Mobilize.org

OnlyUp.org

2009-02-17T06:21:00.000-08:00

This is their experience of the Constitutional Convention: Building Democracy 2.0

Winning this award was a major validation of our potential. However, unlike any award most of us have ever won, we were left with more questions than when we began. The expert sessions and numerous conversations we had with our peers throughout the weekend not only gave us great feedback but also really forced us to ask some important questions about launching our project:

What makes you so special? Why are you necessary?
What will people take away from you? How will you make a difference?
How are you spreading your message? What is your brand and marketing plan?
What would someone new to the field say about your idea? An expert?
Who are your partners? What existing organization can benefit from your vision?

Since winning we have been reflecting on these questions and taking positive steps in answering them:

We have reached out to YNPN to discuss possible collaboration.
We will be drafting our strategic plan with a consultant to address sustainability and project measureables.
We have outlined a new website and timeline for completion and launch.
We continue to solicit feedback from our colleagues in the non-profit sector regarding our proposal.
We have reached out to various Philadelphia based non-profits to explore fiscal sponsorship options in order to buttress our marketing and fundraising initiatives.
We are preparing an application for the Bread and Roses Future Grant aimed at start up organizations.
We are consistently growing our support base of non-profits, people under 30, and people over 30 who are eager to strengthen the non-profit community.
We have been doing extensive research on what issues are affecting millenials in the non-profit sector and are developing a rubric to assess organizations.

Who knew that winning would be this hard? Yet as we move forward we are excited about the possibilities and feel more confident in facing our challenges!

Young People First

2009-02-09T08:32:00.000-08:00

It was fitting that the Democracy 2.0 Constitutional Convention was held shortly before the historic inauguration of a President whose mandate came from America’s youth. This is because the inauguration of Barack Obama represents not only an enormous opportunity and historic moment for our country, but because it represents the end of an era of purposefulness for young people in the United States.

For one special year, the lives of millions of young people were connected to the common purpose of renewing America by electing a new President—regardless of who their preferred candidate of choice was. If the engagement of young Americans in political life is going to continue, young people need new, powerful reasons to be in politics.

The Democracy 2.0 Constitutional Convention lent some momentum to the process. Talented, young people from across the country came together to discuss their ideas, plans, and opinions about how to build on what the youth movement has accomplished in the last few years.

Now, I’ve been thinking about how to get young people to transform their participation in the 2008 election into a powerful, independent voice for a focus on solving the long-term problems our leaders in Washington so frequently ignore. At Democracy 2.0, I found other inspiring Democracy Entrepreneurs with whom to trade ideas and forge alliances.

I was particularly moved by the efforts of Ana Hevesi, Jason Kende, and Pamela Tatz, who are pursuing a variety of initiatives aimed at reinvigorating civics education in the United States, both in and out of school. Projects like this brought home the importance of building for tomorrow’s youth movement, even as we are pursuing today’s objectives.

It’s not only the outstanding group of people who received funding at Democracy 2.0 that will help increase the momentum of the youth movement. It’s people like Jason Pollack of The Youngest Candidate, who’s inspiring and enabling thousands of young people across the country to run for office (www.theyoungestcandidate.com/).

I’m extremely grateful for having the opportunity to attend Democracy 2.0, and commit myself to pursuing collaboration with the amazing people who shared their ideas in Philadelphia.

Youth Civics 2.0

2009-02-02T09:04:00.000-08:00

The Constitutional Convention: Building Democracy 2.0 Summit was a marathon of a weekend that provided a great return for everyone who invested in it and we at Youth Civics 2.0 – Ana, Jason, Pam and Jared – all feel very fortunate to have been a part of it. All of the attendees, especially those who prepared proposals for the Summit, will fondly attest to the packed nature of the schedule, which demanded efficient time management on all of our parts. Thankfully, the Mobilize staff displayed a keen awareness of the situation, a great deal of enthusiasm and a willingness to be of help, which was invaluable to the individual successes that took place, and the success of the Summit as a whole. The pitches and presentations, interspersed with advice from panelists, was definitely one of the most important of all benefits the Youth Civics 2.0 team gained from this amazing weekend. Getting help and advice on crafting our pitch and writing more effective proposals from those with experience in the field helped our understanding of our project mature in leaps and bounds. All of us also found it intensely inspiring to network, make friends and compete with other 'youth civics nerds' throughout the course of the weekend, as is clearly evidenced by the eventual composition of our team. In fact, the most rewarding part of the weekend was not the competition itself, but the sense that all of the ideas that were presented and all of the people involved were part of something bigger than their own projects – the sense that we all shared a common goal and that we were all, in one way or another, doing our best to bend the moral arc of history towards greater justice for our generation.

