Community Partners

African Communities Together — New York

African Communities Together is an organization of African immigrants fighting for civil rights, opportunity, and a better life for African families here in the U.S. and back in Africa. ACT empowers African immigrants to integrate socially, get ahead economically, and engage civically. It connects African immigrants to critical services, help Africans develop as leaders, and organize our communities on the issues that matter.

ALIGN — New York

ALIGN is a longstanding alliance of labor and community organizations united for a just and sustainable New York. ALIGN works at the intersection of economy, environment, and equity to make change and build movement. Our model addresses the root causes of economic injustice by forging strategic coalitions, shaping the public debate through strategic communications, and developing  policy solutions that make an impact.

Asociación de Reporteros Gráficos de la República Argentina (ARGRA) — Buenos Aires

Founded in 1942, ARGRA brings together all photographers regardless of political or religious affiliation, to strengthen ties of solidarity and ensure mutual protection. Every year ARGRA organizes produces a themed photographic exhibition and book based on Argentine history. ARGRA is housed inside Espacio Memoria y Derechos Humanos, also knows as EX Esma, the “space for memory and human rights.”

Bronx Music Heritage Center — New York

The Bronx Music Heritage Center (BMHC) celebrates the rich history and creative spirit that defines Bronx music, from jazz, salsa, R&B and hip hop to new sounds coming to life across the borough. Founded by the Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation (WHEDco), the BMHC is committed to preserving and promoting Bronx music, cultivating Bronx artists, spurring neighborhood revival, and providing free cultural programs for the community. 

Brooklyn Queens Land Trust—  New York

In 2004, the Brooklyn Queens Land Trust (BQLT) was incorporated to manage 34 gardens–29 in Brooklyn and five in Queens–with a plan to eventually own those gardens. BQLT is now a 501 c(3) non-profit organization comprising a 15-member Board of Directors, staff, and 600+ volunteer gardeners. BQLT has a grassroots structure where the gardens are the members and garden representatives act on behalf of their gardens in an official capacity (either on the BQLT board or as voting members).

BQLT is now the owner of 35 community gardens and the lease-holder of two additional gardens. BQLT-owned gardens cannot be sold or developed and are permanently saved as open spaces. Located in 20 different neighborhoods through Brooklyn and Queens, BQLT gardens provide opportunities for diverse groups of people to meet and work together cooperatively.

Center for Artistic Activism — Berlin, Buenos Aires, Madrid

The Center for Artistic Activism is a place to explore, analyze, and strengthen connections between social activism and artistic practice. Artistic activism is more than just an innovative tactic, it is an entire approach: a perspective, a practice, a philosophy. The Center’s goal is to make more creative activists and more effective artists. 

Centro Autonomo de Albany Park– Chicago

The Centro Autonomo de Albany Park is located in Albany Park, Chicago, one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the country. The Centro opened its doors in September of 2006 to create a space that constructs community, builds political consciousness, and unites people in and around the Latinx immigrant struggle. Through decisions made in asambleas the Centro Autonomo has initiated many programs, including ESOL, cooperatives, youth art programs, women’s groups, and, currently, anti-eviction activism. The Centro is currently organizing a community land trust initiative.

City Lore — New York

Founded in 1986, City Lore’s mission is to foster New York City – and America’s – living cultural heritage through education and public programs. We document, present, and advocate for New York City’s grassroots cultures to ensure their living legacy in stories and histories, places and traditions. We see ourselves as furthering cultural equity and modeling a better world with projects as dynamic and diverse as New York City itself. 

Cooperation Jackson– Jackson, Mississippi

Cooperation Jackson is an emerging network of cooperative enterprises and supporting institutions based in Jackson, Mississippi. The broad mission of Cooperation Jackson is to advance the development of economic democracy in Jackson, Mississippi and beyond by building a solidarity economy anchored by a network of worker cooperatives and other types of worker owned and democratically self-managed enterprises. Cooperation Jackson will be undertaking two interconnected major projects in 2019 that Fellows will support. The first project is helping to build out and develop our Community Production Center. The second project is the development of our inaugural EcoVillage. The Community Production Center is our digital fabrication laboratory, i.e. Fab Lab, and small scale manufacturing center. Fellows will help the worker owners of the Community Production Cooperative further develop their operating systems, aid in some of the major summer production initiatives of the cooperative, and engage in skill sharing with the members of the cooperative and the Jackson community at large.The Amandla EcoVillage will create a new model of deeply affordable, ecologically sustainable housing that will provide several integrated live-work features that will enable a higher quality of life for working class Jacksonians. Fellows will be supporting this project by helping us with various mapping and design operations, supporting the physical construction, and supporting various aspects of the permacultural implementation.

