THE POWER OF YOUTH - Building social movements that succeed across generations
Details
2019 has been a year of youth movements. Young people are baring the brunt of social ills, from the climate crisis to the housing crisis. Their engagement in politics, even if they're too young to vote, has added a new sense of urgency to some of the major issues of our time.
This event will have contributions from young people who are dedicating their time to social activism. We'll also be hearing from two organisations whose mission it is to support young people to create impact.
We'll be talking about what makes a successful movement, what generations can learn from each other, and what actions we can all take to harness the energy of 2019.
We'll be hearing from:
Ashar Smith, Creative Opportunities
Ashar runs social enterprise Creative Opportunities, which supports young people to develop their leadership skills and work collaboratively to achieve social change and challenge injustice in their communities. Ashar has supported hundreds of young people, connecting them to. partners and funding to achieve their goals.
You can follow Ashar on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ashar_K_Smith
Aliyah York, Pupil Power
When 16-year-old Aliyah York started to notice the real-world effects of school budget cuts to her own education and well-being, she decided to do something about it. Aliyah is an ordinary student leading a rather extraordinary movement, Pupil Power. The aim is to shift the narrative about school funding: pupils are taking over and using their power to take action against the things that matter! "...Because If we don’t, then who will?”
Read her blog via Mother Pukka website: https://www.motherpukka.co.uk/pupil-power/
You can follow Aliyah on Twitter: https://twitter.com/aliyahiyork
Caesar Gordon, Business Launchpad
Caesar Gordon is a professional coach with a thirst for social impact and community development. She specialises in supporting entrepreneurial approaches to tackling social issues. Caesar will be talking about how we can create strong and resilient ecosystems to support youth led social ventures.
You can follow Caesar on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DefyDoom101
Lola May, The Fight Continues
Lola helped to found The Strike Continues, an anti-capitalist, anarchist magazine and performance night series led by students and born out of the SOAS during the UCU Strikes in 2018. The group provides a platform for people who aren't shy to express their political opinions. The are completely non-hierarchical, and emphasise marginalised voices.
Lola will talk about how TFC engages young, diverse contributors and works with different mediums to achieve its aims.
Follow The Fight Continues on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TFC_Zine
Jake Woodier, UK Student Climate Network (UKSCN)
Jake Woodier works as a campaigner and organiser with the UK Student Network, the organisation that's coordinated the Youth Strike 4 Climate movement over the previous year. UKSCN provides a space to empower young people to organise and mobilise a response to the climate crisis and call for climate justice.
You can follow Jake on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JakeWoodier