Since returning to New York City and getting somewhat caught up on sleep, the Youth Civics 2.0 team has been strategizing and conferring with one another in order to facilitate the speedy and effective implementation of our projects' goals. In order to keep ourselves engaged and build on the experience with the grant-seeking process we gained at the Democracy 2.0 Summit, we have already submitted another grant application. This time, we applied to the Ashoka Changemakers-sponsored The Power of Us: Re-Imagine Media contest. Each team member has also been assigned at least one grant opportunity to initiate before bringing it back to the group. Thanks to friends and allies in the field – some of whom we met at the Summit - we are becoming heavily involved in other important events, like this past month's Youth Coordinators Conference in Washington, DC. Additionally, we are planning visits to New York City high schools and colleges to begin face-to-face outreach.

Constitutional Convention Building Democracy 2.0

2009-02-02T08:56:00.000-08:00

From January 9-11 Mobilize.org, with 5 other organizations, hosted Constitutional Convention: Building Democracy 2.0. Millennials- young people like you and me!- from as far as California and Washington met in historic Philadelphia, participated in a Modern Constitutional Convention, and passed two amendments of their own to our founding document.

During this convention, teams of Millenials also competed and were awarded grant monies to make an impact in their local and national communities. Some products of these Millennials’ innovative minds are CivicSpark, a project to provide online legislative tracking services for local governments in the state of Washington, and School Board 2.0, an online platform to make school board meetings more accessible and transparent to the general public.

Constitutional Convention was a great success and marked only the beginning of what Mobilize.org will accomplish in 2009. Mobilize.org will continue to fill the year with dialogue, grant summits, Millennial policy change, and projects to educate, empower, and energize Millennials to move public policy.

We still have some Party for the Presidency t-shirts available! Get your t-shirt before it’s gone! Order your gear for your Inauguration celebrations! http://www.mystore.com/mobilize .

PS: During next few weeks you will get a chance to read one or two blog entries of the Grantees to follow up their progress and share their experiences.

A Call to Service

2009-01-22T12:55:00.001-08:00

Watch Mobilize.org Chief Executive Officer Maya Enista, Chief Operating Office Ian Storrar and Be The Change, Inc. Founder Alan Khazei talk about the importance of service in a video from the Chronicle on Philanthropy produced on Monday, the Martin Luther King Day of National Service

CPL New Leaders Program- Excellent Opportunity for Passionate Young Leaders

2009-01-22T06:41:00.000-08:00

Do you know a passionate young leader who would be interested in being a part of progressive change this summer in Washington DC?

The Center for Progressive Leadership's New Leaders Internship Program is a paid ten-week summer program in Washington D.C. for young people from underrepresented communities across the country with a demonstrated passion for progressive change. Each New Leader is matched with a paid internship in a leading progressive organization in DC, including policy and research work, advocacy, organizing, media relations, and on-line communications. CPL New Leaders also participate in orientation and closing workshops, weekly trainings, coaching, and a variety of networking events, conferences and other opportunities.

The CPL New Leaders Program is for people who:

Are working to make their campus or community a better place

Are leaders in their classes or campus groups

Have volunteered or worked for a political campaign

Have led or been involved with efforts to raise awareness about issues on campus or in your community

Can't afford to spend the summer working for free

To learn more and apply, visit www.cplnewleaders.org <http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=%2Bt2njBXBRnkHajP3%2FN74lIOMspOKXRY3>

Mobilize.org Receives Non-Profit Voter Spirit Award for 2008 Election

2009-01-15T08:49:00.001-08:00

Announced yesterday, Mobilize.org received kudos for its efforts to creatively engage and register Millennials across the country during the 2008 primary and general elections. With programs, like Mobilize the Polls and their Sex and the City...With a Side of Voter Registration campaigns, Mobilize.org was able to find new ways to engage our generation in the electoral process.

