Young People For is an organization under the People for the American Way Foundation. With a mission to secure a lasting victory in the battle for America's future, Young People For believes it is essential that progressives identify, empower and sustain the active engagement of the next generation of leaders. Young people can provide the progressive movement with a vital infusion of ideas, energy and passion, and their commitment to continued activism and leadership is critical to building a progressive future. In 2004, to meet this challenge, People For the American Way Foundation (PFAW Foundation) launched a strategic, long-term leadership initiative—Young People For (YP4)—to invest in the next generation of leaders and build a long-term national network for young progressives.
Young People For: Mission - Young People For provides a national infrastructure to support young leaders’ ongoing activism on the frontlines and facilitates connections to leaders and organizations in the progressive movement. We work to build intergenerational networks that will enable progressive organizations to identify a significant pool of talented, qualified, passionate and committed young leaders and encourage their continued professional development within the progressive movement. Progressive forces have not yet matched the infrastructure of the Right on campuses—and it is critical that we do so. It is not a matter of starting from scratch, but of catalyzing and supporting the untapped potential of young dynamic, progressive leaders—and sustaining their connection to and increasing their roles within the progressive movement.
Last year alone, the Radical Right invested $48 million in 10 organizations working to support the next generation of ultra-conservative leaders. This right-wing youth development network teaches students how to advance a far-right agenda. Its students campaign against college courses that conflict with their agenda; they have accused more than one hundred college professors of making “anti-American” statements.
Young People For: Vision - Young People For will partner with diverse young activists to empower them to be change agents on their campuses and in their communities and to prepare them for long-term roles as leaders in the progressive movement. Young People For will ensure youth organizing is not just a phase in a young person’s life, but the beginning of a life-long commitment to the progressive movement. Young People For will build and strengthen key leadership pipelines for young people to access and advance through the political, nonprofit and social sectors. Young People For will prepare a generation of progressive leaders who treasure the traditions of democracy and who are courageous agents of change in their communities. Young People for will create a national, intergenerational network of social and political entrepreneurs who work together for the common good.
The above information is all taken from the Young People For website because there is not better way that I can write about such an organization when they already do it so well. This year I was chosen as a Young People For Fellow for 2007. I attended a national summit in January where I the greatest hope for America. I met 180 student leaders committed to the progressive movement. Young People For is a unique organization that is dedicated to empowering youth to work for the basic rights of all people. Check Young People For out at: http://www.youngpeoplefor.org/ Likewise, be sure to check out the YP4 blog and communicate with the premier progressive youth leaders of tomorrow! http://blog.youngpeoplefor.org/
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