new story and transform their lives and communities. Gorman is counting on his peers to help make it happen. “We’re writing a different story than
the worn-out one we’ve been led to believe is inevitable,” he says. Some of Generation Waking Up’s young leaders have formed local communities of practice that campaign to get big money out of politics, pressure universities to divest fossil fuel investments, build local and just food systems, end mass incarceration, enroll residents to go solar and inspire everyday citizens to live in more just, sustainable ways. “Young people have a leadership role in spearheading the change our world is calling for. Ultimately, it will only come about with every generation working together,” observes Gorman, who operates from Oakland, California. He’s encouraged when Generation Waking Up members say they want to learn from older adults that spent decades struggling for positive social change. A deep love for the potential of civic engagement prompted Gladstone, New Jersey, resident Kleitsch’s Walking Civics initiative. The intergenerational
People have the power, when we choose to use it, to act on it, to dedicate ourselves to change.
~Rebecca Solnit
nonprofi t, endorsed by the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools, trains military veterans and students as young as 16 as poll workers. “I want to inspire future voters by letting them learn how to do the job competently and with integrity, and lead them to participate in democracy’s most cherished act of voting,” advises Kleitsch. It’s currently active in several jurisdictions across the country and will scale up for 2016 and beyond.
Hearts Joining Hearts At 15, Kelsey Juliana’s love of family, friends and future generations far outweighed any trepidation she felt in acting as one of two plaintiffs in a legal strategy to protect the atmosphere, guided by Mary Christina Wood, a law professor and author of Nature’s Trust.
Wood created the Oregon nonprofi t Our Children’s Trust, now operating in all 50 states and internationally, to enforce the duty of government to protect natural resources for present and future generations. It supports youth in bringing legal action in courts, administrative agencies and local legislative bodies. In local Sierra Club chapters, organizers work with facilitators to educate and empower youth to lead campaigns with town councils, legislative chambers and the courts.
Mounting research is confi rming what
many have long suspected— extensive media coverage of negative news can trigger stress, fear and trauma. Images & Voices of Hope (ivoh) Executive Director Mallary Tenore cares deeply about how the media can benefi t the world by catalyzing change and meaningful awareness of issues such as those raised by Our Children’s Trust. “At ivoh, we believe in focusing on
the world we want to live in—not only problem-solving in the world we have. We are currently helping our global community of media practitioners tell
November 2015
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