Month: August 2016

The Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity has a unique model which combines faith-based organizing, arts and cultural work, and strategic campaigns to help take down the barriers between neighbors, to connect immigrant and U.S.- born Californians to a global perspective on human rights. We mobilize inter-religious communities for concrete social change campaigns, including immigrant rights and integration, economic justice, health care/community wellness and leadership formation.

Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity is rooted in the foundation and inspiration of faith and spiritual traditions working for justice. We are strengthened by uniting people of diverse religious traditions to uphold the sacredness of the human person and to achieve transformative social justice.  We work to change hearts and minds; attitudes and behavior through new narratives and images that uphold dignity, fairness and human integrity and result in a more just and fair society. We do this through (1) faith-rooted grassroots organizing, (2) advocacy, (3) coalition building, (4) strategic communications, and (5) leadership development that is faith rooted and incorporates arts, culture and human rights.

• We organize, convene and lead truly interfaith/inter-religious campaigns, actions, and events
• We fill important gaps within key issue work.  For example, within the immigration context, we have been more nimble than other groups; we bring the interfaith voices, we have identified important gaps that no other groups are addressing such as the need for migrant “hospitality housing” and deep work with unaccompanied minors. We not only work toward just policy changes but also we offer direct help
• We work at the intersection of faith and spirituality; we help people/faith institutions operationalize their faith to advance and achieve justice
• We strive to be intentionally inter-generational and deeply engage youth
• We are flexible and often can respond more quickly than larger organizations
• We strive to be intentionally a “bridge” between immigrant and and nonimmigrant communities and among immigrant communities.  We advocate together and not just for others. Our method is “accompaniment”
• We are very collaborative. We intentionally seek to work in collaboration with others
• We both convene and join and support movement building
• We work to build and strengthen community as well as leadership. We “give voice”
• We strive to engage in courageous conversations, find common ground and remain open to different opinions when coming from a place of respect and common/shared values
• We seek to and do work with the most disenfranchised and struggling people/communities
• We incorporate health & wellness (personal & community-wide) as a source of empowerment
• We are intentional in incorporating arts, culture and popular education in all aspects of our work.

Our Approach
Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity uses four approaches to address the root causes of migration and economic inequality.  Through community organizing: civic engagement and public witness, we build confidence and power among people who have been rendered voiceless and disenfranchised from the political process. Through leadership development, we incorporate popular education, arts and culture, and healthy practices to support and strengthen leadership formation and capacity building among the most disenfranchised as well as inter-religious allies. Through strategic communication, we lift up the authentic voices of those left at the margins and seek to open hearts and minds toward solution that afford all person the tools and equal opportunities to live full and healthy lives. And through coalition building, we increase our collective impact to achieve transformative social change.