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Young People Lead Voter Effort
Born out of a mass rejection of the failed policies of
individualism and divisiveness, the Campaign for Community Values is a
return to the beliefs our country was founded on: shared responsibility, shared
sacrifice and shared success.
Take a look at what’s NEW in communities across the country since we last updated you:
Young People Lead Sophisticated Non-partisan Voter Effort, Mobilize Community Values Voters
Washington – They started registering voters just two months ago, and already the Generation Change Fellows have made a difference in the low income, minority communities they are serving by helping to register 30,000 new voters. The fellows are leading or providing vital support to organizations’ non-partisan civic engagement to mobilize community values voters as part of the Campaign for Community values launched last year.
“Our fellows are learning to be organizers at a critical time in our nation’s political history,” said Eddy Morales, deputy director of Generation Change. “The Generation Change program’s partnership with local community organizations is a win-win. It allows these young people to provide much needed capacity to grassroots organizations and for them to learn concrete tools they will then bring back to their own communities. They are the future generation of this work.”
Generation Change, a leadership development program of the Center for Community Change, placed 21 fellows from diverse backgrounds in low income grassroots community organizations in 16 key states in an effort to mobilize voters around shared values.
In Virginia, William Barry Dennis with the Tenants and Workers United has poured over records looking for unregistered young people. He’s also making repeated visits to infrequent voters to encourage them to participate.
In Michigan, Herman Griffin IV (MOSES) is meeting with church leaders throughout Detroit to talk about the importance of the election and their congregations’ participation. Griffin is also helping put together an event next month to showcase Detroit’s enthusiasm for the election.
Other states where fellows are assigned include: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maine, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington .
For more information on Generation Change, please visit www.genchange.org
To see the biographies and pictures of the Generation Change fellows, please visit http://www.communitychange.org/our-projects/generationchange/other-media/2008FellowBios.pdf
The fellows will remain engaged with the new voters through the election and after, showing often-marginalized communities that they do have power when they act collectively.
“It’s exciting to be out there right now doing this work,” said Dennis. “We’re helping give voice to people who haven’t had one. It’s an amazing feeling.”
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What Community Values is all about:
The Center for Community
Change, working with more than 300 hundred grassroots organizations,
recognized the demand from Americans for more cooperation through our
interaction with diverse communities throughout the country. We recognized that
Americans wanted to vote on common values and a common goal - to make their
country a better place for their families, neighbors and communities.
This trend for change bubbling up
across the country is community values. This year will be the year
of the Community Values voter. Community Values voters are banding
together to show that our country is closer to its ideals when we include
everyone, when we care for each other, when we recognize everyone’s inherent
value and worth. Only then do we have an
America that
works for all of us. Community Values voters—across
communities, across political stripes--will hold elected officials accountable,
no matter who wins. This is the next wave of change in
America.
See highlights from the Campaign for Community Values:
Ø Launch of grassroots voter project
telephonic press briefing June 23, 2008
o http://www.communitychange.org/press-room/press-releases/community-voting-project-teleconference
Ø Heartland Presidential Candidate Forum in
Des Moines,
IA December 1, 2007
o http://www.communitychange.org/our-projects/communityvalues/our-events/heartland-presidential-forum/
For more information about the efforts of the Campaign for Community values or to visit a voter project, contact GermoniqueUlmer : gulmer@communitychange.org
