Group 1: Youth

Written By maddie long

Focus on Youth Support and Empowerment

  • What are the relevant youth groups that already exist? What do they need? How might we begin to form relationships with them?  

    • We have a far from a complete inventory of what groups are out there and what they do.  

    • Please help us identify them.  

    • What strategies might we use to engage with youth groups to learn what their needs are and what we might do collectively to help them?

    • Please help reach out to the youth groups to connect them with SSGN.


Facilitator:  Claudia Herrera-Montero   

Rapporteur: Trish Joyce

Summary

Questions from the group:

  • How can we create more dialogue and connection with youth? 

  • How can we connect them to organizations? 

Points & suggestions made:

  • Esther Chang's work on combining skateboarding groups in Lebanon with yoga studios and their rebuilding, offering trauma-informed yoga for those seeking political asylum, and aiding in the trauma the country has experienced. She has a Go Fund Me. 

  • Connecting young people to the faith initiatives so deeply connected with eco-spirituality. 

  • Kiara is in her Ph.D., studying the garment industry. She holds workshops with the intention of spiritually animating garments, so young people, who are such large consumers, can see the history that is tied to those who make these garments. Emphasizes the need that students must be deeply connected to the grander picture. 

  • Call for more dialogue and connection among the older and younger generations. 

  • Need to collect all that we know, and form a giant database. 

  • Ben is at ASU (the first college to become climate neutral) - a great model to look at. 

  • Need to think more eco-regionally. 

  • There are so many excited, passionate youth, but they don't know what to do or how to get connected. The older generation has a powerful voice to connect and communicate with youth, bridging the gap between knowledge and action. 

Suggested organizations to network with: 

  • Arizona State University

  • Creation Care Movement 

  • Earth Charter Network, youth focus 

    • About challenging youth to connect, become systems-oriented and systems thinking, and to take their passion to organizations that we can pull together. 

  • Flax Production Organizations from coast to coast to coast

  • Net Impact

  • Sunrise Movement 

  • UN Group for Girls 

  • White House

    • Initiative under Obama for involving colleges and universities in climate change efforts and community service. 

  • Women of Tomorrow (Claudia moderates in South Florida) 

maddie long
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Group 2: Partnerships