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2012 Communications Institute

On June 10-13, 2012, The Opportunity Agenda conducted its third annual Communications Institute. Developed for social justice advocates, the Institute consisted of four days of intensive, in-person training and skills-building with continuing support activities. The focus of the 2012 Institute was on immigration, with an emphasis on the effect that enforcement and policing has on immigrants and on their communities as a whole.

The fifteen 2012 Institute Fellows represented a diverse group of advocates, committed to learning and refining communications skills and using them in specific social justice work on a relatively short timeline. The goal of the Institute was to enhance their abilities to be effective spokespeople and opinion leaders.

The Communications Institute was made possible, in part, by the generous contributions of The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Public Welfare Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and Frank Sica.

Meet the 2012 Fellows

Enrique Morones

Founder, Border Angels

Native San Diegan Enrique Morones is an internationally acclaimed human rights advocate. He was formerly the highest-ranking Latino in Major League Baseball (1995-2001) as Vice President of Latino & Diversity Marketing for the San Diego Padres. In 1986, Enrique founded Border Angles’ “Saving Migrant Lives,” placing life-saving water on the...

Get To know Enrique

Linda Sarsour

National Advocacy Director, National Network for Arab American Communities; Executive Director, Arab American Association of New York

Linda Sarsour is a working woman, community activist, and mother of three. She is a Palestinian Muslim American and a self-proclaimed “pure New Yorker.” Currently she is the National Advocacy Director for the National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC) and locally serving as the Director of the Arab American...

Get To know Linda

Laura A. Vazquez

Legislative Analyst, National Council of La Raza

Laura Vazquez monitors immigration policy and conducts legislative and administrative advocacy in order to advance humane reforms to the current immigration system. She served as a caseworker for Congresswoman Norton, assisting D.C. residents with their immigration applications. As a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Fellow, she researched laws passed in 1996...

Get To know Laura A.

Gabriela Villareal

Policy Analyst, California Immigrant Policy Center

Gabriela Villareal is a Policy Analyst with the California Immigrant Policy Center. She provides policy advocacy towards ending the unjust detention and deportation of immigrants. Previously, she was the Immigration Advocacy Policy Coordinator for the New York Immigration Coalition and also worked for Safe Horizon’s Anti-Trafficking Program as the Training...

Get To know Gabriela

Omair Zabih

Staff Attorney, Nebraska Appleseed

Omaid Zabih is a Staff Attorney with the Immigrant Integration and Civic Participation Program at Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest. Nebraska Appleseed is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, public interest law center dedicated to equal justice and full opportunity for all Nebraskans. The mission of Appleseed’s immigrant program...

Get To know Omair