80 million strong

One of the participants in last week's 80 Million Strong Summit turned the camera away from the guest speakers and pointed it at the participants. What emerged was a great audio slide show highlighting the stories and experience of the young people who gathered in DC to make the summit a reality:

More coverage of the 80 Million Strong Summit can be found here, at Politics Daily.

Below are two videos of a speech Former Minority Leader Tom Daschle made at the 80 Million Strong Summit. I wanted to wait to post this because his speech was so critical to our progress both as a country and as a generation.

Amazingly, Daschle's first comments were about work on the Student VOTER Act complimenting the hard battles fought and saying he believes it MUST pass.

"I congratulate SAVE in particular on the Student VOTER Act. I think its really one of the most critical new opportunities to extend voter rights and voter opportunities to students that we have in the country today, and it ought to pass . . ."

"One important, if not the most important things, is participation. Without participation you don't have democracy. You can't have an effective republic. And so, your presence here, is in essence, in recognition of the critical nature of participation in this republic, and a fundamental part of our democracy."

Part 1

"We must reach the kind of health care other countries have. While this presents opportunities for the 10,000 members of SAVE and certainly for each of you in this room. Opportunities regarding the challenge, and opportunities for your own roles and responsibilities moving forward.

It is no secret that there are 3 fundamental problems with health care. Number one, is access. 50 million people don't have health insurance today, and that is an outrage. 48% of those who have insurance don't have adequate insurance, and because they don't 18,000 Americans die every year for the simple reason that they have either inadequate or no insurance. . . .

We also have a quality problem. Did you know that last year the World Health Organization ranked the United State 37th in world quality? Just below Costa Rica and above Slavonia. We are 31st in life expectancy, 29th in infant mortality, and 24th in overall women's health. 100,000 people die every year because of medical mistakes. 100,000 is almost as much as the largest city in my state. . .

And what's driving this debate more than anything else is the cost problem. We have a cost problem that is effecting everybody in this room and its going to effect you a lot more. When I was born... health care comprised 4% of our GDP. When my children were born, about 25 and 30 years ago, the percentage went from 4% to 8%. And when my grandchildren were born, and I have 4 of them now, it went from 8% to 16%. And when you're my age, its going to be 32% according to the Council of Economic Advisers. . ."

Part 2

Opening the conference was Justin Rockefeller chair of Generation Engage. He spoke a little about his history and the number of elected officials in his family.

"My father was red in the face many times when coming home, remarking how one piece of paper crafted in this building has a very tangible effect on real workers in VA. On average young people don't tend to see politics as a means to the end of the process."

I agree, though Future Majority has spent a lot of time talking about how this isn't necessarily the case. In the past, our generation has been monumentally ignored. The statements are - we don't vote, we don't care, we don't pay attention. We all know that we care, and we absolutely pay attention - and if the progress of the last 9 years is any indication we do vote.

But my long-time belief is that the major failure of government is a lack of outreach to young people.

I remember being in high school when the West Wing first started on TV. And a conversation that the fictional President had at a UVA townhall he conducted. In it he said that young voters make up 1/3 of the country yet only a small percent of the voting public. He asked the audience - "so are you failing us or are we failing you... I think its a little bit of both"

"Politicians and young people pass each other like ships in the night. Too often American democracy at times seems like a monologue rather than a dialogue. So many under privileged young people lack access and influence to the process to impact their future." Rockefeller continued.

It couldn't have been said better. A major underlying narrative about getting young people to the polls has been - if you build a movement they will come - if you ask us, we will vote. The same is true with participation and engagement in the government process. If government continued to engage young people after the vote was given, young people will be more engaged in the process.

"If you remember nothing I've said remember this: Encourage your friends to embrace their frustration."

Indeed out of frustration, progress is created.

"Social entrepreneurship combines the best of liberal and conservative ideology because it is results driven but promotes social ideology. As has been said, you can teach a man to fish, but social entrepreneurship is revolutionizing the fishing industry."

Video will be provided in a few hours, stay tuned.

All day the 80 Million Strong conference will be going on in Washington DC to discuss the need for a youth agenda as it pertains to the crippling effect the economic depression has had on young people.

The youth unemployment rate is twice the national unemployment rate, and with an increasing number of youth graduating with substantial debt, it is even harder for youth to dig themselves out of the hole. There are 80 Million youth in the Millennial Generation, and 22% of them are unable to contribute, thus weighing down the economy. Helping youth will ultimately help the country not just in the immediate, but also in the long term, because we'll continue to be in the economy for many many years to come.

Other major topics will be Green Jobs, Youth Entrepreneurship, and more. You can watch the live webcast here and via a few sporadic twitter messages by following #80MS. The Major problem is that there is no access to the internet nor will there be cell phone service, so updates and information about the conference will be extremely limited, but those of us at FM will work to write and update pieces at some of the breaks as well as after the conference I will upload videos.