"Nonpartisan youth organizations like Mobilize.org, the student PIRGs, Rock the Vote, Generation Engage and Voto Latino utilized both Web 2.0 and local outreach to register and inform young people across the nation, helping 3.4 million more citizens between the ages of 18-30 to vote on November 4th than did in 2004. Young people represented 60% of the overall increase in voter turnout from the last presidential election achievement (CIRCLE) - and have represented a steadily increasing share of the electorate over the past 3 elections. Way to go, youth organizations!"

Calling Constitutional Convention: Building Democracy 2.0 to Order

2009-01-09T08:02:00.000-08:00

Greetings from Philadelphia!

The Mobilize team arrived last evening in this historic city, ready to join with young leaders from across the country for a groundbreaking summit about our founding document and how the Constitution is a framework for building Democracy 2.0. At this hour, over 75 participants, including 11 teams, are en route to the National Constitution Center to join this conversation and compete in a Democracy 2.0 grant competition.

But there is no reason why YOU can’t join us.

This morning, we launched a new home page at www.democracyupgrade.com that will give you the chance to know what is happening at the summit up-to-the-minute and allow you to participate in the conversation. We invite you to join us this weekend as we bring Constitutional Convention: Building Democracy 2.0 to you through various Web 2.0 platforms, from Flickr to UStreamTV and You Tube to Cover It Live.

The latest schedule of events is available (http://www.mediafire.com/?nliofmt2mdx) if you wanted to drop in during certain times. Tomorrow, for example, Congressman Murphy will be speaking at 9 a.m., and you can follow along on the live video stream and ask a question through the live blog. As our declaration states, democracy is an unfinished project.

Through the 2008 election, we, the Millennial Generation have been telling different story about civic engagement and what it means to be a citizen. This weekend, we have come to a place where “We the People” first began, to upgrade our democracy. We hope you will join us. - The Mobilize.org Team

A Generation of Dreamers and Doers

2009-01-03T11:18:00.001-08:00

From New York Times Reporter John Schwartz, on a rise of entrepreneurship among college students across the country:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/04/education/edlife/innovationmain-t.html?_r=1&ref=edlife

"Today’s students have grown up hearing more about Bill Gates than F.D.R., and they live in a world where startling innovations are commonplace. The current crop of 18-year-olds, after all, were 8 when Google was founded by two students at Stanford; Mark Zuckerberg founded Facebook in 2004 while he was at Harvard and they were entering high school. Having “grown up digital” (to borrow the title of Don Tapscott’s recent book on the Net Generation), they are impatient to get on with life.

“They’re great collaborators, with friends, online, at work,” Mr. Tapscott wrote. “They thrive on speed. They love to innovate.”

Obama: "America's First Online Social Networking President"

2008-12-31T06:51:00.000-08:00

From Wednesday's Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/30/AR2008123003518_pf.html

"With some notable exceptions, federal Washington -- how agencies deal with citizens, the process in which policies and laws are created -- is stuck in the Encyclopaedia Britannica era. A relatively small group of editors and contributors is in charge. A growing portion of the country, however -- the Web-enabled set that swears by MySpace and YouTube (and note the emphasis on "My" and "You") -- lives by the wisdom-of-the-crowd, I-have-something-to-contribute ethos of Wikipedia.

In the same way that anyone can edit a Wikipedia entry, not only will Web-acculturated citizens speak their minds, but they also won't ask anyone's permission to do so.

It has been only a decade since an American president first used the Internet. In the mid-1990s, the Clinton administration created WhiteHouse.gov and ordered all federal agencies to get online. For the first time, the government used the Web to describe what it was doing in its own terms, bypassing media middlemen. George W. Bush's two terms brought podcasting, online chats and videos to the presidency's online presence."

Change Can Begin with YOU

2008-12-30T17:26:00.000-08:00

With the inauguration around the corner, we have been asking ourselves
"What's Next?" How can we be a part of the change? In response to those
questions, this campaign calls for Americans everywhere to think about the
change they can make in their community in the coming year, then visit the
Case Foundation's web site and share this commitment with us and the
world. The campaign is simple and easy. There is no idea too big or too
small.

