Youth Power Project

WE PROVIDE ADVOCACY FOR YOUTH IN THE UNITED STATES. THE REACH FOR THIS IS 75 MILLION YOUTH IN THE US. THE YOUTH POWER PROJECT IS A COALITION OF HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS DEDICATED TO EXPANDING OUR DEMOCRACY BY EMPOWERING STUDENTS TO WRITE POLICY. WE STARTED WORKING TOGETHER IN LATE 2021 TO PASS A SET OF PUBLIC HEALTH MEASURES PERTAINING TO YOUTH MEDICAL AUTONOMY IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AND HAVE SINCE EXPANDED THE SCOPE OF OUR ORGANIZING TO COVER YOUTH POLICY ISSUES AT THE NATIONAL SCALE. TYPICALLY, POLICYMAKING IS VIEWED AS INACCESSIBLE TO HIGH SCHOOLERS AND UNDERGRADS, DESPITE YOUNG PEOPLE CONSTITUTING A SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF STAKEHOLDERS IN PUBLIC POLICY. BY CENTERING THOSE WHO ARE DIRECTLY IMPACTED IN CIVIC CONVERSATIONS, WE BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN SUCCESSFUL POLICYMAKING AND YOUNGER GENERATIONS. TO THIS END, THE CORE OF OUR ORGANIZING BOILS DOWN TO OUR FOUR PILLARS -- POLICY, MOBILIZATION, ENGAGEMENT, AND EDUCATION. WE BELIEVE THAT WHEN THESE PILLARS ALIGN, YOUNG PEOPLE CAN PROJECT THEIR POWER IN GOVERNMENT AT AN UNPARALLELED LEVEL. OUR CAMPAIGN IS ENTIRELY YOUTH AND SURVIVOR LED. CURRENTLY, INTERNET-BASED PLATFORMS FACE ZERO ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE SEXUAL ABUSE THAT THEY FACILITATE AGAINST MINORS OR THE CSAM THEY ALLOW TO BE PRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED. WE HAVE THREE MAIN FOCUSES: 1. ENABLING SURVIVORS TO PURSUE LITIGATION AGAINST THEIR ABUSERS AND OR AGAINST THE PLATFORMS THAT FACILITATED THEIR ABUSE BY EXTENDING STATUTES OF LIMITATIONS AND ADDING AN EXCEPTION TO SECTION 230 OF THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS ACT REGARDING ONLINE CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE 2. REFRAMING THE VOCABULARY AND PROCEDURES USED IN COURT TO LITIGATE CASES OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST MINORS TO AVOID RE-TRAUMATIZING SURVIVORS 3. ENSURING LONGEVITY IN THE CAMPAIGN TO HOLD COMPANIES ACCOUNTABLE BY CREATING A NATIONAL COMMISSION TO RESEARCH STANDARDS OF REGULATION TO PREVENT ONLINE VIOLENCE AGAINST MINORS AND CREATE MORE ACCESSIBLE MECHANISMS FOR SURVIVORS TO REPORT AND REMOVE CONTENT OF THEM ONLINE.