EOTO (Each One, Teach One) – Berlin

Each One Teach One (EOTO) eV is a community-based education and empowerment project in Berlin. Founded in 2012, the association opened its doors in March 2014 as a neighborhood library and has since become a place of learning and encounter. EOTO eV works together with other organizations for the interests of Black, African and Afrodiasporic people in Germany and Europe. Applicants who identify as Black or as a member of the African diaspora are strongly preferred. We are seeking a fellow to work on a project about the history of African immigrant communities in Berlin, particularly in the neighborhood of Berlin-Wedding. The project will involve a range of methods, potentially including historical research, oral history, demographic data, and participatory research/popular education. Knowledge of German, French and/or African languages welcome. Active participation in the execution of cultural/political EOTO events i.e. the AFROLUTION 2019 or the EOTO “Who’s in Town-Series” are required. 

Environmental Justice Institute — Berlin

The Environmental Justice Institute (EJI) is a virtual academic think tank. It was legally founded by registration on April 4, 2014 in Germany’s capital of Berlin in order to provide an international platform for academic exchange between students, young research fellows, and experienced scientists in the field of environmental justice research.

Housing Justice For All — New York 

Housing Justice for All is a statewide coalition of over 80 groups representing tenants and homeless New Yorkers, united in our fight for housing as a human right. Our campaign is led by the people who are fighting to afford housing in New York every single day.

The Upstate-Downstate Housing Alliance is a diverse coalition of tenants, homeless people, manufactured housing residents, and advocates from across New York. We represent New Yorkers from every part of the state: Long Island, New York City, Westchester County, the Hudson Valley, the Capital Region, the Southern Tier, the Mohawk Valley and Western New York.

Imagina Madrid – Madrid

 Imagina Madrid is a program promoted by the Madrid City Council’s Department of Culture.  It is committed to exploring new forms of intervention in public space that are inspired by innovative cultural production, environmental sustainability and social urbanism. Through collective and imaginative processes that include ordinary Madrilenos and artists, Imagina Madrid aims to transform the city’s public space in a way that is meaningful to all of the city’s inhabitants.  Currently, Imagina is working on the recovery of nine abandoned or disused spaces. Fellows will carry out direct practice on concrete projects, putting into action not only their academic skills, but also developing their competences in teamwork, conflict resolution, communication with different stakeholders, and collective creativity.

Kansas City Tenants — Kansas City 

KC Tenants are the citywide tenant union in Kansas City, an organization led by a multiracial, multigenerational base of poor and working class tenants in Kansas City. KC Tenants organizes to ensure that everyone in KC has a safe, accessible, and truly affordable home.

KC Tenants believes the people closest to the problem are closest to the solution. To KC Tenants, organizing is fundamentally democratic; it relies on developing tenant leaders to learn their rights, tell their own stories, and determine their own liberation.

Loisaida Center — New York

Loisaida Center addresses the serious economic and social disenfranchisement of poor and low income Latino residents, with employment and training opportunities, comprehensive youth development initiatives, as well as neighborhood revitalization activities that positively highlight the rich culture, heritage, and contribution of the Puerto Rican and Latin American community in this City. It offers programming that meets the demands of the times and the neighborhood’s changing demographic. Its approach celebrates the urban surroundings, grassroots invention and immigrant spirit of the Loisaida neighborhood in its dedication to celebrate Latino cultural vitality and their contributions to NYC.

MediaLab Prado — Madrid

MediaLab Prado supports interdisciplinary teams working on a variety of methods for promoting democratic participation.  These include community mapping projects, environmental justice activism, technological innovation, and exhibit-making.  MediaLab Prado focuses on digital media and design.

Newark Water Coalition — New Jersey 

The Newark Water Coalition acknowledges that Water, Housing, and Food is a human right. Our intention is to cultivate a self-determined local, national, and international community of people who recognize the connection between systemic environmental racism and capitalism. NWC fights to liberate natural resources whether it be food, land, air or water as sources of life for all.

Paisaje Transversal — Madrid

Paisaje Transversal works to strengthen community participation in urban planning and land use decisions.  Much of its work focuses on neighborhood regeneration and design for public space; the approach to all projects is multidisciplinary and may include legal, geographic, environmental, and design perspectives simultaneously.

El Patio Maravillas — Madrid

El Patio Maravillas (no longer active) was a versatile and self-managed space located in the central district of Malasaña in Madrid. It was designed as a space from which to build democracy and from which to generate new, more democratic policies. With the explosion of the 15M movement, El Patio was a hub for experimentation in cooperativism, a socially just economy, free culture, and de-commodified housing. Supplementing its more political work, cultural activities such as dance classes, book clubs, theater workshops, choirs, and urban gardening were all supported through El Patio’s broad social network.