Just by pledging to make a difference, one lucky individual will win an
all expenses paid Inauguration trip for two. This includes airfare, a three
night hotel stay, and tickets to the Inaugural ceremony and the Hawaii
Inaugural Ball. And, in the spirit of giving, this person will be set up
with a once in a lifetime opportunity to serve in Washington, D.C. as part
of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service.

The Change Begins with Me campaign is just the beginning of our year-long
effort to help transform inauguration excitement into community action. In
the coming months, the Case Foundation will connect commitment makers with
ongoing opportunities to serve, provide a venue for discussion and networking, share inspirational stories, invite participation with our civic-engagement programs and partners, and catalyze action through mini-grants and other incentives, including:

· A six month survey reporting on the status of commitments;

· Monthly spotlights on inspiring commitments to change;

· An Ask the Changemaker online chat and Q&A series, highlighting government and non-profit leaders at the helm of change efforts;

· Talk + Action = Change monthly mini-grants competition, where five $500 grants will be given away each month to passionate individuals with innovative ideas about simple ways to connect with others in their communities, talk about what's needed, and then take action together.

Financial Illiteracy is Not Merely Generational

2008-12-18T08:15:00.000-08:00

Financial illiteracy is not just a problem of the Millennial Generation, but it has and will continue to become a problem that the generation will be forced to solve.

http://www.freep.com/article/20081216/OPINION02/812160340/1070/opinion02

There is an intergenerational problem with spending and credit in this country that has contributed to the current financial crisis. Members of the Millennial Generation may not necessarily be "bad with money" or "financially illiterate," but are victims of changed circumstances.

For example, state education is no longer at affordable prices in many states. That used to be one reason many young adults were able to go to college is because education at a state school was so affordable. Now, students are forced to take out thousands of dollars worth of loans or make the decision not to attend college. Further, especially today, stopping at a bachelors's degree does not seem like an option to many, and graduate level education, once again, seems like a "must have" to survive.

One might point out that many people who cannot afford to attend college simply do not go. One may claim they made a financially prudent choice. Yet, many Millennials who do not or will not attend college are also running into credit problems, and are barely able to make ends meet.

Millennials, on the whole, have access to a wider variety of information, both on and offline. Many are fully aware of the risks of taking on high-interest student loans or extending credit lines, but when the decisions of previous generations have left them with their hands tied, it is not always a choice to make perhaps imprudent financial decisions, but a necessity of the times in which we live.

Millennials have inherited financial illiteracy and will have to teach themselves how to overcome it.

The Fundamental Needs of a Millennial

2008-12-15T12:28:00.000-08:00

I often ask myself “What are the fundamental needs of a millennial? What are the needs that we have that are unique to us, to where we are in life as a population?” If you are trying to mobilize a population and give them a distinct voice, I think you would have to base your efforts around what is fundamentally unique to them. Kind of like a Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, but specific for the 12-32 population. That’s what the AARP mostly does for the retired population and people 50 and older. They focus on health care and prescription drugs, social security, insurance, and financial planning. Those are the main issues for that population due to where they are in life.

I have come up with three main fundamental needs that are unique to where we are in life as Millennials:

Becoming individually self-sufficient
Making friends and starting our own family
Being a civically engaged citizen who gives back to our world.

These three areas are the bottom line for all the other issues we care about. They are the end product. They should be the foundation of what mobilizes our population.

Being individually self-sufficient is a major goal of our population. That’s why groups out there are fighting for issues like higher education access, lowering of debt, increased job opportunity, and affordable healthcare. It all leads back to economic self sufficiently. Reaching that point of economic freedom is huge a milestone for people in our generation.

Making friends and starting our own family is another major goal for our population. When we are young, having meaningful friendships is a vital part of life. But as we get older, meeting a special someone and getting ready for family life (however you define that), is something almost everyone eventually wants. That’s why social networking groups and online dating sites are so popular with our population. They help fill that need.

The third major need is being a civically engaged citizen who gives back to our world. We all want to discover our own political voice and stay informed on the issues that are affecting our community. We all want to have our say in what goes on in our government, at every level. We all want to play a part in creating the solutions that will makes peoples lives better.