Happy lazy Sunday. On this day of large newspaper reading, I wanted to point out two stories on serious policy issues that prominently feature some of the bigger youth coalitions working in DC, and across the country. First up:

Disillusioned Environmentalists Turn On Obama as Compromiser:

On the campaign trail, Mr. Obama used forceful and direct language on climate change, calling carbon emissions from human activity an “immediate threat” to the climate. His environmental critics say they miss that urgent tone.

“He was far too quiet during the House debate,” said Jessy Tolkan, the executive director of the Energy Action Coalition, a youth group in Washington that campaigns for clean energy. “He needs to live up to the promises he made to us when we poured our heart and soul into electing him.”

Ms. Tolkan said that her organization was hoping to take that point home to the Democratic Party before the midterm elections. “Those who played a leadership role in weakening this bill will feel the wrath of youth political power across the country,” she said. “2010 is not that far away.”

Kudos to Jessy and Energy Action for muscling youth into the climate policy discussion in the paper of record, and I think her point about the midterms is a smart one. Youth have turned up at the polls three elections in a row, but we are still not adequately represented at the policy table. With the possible exception of student loans/debt issues, which has seen some encouraging movement recently, I don't really see our concerns being met by action on the Hill. If groups like Energy Action can turn a few congressional races (or better, primaries) in 2010, that will do a lot for our credibility as an electoral threat, which will make for a louder voice in DC policy wrangling.

Next up, College Grads Face IOUs, Worst Job Market in Years:

The Class of 2009 finds itself in the worst job market in 25 years. Unemployment for all 20- to 24-year-olds is more than 15 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Just 20 percent of this year's graduates who applied for a job have one, down from more than 50 percent two years ago, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

The average student graduates with about $22,000 in debt, according to the Project on Student Debt, a Berkeley, Calif., nonprofit.

There is an estimated $700 billion in outstanding student loan debt — enough to merit its own bailout, some say.

Student groups applaud the changes, but say they do not address what they view as the underlying problem: tuition gone wild.

"What happens if you raise the loan limits is the colleges raise their tuition," said David Smith, 29, founder and chairman of mobilize.org, a Washington-based group focused on college affordability.

Mobilize.org, in turn, is a leader within 80 Million Strong, a new grass-roots advocacy and lobbying coalition dedicated to addressing high youth unemployment, high student loan debt, credit-card lending practices and health insurance.

"We are seeing some very unreasonable tuition increases," Mr. Smith said. "In many states that are getting into financial problems, they often balance their budgets on the backs of students.

"What it ends up doing is increasing the cost of education significantly, forces students to take another job, another loan or drop out of school," he said.

This is a great article on the debt burden placed on college students trying to earn a place in the middle class, and it is dominated by quotes from people working with the 80 Million Strong Coalition. Great press in advance of next week's summit.

As you know, Future Majority is on the Steering Committee of 80 Million Strong. Our National Summit is taking place next Tuesday and Wednesday in Washington, DC. We've got a great group of young leaders coming to DC to bring their ideas and perspectives to bear on the growing youth unemployment crisis (including FM's Sarah Burris). After the Summit, we will be sponsoring a grant summit in Chicago, IL (October, most likely), to fund some of the top legislative ideas and advocacy campaigns that arise from the July 14 and 15 Summit - Karlo

Young Leaders Gaining Support, Creating Ideas for 21st Century Jobs

Washington, D.C. – 80 Million Strong for Young American Jobs, a coalition of 28 national youth organizations, will convene a summit of over 150 young people representing more than 30 states in Washington, D.C. on July 14 &15 in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center.

Summit participants will develop legislative proposals in reaction to the disproportionate effects of the recession on young Americans.

Confirmed speakers include:

• Steny Hoyer, Majority Leader, U.S. Congress
• Tom Daschle, Former Majority Leader, U.S. Senate
• James Clyburn, Majority Whip, U.S. Congress
• Jared Bernstein, Senior Economic Adviser to Vice President Joe Biden
• Van Jones, Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality

Young Americans have been hit hardest by the economic downturn and face an unemployment rate of 17.8%, almost 9 points higher than the national average. College graduates are entering one of the worst job markets in decades with an average $27, 000 dollars of student loan debt and little to no income with which to make payments.

80 Million Strong members will address this crisis head-on at the summit, where diverse young people from across the country will discuss the precarious financial health of our generation, propose solutions and package these recommendations into federal legislation. Our goal is to support and inspire entrepreneurship, widen the path from volunteerism to careers in public service, and commit a new generation to a new economy defined by higher education, good health, robust security, and sustainable living. We will leverage our coalition's influential and growing voting bloc to move jobs legislation through Congress, which will serve as a rallying point for us to engage in advocacy and increase civic participation at the grassroots and national level.