Pratt Center for Community Development — New York

Pratt Center was founded in 1963 when graduate planning students and faculty at Pratt Institute partnered with community organizations to address urban poverty by empowering local residents to participate in the official planning processes that affected their communities. Pratt Center provides urban planning services to community development corporations, grassroots groups, local coalitions, and other community-based organizations. We develop, co-convene, and facilitate planning workshops with diverse groups of local stakeholders to identify communities’ needs and aspirations for open space, affordable housing, commercial corridors, zoning, infrastructure, public health, and environmental sustainability. We then work with our community partners to translate these findings into cohesive community plans. Pratt Center also undertakes research and advocacy, and provides assistance to small businesses.

Prinzessinnengarten — Berlin

Nomadisch Grün (Nomadic Green) launched Prinzessinnengärten (Princess gardens) as a pilot project in the summer of 2009 at Moritzplatz in Berlin Kreuzberg, a site which had been a wasteland for over half a century. Along with friends, activists and neighbours, the group cleared away rubbish, built transportable organic vegetable plots and reaped the first fruits of their labour.

Puerto Rican Cultural Center — Chicago

The Puerto Rican Cultural Center is a community-based, grassroots, educational, health and cultural services organization founded on the principles of self-determination, self-actualization and self-sufficiency that is activist-oriented.  Theirprograms include an HIV and STD education and prevention program, a bilingual-bicultural daycare, an award-winning alternative high school, a young women’s literacy program, a community library and information center, an obesity prevention program as well as sponsorship of three major annual events – a community parade, the Midwest’s largest Latino musical festival, a haunted community strip, and a winter festival.

Right To The City (RTTC) — New York

RTTC is a national alliance of racial, economic and environmental justice organizations headquartered in Brooklyn.  RTTC emerged in 2007 as a unified response to gentrification and a call to halt the displacement of low-income people, people of color, marginalized LGBTQ communities, and youths of color from their historic urban neighborhoods. RTTC seeks to create regional and national impacts in the fields of housing, human rights, urban land, community development, civic engagement, criminal justice, environmental justice, and more.

Rooted in Resilience — Oakland

Rooted in Resilience (no longer active) inspired and supported community leaders in building equitable, resilient communities. They confronted the challenges of climate instability, rising energy costs, and recession by boosting regional capacity to provide for everyone’s needs, sustainably and equitably. They achieved this by equipping local leaders with flexible tools, models, and policies that strengthen their communities.

Schwules Museum — Berlin

With its highly regarded exhibitions, archival holdings, numerous contributions to research and more than thirty-five (mostly volunteer) staff, the Schwules Museum has, since its founding in 1985, grown into one of the world’s largest and most significant institutions for archiving, researching and communicating the history and culture of LGBTIQ communities. Changing exhibitions and events take diverse approaches to lesbian, gay, trans*, bisexual and queer biographies, themes and concepts in history, art, and culture.

SEDOAC — Madrid

SEDOAC (Servicio Doméstico Activo) is a cooperative organization of domestic workers in Madrid.  Most members are immigrant women from Latin America.  SEDOAC advocates for the rights and protections of this population, which faces precarious living and working conditions, racism, and political invisibility.

Southside United HDFC (Los Sures) — New York

Southside United H.D.F.C., better known as “Los Sures,” is a community-based, non-profit organization that has served as an integral part in rebuilding the South Side of Williamsburg, Brooklyn since 1972. Los Sures has undertaken large-scale rehabilitation of many buildings, allowing families and individuals to live comfortably and creating a safe and sustainable neighborhood. Additionally, the organization provides a multitude of much-needed services, including a senior center and a food pantry.

UPROSE — New York

Founded in 1966, UPROSE is Brooklyn’s oldest Latino community-based organization. An intergenerational, multi-racial, nationally recognized community organization, UPROSE promotes sustainability and resiliency in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighborhood through community organizing, education, indigenous and youth leadership development, and cultural/artistic expression. Central to our work is advocacy to ensure meaningful community engagement, participatory community planning practices, and sustainable development with justice and governmental accountability. As lead advocates of climate justice, UPROSE views the just urban policy—ranging from transportation to open space—as the heart of climate adaptation and community resilience.

Urban Climate and Heat Stress (UCaHS) — Berlin

This German Research Foundation’s Research Unit addresses complex scientific questions related to heat stress in mid-latitude cities by a multi- and interdisciplinary approach involving climatologists, urban geographers and hydrologists, physicians, architects, physicists and engineers, urban planners and social scientists.

WHEDco — New York

The Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation (WHEDco) is a non-profit community development organization in the Bronx, NY founded on the radically simple idea that all people deserve healthy, vibrant communities. We build award-winning, sustainable, affordable homes – but our work is not over when our buildings are complete. WHEDco believes that to be successful, affordable housing must be anchored in strong communities that residents can be proud of. WHEDco’s mission is to give the South Bronx access to all the resources that create thriving neighborhoods – from high-quality early education and after-school programs, to fresh, healthy food, cultural programming, and economic opportunity.