The Youth Cafe is Taking part in a conference christened Cultivating Youth Activism Conference as a result of recommendation by Ford Foundation, The virtual conference is hosted by the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins, with support from the Global Network for Youth Action will connect youth activists with civics practitioners and scholars from around the world in order to discuss the best practices of youth advocacy and challenges facing democracy in the current moment. Bringing together stakeholders from all corners of the world, including Thailand, Kenya, India, South Sudan, Paraguay, and more, these two days will foster connections between disparate movements, inspire greater efficacy in the global fight for democracy and justice, and set the stage for future collaboration and conversations.
DAY 1
Panel 1: Youth Activism in the Time of COVID-19
Tuesday, October 6, 11:30–12:30 p.m. ET
“This is a moment of crisis in democracy, but also one in which young people around the world are meeting with passion, action, and activism. The pandemic has exacerbated long-held inequalities, and many governments around the world are consolidating power and weakening democracy and democratic norms. There may never have been a time which calls for youth activism more, but also in which youth activism is harder to actually execute. What does activism look like in pandemic? How are activists responding in a world in which in-person gatherings are limited and resources across the board run dry? How are they pushing back against repressive regimes? On this panel, we hear from the innovators themselves. What can organizers learn from their successes? Are there any tools that have worked especially well for activists at this time?”
Panel 2: The Imperative for Racial and Economic Justice
Tuesday, October 6, 12:45–1:45 p.m. ET
“The recent months have shined light on structural inequities that have wracked societies across the globe for decades. Since the killing of George Floyd, the recognition of systemic racism in institutions of government and society has rippled outward from North America to the rest of the world. The Covid-19 pandemic has had an especially pronounced effect on those of lower socioeconomic status, who may not be able to afford top-of-the-line medical care or the ability to work from home. This panel will discuss the barriers to entry for youth of certain racial or socioeconomic backgrounds in activism, provide calls to action for movements of racial and economic justice, and explore whether there can be a unified vision for racial and economic justice that transcends national context and jurisdiction.”
Breakout Session 1: Sharing Best Practices in Youth Activism Across Borders
Tuesday, October 6, 1:45–2:45 p.m. ET
“During this interactive discussion, participants will react to the first panels, and share their own experiences with activism during a pandemic. We will hear what has worked and what hasn’t, so that activists can hone in on battle tested techniques, and share common challenges.”
Capacity Building Workshop 1: Remixing Stories
Tuesday, October 6, 3–4 p.m.
“Too often, our focus on contemporary problems makes it impossible to see beyond immediate constraints that confine our ability to bridge differences to build connections with people whose world views may be different from our own. Responding to this, the Remixing Stories workshop taps icons and narratives borrowed from popular culture to express civic identities and bridge divisions and differences that are making it hard for traditional political institutions to move forward with solving persistent problems. Participants begin by gathering and sharing stories that inspire them. Then, exploring each other’s stories, they start to mix and recombine elements between stories, seeing how the combinations of unexpected elements lead to whole new creative narratives. As story remixing leads to real-life sharing, reflection, debate and collaboration, participants imagine how their combined stories might be enlarged and used to spark social movements and campaigns.”
DAY 2
Panel 3: Sparking an International Youth Activism Movement
Wednesday, October 7, 10–11 a.m. ET
“Around the world, we are seeing youth at the forefront pushing for more voice and say in their communities and countries, and demanding democratic change. Right now, we see this in Hong Kong, Belarus, Thailand, the United States, Bolivia, and so many more countries. As the climate movement has shown, it is possible for movements in different countries seeking justice in similar arenas to unite as a common front. Is this type of international movement possible in other areas of injustice, and the push for democracy? How can activists fighting for the same causes join forces in an international movement? What are potential goals of an international youth activism movement? How much can young people be participating in the system itself in a push for change, versus how much should they be agitating for change outside the system itself?”
Panel 4: Is Democracy At Risk?
Wednesday, October 7, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. ET
“For the past several years, concerning trends have taken root in many democracies. From Turkey and Hungary to the US and the Philippines, the erosion of democratic institutions, suppression of dissent, and flaunting of norms of governance have been a cause for concern among democracy advocates. What forces enabled these trends? Is there anything we can do to slow them? How do they correspond with other historical moments? And what is the role of youth in this democratic decline? Experts and activists alike will explore these crucial questions.”
Breakout Session 2: Forming a Youth Activism Infrastructure
Wednesday, October 7, 12:15–1:15 p.m. ET
“During this discussion, participants will make connections with activists from around the world. We will lay the groundwork for future collaborations by discussing points of commonality and difference among movements. Participants will be invited to connect one-on-one with their peers, with the hope of making contacts that last beyond this conference. We will also explore concrete ideas for future collaboration and discuss the establishment of a formal network.”
Capacity Building Workshop 2: Leadership in Civil Resistance Movements: Four Key Roles that Activists Play
Wednesday, October 7, 1:15–2:15 p.m. ET
“Led by the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict, this workshop will focus on four interdependent roles that activists play in movements. Sometimes these roles conflict. Sometimes they complement each other. Activists will reflect on their roles within movements, discuss how they can help advance a movement’s agenda, and recognize how they are all needed at different part of a movement’s trajectory.”
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