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NNIRR’s first Immigrant and Refugee Rights Training Institute
Oakland, CA
September 24-26, 2004
(Applications now available for 2nd annual IRRTI, taking place Sept. 30-Oct. 2, 2005)

Read the 1st Annual Training Institute Report! (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

On September 24-26, 2004, 85 immigrant and refugee community organizers from around the U.S. attended NNIRR's first Immigrant and Refugee Rights Training Institute. The goals of the Training Institute: to develop popular education skills; to build capacity for community leadership in immigrant and refugee communities; and to “train the trainers” on NNIRR's new BRIDGE curriculum. Participants had an opportunity to meet and network with a diverse group of immigrant and refugee rights organizers passionate about popular education, as well as to discuss current national campaigns in the immigrant rights movement.

Even during the initial planning stages, we were excited by the overwhelming response and interest in our pilot Immigrant and Refugee Rights Training Institute: it seems it had answered a critical need in the immigrant rights movement. Due to space limitations, we unfortunately had to turn away over 40% of applicants to the Training Institute and dozens of others who inquired after the application deadline. In order to expand the reach of the BRIDGE Project and the Immigrant Rights Training Institute, NNIRR will support a national Training Institute as part of its core programming, and will hold regional Training Institutes around the country to give as many organizers and community members the opportunity to participate, particularly for those who cannot travel great distances.

We at the BRIDGE Project and the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights give our sincere thanks to all of the participants, their organizations, and families for their energy, talent, and time in making this such a productive and supportive experience. We hope it only gets better—in building a strong and healthy movement for immigrant and refugee rights!

Apply to NNIRR's 2nd Annual Immigrant and Refugee Rights Training Institute, September 30-October 2, 2005. Applications available now!