I believe these three needs are what drive the millennial population. They are the end product. Any mobilization effort would be greatly improved if it recognized how their specific cause or program tied into these overarching needs.

In my next article, I will talk about the Six Fundamental Needs of a College Student, and how my organization, Student Advocacy Network, was created to define and address those needs. Access to higher education is a major contributor to fulfilling all three needs of a millennial: becoming individually self-sufficient, making friends and starting our own family, and being a civically engaged citizen who gives back to our world.

The Internet in 2020

2008-12-15T12:22:00.000-08:00

The Pew Internet & American Life Project is out with its third report, "Imagining the Internet: A History and a Forecast" today, including hundreds of respondents from the field of computer technology with their thoughts on what the Internet will look like 11 years from now. From the executive summary, here are some key findings:

The mobile device will be the primary connection tool to the internet for most people in the world in 2020.
The transparency of people and organizations will increase, but that will not necessarily yield more personal integrity, social tolerance, or forgiveness.
Voice recognition and touch user-interfaces with the internet will be more prevalent and accepted by 2020.
Those working to enforce intellectual property law and copyright protection will remain in a continuing "arms race," with the "crackers" who will find ways to copy and share content without payment.
The divisions between personal time and work time and between physical and virtual reality will be further erased for everyone who is connected, and the results will be mixed in their impact on basic social relations.
"Next-generation" engineering of the network to improve the current internet architecture is more likely than an effort to rebuild the architecture from scratch.

Check out this site, http://www.imaginingtheinternet.org/, which includes the report.

A Craigslist for Service

2008-12-15T10:14:00.000-08:00

Check out this from The Huffington Post:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/craig-newmark/a-craigslist-for-service_b_150924.html

Seasons Greetings!

2008-12-11T07:39:00.000-08:00

The Mobilize Staff - Maya, Ian, Ana, Chris, and Nick - wishes you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday.

DC Office:

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Information Team:

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Millennial Generalization

2008-12-10T09:56:00.000-08:00

Wanted to post this for our readers: http://www.forbes.com/entrepreneurs/2008/12/10/melliennial-barack-obama-ent-manage-cx_sb_1209berglasmillennial.html.

We invite your comments, and my own are coming later today.

The Blagojevich Scandal: A Call For Change

2008-12-10T09:25:00.000-08:00

The indictment and arrest of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is yet another example of a broken system of government where the opportunities for real change are impeded by the corrupt ambitions of a few. The FBI audio recordings which will no doubt be played at a forthcoming trial provide substantive evidence to those who argue that they no longer live in a country whose government is responsive to their needs. Further, the Governor’s refusal to resign, even when faced with near-certain impeachment by the State Legislature, shows that elected office has become an institution mired in its own self-gratification and isolated from the needs of the people it is structured to service. It is easy to look at the Blagojevich Case and decry the damage that it does to the present state of our Democracy, at what we already know is a critical state. As Bob Edgar, President of Common Cause, said yesterday, “It is always disheartening to see elected officials appear to veer off the path of the public interest that they pledged to serve.”

Although it is harder to do, the case is also, more importantly, a compelling example for citizens to become engaged, demanding that their elected officials be agents of change, accountability and leadership. As Millennials, we are uniquely positioned to leverage our social networks through new and evolving channels of information to demand that our democracy be upgraded.
Coming just a month after a historic election that produced, for many, a hope that America would return to a road of progress, the news from Illinois this week show that the work ahead will be difficult and that change will only come through cooperative efforts. For many Millennials, who voted for the first time just four weeks ago, it is frustrating to see the promise that was associated with the presidential campaign still be far off in the future.

Yet just as campaigns are won and lost on the grassroots effort, so too is our theory of Democracy 2.0, our Millennial-generated plan to upgrade the process of American governance. Beginning at the local level, individual citizens identify problems affecting their communities. Once problems are identified, they must engage in conversations searching for innovative solutions, and then these solutions must be implemented, assessed and adjusted as necessary. The ultimate vision for Democracy 2.0 rests with the institutionalization of this process within the framework of every level of American governance.

