Consultant Corner: The Powerful Force of Youth Civic Engagement

Frank Mirabal is the Founder and President of Contigo Research, Policy & Strategy, a national consulting firm that focuses on issues impacting the Latino community.

One thing we learned through the 2008 Obama campaign was the importance of youth engagement.  The mobilization of our nation's youth through advocacy groups like MoveOn, through social utilities like Facebook and through serious grassroots campaigns engaged young people in the civic process like never before. Youth voice is critical in any democracy because it provides a Socratic questioning of our nation's policies and provides a necessary idealism that counters adult bar
rier-driven thought.  In other words, youth voice has a specific resonance that cannot be reproduced by adults (because we have been somewhat jaded through our encounters). 

Nationally, youth have played a critical advocacy role in immigration reform and the Dream Act. In 2006, young people turned out in record numbers in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York to voice their concerns over immigration and the unfair treatment of immigrants. In 2007, over 300 youth from 15 states advocated for the Dream Act on Capital Hill.  Grassroots campaigns for the Dream Act also turned out significant numbers of youth.  Although immigration reform and the Dream Act did not pass, the sheer volume of youth turnout at rallies nationwide signaled a shift in youth civic engagement.   

Locally, youth in my home state of New Mexico have mobilized for; the protection of water rights on tribal lands; comprehensive sex education in our public schools; the expansion of School Based Health Centers; and for increased appropriations for engaging after-school programs.  Through effective mobilization, youth in New Mexico have been a major force in the passing of the Next Generation Act--a 2 million endowment that funds positive youth development programming; the expansion of School Based Health Centers (SBHCs)--the number of SBHCs in New Mexico doubled in 2006; and the Youth Alliance Act--which promotes youth voice and requires by state statute that the Lt. Governor and Governor meet with youth-led advocacy groups at-least once per year to hear their policy agenda.

Young people are often criticized for their need for immediate gratification--whether it be through material possessions or an insatiable need to be entertained.  Some of the criticisms are justified (our nation's young people have one of the highest obesity rates in the world).  However, young people are awakening from their civic slumber (as evidenced by the Obama campaign). In fact, youth volunteerism is growing at a much faster rate than any other segment of our national population.  Youth voice is necessary to balance our democratic process.  It is also a critical component--although often overlooked-- to any community-building, policy and advocacy strategy.  

The revolution will not be televised.......It will be You Tubed, Facebooked, mass emailed and text messaged.  And guess who will be leading the charge?      

  

Social Utilitarianism

Millions of people are now connected via the powerful social utility platforms like Myspace and Facebook.  I was reluctant to embrace this contemporary form of networking at first.  Mood: Pissed off; Status:  Huh?  Friends?  The concept seemed a little superficial to me.  Reluctantly, I started out with a Facebook page, since most of my "friends" said it was a more "mature" crowd. I thought to myself, "wasn't Facebook set-up to connect college students?" I'm a little removed from that demographic.  Anyways, I spent the requisite time laying out my page, uploading photos and putting together a brief bio.  

Then, like a freckled-faced teenager, I set out to get me some friends!  Much like the freckled-faced teenager, I got off to a slow start.  Now, this is where they get you.  It becomes competitive. How come so and so has more friends than me?  You begin clicking the profiles of others to snatch up some of their friends.  There's no way so and so can have more friends than me!  By then, it's too late......you're hooked-in.  A couple of weeks later, you set-up a Myspace page to see if you can get more friends there........

Aside from the shameless friend connections, social utilities have become powerful tools in the worlds of marketing, politics and advocacy.  The ability to mobilize thousands with the click of a button has revolutionized the way campaigns are run; the way we fundraise for the causes that are important to us; and the way we mobilize people to vote and support issues.  Sen. Barack Obama's campaign has fully embraced social utilities to spread their message and mobilize voters.  You can find all kinds of "groups" on Facebook that seek to rally people around candidates of both parties. 

In terms of social consciousness and philanthropy, Facebook has launched a "Causes" application that allows you to advocate and raise money for the social issues that are important to you.  Organizations, like the Red Cross, Keva Loans, Stand Up Against Cancer are now using this powerful platform to raise awareness and garner monetary support for critical social/wellness issues around the world.  

While these social utilities increase our ability to connect, they also decrease our ability to be focused and productive at work.  Inbox:  President George W. Bush wants to be your friend.  Yikes!  Better delete that one!  Hmm, I think I need to change my profile picture.  I wonder what Gov. Sarah Palin's "mood" is right now........You get the picture.