For more information please visit our website at http://80millionstrong.org/.

Summit Information:
Tuesday, July 14, 2009 – Conference
Capitol Visitor Center, Rm. 215 A&B
8:30am to 7:00pm

Wednesday, July 15, 2009 – Advocacy Day
Capitol Hill
9:00am to 12:00pm

80 Million Strong Contact Information:

Matthew Segal, Executive Director, Student Association for Voter Empowerment (SAVE), National Co-Chair, 80 Million Strong

847-502-5012

President Barack Obama delivered a speech yesterday citing depressing numbers about employment in the US but promising hope through innovation, green technologies, and assuring Americans that each was upon the horizon.

"The job figures released this morning show that we lost 467,000 jobs last month. And while the average loss of about 4,000 jobs (sic) per month this quarter is less devastating than the 700,000 per month that we lost in the previous quarter, and while there are continuing signs that the recession is slowing, obviously this is little comfort to all those Americans who have lost their jobs. . .

"I'm absolutely confident that we can, at this period of difficulty, prove, once again, what this nation can achieve, when challenged. And I'm confident that we're not only going to recover from this recession in the short term, but we're going to prosper in the long term."

Obama spoke about the importance of the Energy Bill passed in the house, saying it was a major step forward for progress. I would argue it was a limp and sluggish step forward because each step was made difficult by those being dragged along behind them. But indeed... forward.

He also spoke of the need for CEOs, small businesses, and companies to opt for innovation that develops not merely our economy but our work force while launching our country into the 21st century. If there is one thing the US has not been keen on the past few years its innovation, and Obama's urgency to develop technologies and cutting edge businesses is a noble task we should all shoulder.

"You know, so much of the debate around health care, so much of the debate around energy has been based on this idea that somehow if we stand still and we don't do anything that we're going to be better off. And that's just not how this world works. It's certainly not how the modern economy works.

We know we're going to have to change how we use energy. We know we're going to have to change how we operate our health care system. We know that we're going to have to change how we train our young people to compete in this new global economy.

And so to make the argument that somehow we should just lock in on the status quo or perpetuate the same policies that got us into this mess in the first place and that's somehow going to solve our problems just doesn't make any sense.

And what these folks are all about is the future."

I'm excited the President understands that training is an important part of what our generation will require, but I think beyond skill training young people can be on the front lines of the very innovation the President is calling for. Like Google, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, and more developing each day - young people are creating the super companies of the future that are not merely youth created but youth run by their youth employees. The old companies who continue to ignore the call for modernization are seemingly the companies faltering in innovation.

These topics and more are the major reason we are working to create a wonderful conference in the next few weeks with 80 Million Strong. Youth have a key role to play in our country's progress and the future the President speaks of. New speakers are signing on each day to attend and as a co-sponsor, FM will bring you all the details of the event.

I just want to take a moment here and highlight a blog post and a press release that hit my inbox in the last 24 hours. Taken together, they paint a frightening picture of the current economic environment for youth of all races and education levels.

From 80 Million Strong and Voto Latino:

80 Million Strong and its coalition partner Voto Latino today announced that Hispanic youth are being disproportionately affected by the economic crisis. The statement was released on the heels of a new Employment Situation Summary from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showing that Hispanic unemployment for 20-24 year olds was at 16.5% for May 2009, a nearly 3% increase from last month’s figures. In the 16-19 year old bracket, the numbers are even more alarming, with Hispanic unemployment reaching 31% in May 2009, almost 4% higher than April’s numbers. [...]

According to other statistics, the unemployment rate for young people aged 20-24 increased from 10.3% to 15% since May 2008 - a rate that is higher than the national average. In addition, since April, the unemployment rate for 16-24 year olds increased from 16.7% to 17.3%, while the national unemployment rate increased from 8.9% to 9.4%.

From Seth Godin's blog:

Fewer college grads have jobs than at any other time in recent memory—a report by the National Association of Colleges and Employers annual student survey said that 20 percent of 2009 college graduates who applied for a job actually have one.

I was at a townhall hosted by A New Way Forward earlier this week where Leo Hindery made much the same point about unemployment among recent college grads. I know that coalitions like 80 Million Strong are working to make sure that young people benefit from the economic stimulus package, and times are tough for everybody, not just youth, but these numbers are shocking. Why aren't more people talking about this?

We've spoken about the 80 Million Strong coalition a lot on here, and FM is one of the co-chairs of the July event that will discuss youth jobs in the troubling economy. A major portion of the discussion will be Youth Entrepreneurship and helping create an outreach similar to the small business administration for young people who are starting businesses.

