Petra Foundation is currently inviting nominations for Petra Fellows Award. Petra Foundation is an all-volunteer organization that was established in 1988 in memory of Petra Tölle Shattuck. The foundation honors individuals who make a distinctive contribution in society by working for the rights, autonomy and dignity of others. Each year, the foundation recognizes such individuals as Petra Fellows through a national search and nomination process.
Petra Fellow’s Qualities
Often at risk and without the safety net of personal privilege or institutional support, Petra Fellows fight poverty, discrimination, environmental degradation and violence. They work in prisons and police departments, factories and migrant worker camps, health clinics, housing projects, family farms and public schools—wherever people lack the resources, connections or clout to participate fully in American society. Armed with the fierce passion for justice that inspired Petra Shattuck, they are fixing what’s broken in America.
Recognizing the catalytic effect of engaging emerging and experienced leaders on an on-going basis, the foundation sustains its commitment to the Petra Fellows, hosting their participation in national and local gatherings to share strategies and make common cause and marshalling the professional and personal resources of citizen-activists to support fellows in their work. The resulting collaborations continue to multiply and bear fruit.
Petra Fellows encourage others to make a difference in their own communities. Not one of the fellows has stopped working or growing. Many have gone on to receive wider recognition and their local successes have become models of regional and national significance.
General Conditions
- Individuals nominated for a Petra Foundation Award should display a combination of activism and thought, force of character, independence of judgment, and clarity of expression.
- The nominee’s activities should be devoted either to the cause of racial equality, with special emphasis on Native Americans and people of color; or to the autonomy of persons, groups, families, and communities; or to freedom of speech, expression, and thought.
- The nominee should be someone who is not widely recognized, who does not have personal privilege or a strong institutional base of support and who has demonstrated a capacity to grow, overcome obstacles and make a significant contribution to human freedom by leading, teaching, or otherwise helping others.
- Nominations should be submitted without the knowledge of the nominees. They will be carefully researched based in part on the references provided with the nomination materials.
- Most Petra Fellows work in the United States. If you are considering a foreign nominee, please contact the foundation before submitting the nomination.
Last date for submitting the applications is February 20, 2012.
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