Young people are the future, yet many of them around the world have lost faith in society and in its institutions. They don’t believe that democracy is delivering on its promises. This is particularly true among young people from disadvantaged communities and communities of color. Yet there are civil society organizations that are tackling this problem and working with young people to engage them more fully in the democratic process. This session will explore the importance of that work, how those organizations operate, and the lessons they have learned.
This session will be led by Yasmeen Shaheen-McConnell, Senior Advisor for Strategic Partnerships of AmeriCorps. She will be joined by Hemakshi Meghani, co-founder of the Indian School of Democracy, Grace Williams, founder and director of Citizen Tasmania, and Shawon Jackson, founder and CEO of Vocal Justice for a lively discussion about the importance of engaging with and organizing young people to create social change.