Matthew Segal touched on this when he appeared on CNN last week to talk about the July Conference. Segal said on CNN that if we apply the successful model of the SBA to young entrepreneurs we can help young people create their own jobs from the skills that they have that are sometimes outside of the mainstream. Online jobs, tech jobs, new media jobs, not to mention young people who have heard the call to service from President Obama and wish to start their own community based non-profits.

The SBA gives business the credibility to obtain grants and start-up capital, but they also provide tools for businesses that need help with tax forms, start-up forms, and processes a business must go through to get off the ground. Having that be a point of contact or having a youth specific arm for the SBA that can help young people get started will be a great way to start small businesses run by young people across the country.

This weekend, Cambridge University in conjunction with the Gates Foundation hosted an amazing panel for young people to help give guidance for young entrepreneurs.

The panel featured Andrew Klaber, founder and President, Orphans Against AIDS, Svitlana Kobzr the Founder of Forgotten Children of Eastern Europe, Robyn Scott, the Co-Founder and Trustee of Mothers for All, and Casey Wilson the Co-Founder and CEO of Wokai but also included Philip Rucker a National Correspondent for the Washington Post as a moderator

Via the Gates Coffeehouse Events:

"Increasingly, youth around the world are taking it upon themselves to engage social challenges and effect positive community change. A new generation of socially responsible ventures has emerged that addresses urgent global and local issues such as health, poverty, violence, racism, environmental destruction and civic apathy. This wave of youth social entrepreneurship offers new set of solutions and energy, but also brings with it its own set of professional, financial and personal challenges."

The panel began with a discussion about how to get started, particularly for organizations that have an international focus and building strategic relationships between leadership, developing funding structures, basically anything you can think of.

Orphans Against AIDS Founder Andrew Klaber remembers being in college and says

"Being a student is an ideal time to start an organization, and there are a few reasons for that. For one, you're surrounded by incredibly talented people, and secondly your schedule is your own and that's really the mark for an entrepreneur. You can work on projects between classes, before school, at night, early in the morning, its really a great time. Thirdly, you have university as a resources whether they can help subsidize your travel, or provide other services.

For example, with Orphans Against AIDS I would come back [from abroad] and I had this idea in my head of what I wanted [the organization] to be, in terms of the mission, in terms of providing academic scholarships, giving health care.... but quite frankly, as a twenty year old I had no idea how to run or even legally start a non-profit organization and this is where the university really helped out. I went to the law school where I was studying, and they had a non-profit law clinic. And for free students that were in law school helped me incorporate the organization and then apply for 501c3 status...."

Another thread of discussion was naturally the funding and fundraising mechanism of starting an organization. Klaber continued that having a strong board of directors is key to developing a more diverse funding profile. His organization receives funding from a variety of donors including corporate sponsorship, foundations, individual donors, and they still host fundraisers and events regularly as well. He also noted that while grants and major donations from corporate sponsorship are key to helping the organization keep its doors open, the sustainable donations aren't always from those types of funders, thus the importance for a diversified funding model.

Another tool he mentioned was Echoing Green which is in many ways a venture capitalism firm for young entrepreneurs who want to start organizations that do acts of good works and develop civic organizations in communities around the world.

Their fellowship program gives leadership development to build organizations that promote social causes that don't necessarily make money the way a traditional company would but these opportunities help build companies that make an impact and can also create similar jobs for more young people who are seeking civic jobs. At the same time the connections with Echoing Green open up doors and create relationships with affiliated partners who can be potential funders.

Echoing Green also has been a contributor for the Jobs for Change site, as well as podcast geared toward people who are looking for "careers with impact."

Svitlana Kobzr the Founder of Forgotten Children of Eastern Europe echoed concerns of all of the panelists in raising money in a tough economy, but said that for organizations that are founded or developed on college campuses have also an amazing alumni pool from which to choose. Her organization connected with the foundation of an alumni at her school who not only provided essential capital but also considerable help with other fundraising advise and recommendations for additional funding.

Kobzr's second recommendation was for civic clubs like Rotary and the like who want to do matching grants or do fundraisers where donations can be sent to causes like Kobzr's.

The panel was a great event, and had helpful comments for the young people who participated. I highly recommend taking part in the Gates Foundation Coffeehouse events if you haven't in the past. There are many helpful resources for young entrepreneurs available through their outreach and programs. Also a special thanks to Cambridge University for helping put on the event and my good friend alumni Tristan Brown who told me about the event.

Don't forget, if you haven't signed up to be a part of the July conference for 80 Million Strong for Youth you must apply now. Scholarships are available on a first come first serve basis so get in on the ground floor for that as well.

Matt Segal of the 80 Million Strong coalition was on CNN this week talking about youth unemployment. Check it out here: