Keeping the peace – Tesla STEM sophomore named a fellow for social justice organization for environmental work

Naman Mutalik Desai, a sophomore at Tesla STEM High School, was recently named as a recipient of the Mike Yarrow Peace Fellowship (MYPF) for 2023-2024. Naman was nominated for creating his own award-winning initiative for improving soil health and reducing fertilizer pollution. This year’s fellowship was granted to 26 youth organizers across the country. Recipients are provided a monetary grant of $500, along with training and mentorship to develop a social justice campaign or project of their choice for the year. Naman will be conducting his year-long fellowship project focused on environmental justice.

The peace fellowship aims to recruit and train high school and college age youth in the theory and practice of active nonviolence. This includes tackling issues of peace and environmental and social justice in the traditions of Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi. The MYPF program includes a training program that will help the recipients engage in a nonviolent campaign or project of their choice with mentors and resources. 

MYPF fellows learn about peace and justice issues, nonviolent movement building and gain skills such as public speaking, group leadership, communications strategy, digital organizing, conducting surveys, public relations, outreach, and lobbying. The recipients meet individual activists, visit organizations, are introduced to current relevant issues and are mentored by experienced activists, public figures and community organizers from the Seattle area and beyond.

The MYPF is run by Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation in partnership with the ABE Keller Peace Education Fund. The Fellowship of Reconciliation is the largest, oldest, interfaith peace and justice organization in the United States. The Abe Keller Peace Education Fund is a nonprofit organization that provides financial support for peace and justice education in the Pacific Northwest.

Click here to learn more about the 2023-24 Mike Yarrow Peace Fellows.