violence.
In 2005, the Coalition Against Private Prisons (CAPP), led by the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center was formed to prevent efforts to privatize our prison system and create the largest private prison in the country. The Center led Coalition Against Private Prisons (CAPP) is comprised of individuals and organizations that has been successful at preventing prison privatization within our city (see attached video CD.) CAPP includes AFSCME Local 1733, Grassroots Leadership, the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center, NAACP, IBEW Locals 474 and 1288, Shelby County Corrections Officers, Blues Enrichment, Rainbow/PUSH, Women's Action Coalition, Mid-South Interfaith Network for Economic Justice, Communications Workers of America, formerly incarcerated persons, educators, students, faith leaders, artists, and community activists.Internship Description:
Interns are given leadership roles in our organization. Interns are encouraged to concentrate their time developing and organizing a program or campaign that inspires them. In addition to general community organizing skills, interns are given the opportunity to learn: media activism, methods of non-violent direct action, development, grant-writing,, database development, fundraising and a broad range of other skills vital to developing the leaders of tomorrow’s social justice movement.
Interns are also needed to help us keep up with day-to-day office responsibilities such as: •Checking email and phone messages •Distributing flyers and literature around town •Making posters, banners, stencils.....etc. •Spanish translation and transcription •Database entry •Cleaning around the office and keeping up with recycling
Qualifications: An interest in issues of peace and justice, human rights and equality.
Applicable Academic Majors and Minors: Environmental Sciences, Economics, Education, Geography, International Studies, Non-Profit Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Religious Studies, Sociology, Urban Studies, and Women’s Studies (this is not a complete list, all fields of study are welcome.)
How to Apply: Submit resume to center@midsouthpeace.org or call 725-4990