The Future of Youth Movements Summit February 16-17 2012 NYC

The Future of Youth Movements Summit was convened in New York on February 16-17 to gain insight from organizations, institutions, and individuals on the development of a collaborative network of youth-led and youth-serving organizations. The objectives of the event were to model competencies, identify points of collaboration, and strengthen understanding and alignment across the youth sector to maximize collective impact. In addition, the summit featured the launch of the YouthMovements platform, including an interactive map and knowledge hub.

Through a creative process of facilitation, participants identified key areas of focus upon which a cohesive network will evolve. The mission of YouthMovements.org was defined by the participants as an inclusive youth-centered network to create awareness, gather evidence, share insights, and leverage our collective power to amplify youth action for local, national, and global impact.

To communicate the spirit and need and YouthMovements.org, key stakeholders of youth-led and youth serving organizations were consulted and involved in creating the ‘Declaration of Interdependence’:

We are connected.
We are many.
We all dream of a better world.

The pace of change is accelerating and the challenges we face are more global and complex than ever before.

We need new ways of thinking and working collaboratively to address these issues.
We must work inclusively across cultures, organizations, generations, and networks to champion the role of youth.

We will challenge old paradigms, move beyond divisions, and hold our leaders accountable.

We can harness technology to co-create a peaceful, sustainable planet for all.

Together, we will help to grow young people as leaders; enabling them to change the world.

Here is the final report from the summit.