As Millennial leaders, we are compelled to not let egresses examples of corrupt abuses of power deter us from advancing our cause or suppressing our voice. Joining together, we will demand our elected leaders uphold their office to the highest standards possible. The first way to begin this process is by dialogue and we encourage you to become involved and engaged through the channels that Mobilize.org offers on our blog, website and other online networking sites. Offline, the conversation of bringing Millennial-generated change will dominate our forthcoming grant summit, Constitutional Convention: Building Democracy 2.0, where teams are invited to summit project proposals and compete for funding. For more information, visit www.democracyupgrade.com.

Behind the results

2008-12-10T05:59:00.000-08:00

Survey reveals voting disparities on Nov. 4

African-American voters waited more than twice as long as others to vote in last month's presidential election, and Hispanics were asked to show identification more often, a survey released Tuesday showed. Although Election Day ran smoothly for most voters, the survey of 10,000 people by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found at least one in four voters lack confidence that their votes were counted correctly…

For the full article review USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-12-09-voting_N.htm

More than a month after the elections, there is still news on how the voting process developed in different regions of the States. Although it went very smooth for most of the American population, there were others that were not as lucky.
I recommend this article only because I believe it is important to be informed of every detail, and analyze the different scenarios in order to understand the behavior of the American society.

Others Reaching the Same Conclusions on Democracy 2.0

2008-12-10T00:24:00.000-08:00

Ever since this presidential election, the term "Democracy 2.0" has popped up all over the place. While some have a different definition of the term or merely use the term to describe the new administration, it is great for Mobilize.org to see others independently define the term in the same way we do: educated and enabled citizens creating change from the citizen-level.

I read a blog today which referenced Democracy 2.0:

"When Democracy 2.0 takes off with the pervasive availability of web 2.0 technologies and a growing awareness and capabilities of well educated populations, the new debate will be on the relevance and sustainability of those 19th century institutional artifacts of democratic forms of governance."

"There is a real possibility that within the next 25 years civil service reform and the re-invention of the State will once again be on the radar screen. Unlike the Reagan/Thatcher era the challenge will not come from some ideological view of how best to organize the dynamic of state, industry, and society relations but rather because increasing forms of disintermediation occasioned by technology and a more autonomous population render the traditional 19th century forms of democratic governance less relevant."

We are seeing the re-emergence of a service culture, and arguably, we are seeing debates with how government should run, placing ideology versus practicality and best outcomes for the entire population.

The post references these trends abroad as well: http://tinyurl.com/6ldswb.

Constitutional Convention: Building Democracy 2.0 Updates--12.08.08

2008-12-08T00:47:00.001-08:00

The Summit team wanted to share with all our readers recent updates to Constitutional Convention: Building Democracy 2.0.

First, we launched an innovative web platform this week, www.democracyupgrade.com, where users can engage an interactive online community in a discussion about upgrading American democracy. Among the features is a Wiki with the text of the Constitution which users are invited to edit. Participants can exchange ideas about building grant summit teams for projects, collaborate on post-election issues, and are invited to submit YouTube videos proposing upgrades to the Constitution.

“Using Web 2.0 platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace, we are providing a platform to engage in a discussion about Democracy 2.0 before the Constitutional Convention begins,” said Nick Troiano, 19, Mobilize.org Technology Officer. “All content submitted and discussed on the site will be integrated in deliberative dialogue sessions during the Convention,” noted Troiano.

Second, in addition to exciting technology, both Generation WE and 18 in ’08 have joined the host of sponsors for the Convention. 18 in ’08, led by 19 year-old David Burstein, will be filming a documentary of the Convention, collecting video from Convention participants and working to get participants flip cameras to document their post-election experiences.

"Now that voters have made their voices heard, the Constitutional Convention provides a unique post-election opportunity for young voters to remain engaged in democracy," said National Constitution Center President and CEO Joseph M. Torsella. "We are proud to host this event at the Constitution Center in Historic Philadelphia, the birthplace of democracy."

Constitutional Convention: Building Democracy 2.0 will give Millennials the opportunity to sustain the election momentum they created to ensure that the civic and political dialogue around major issues affecting them continues and results in action that causes systemic and lasting positive change.

Millennials and their Economic Impact: The Housing Market

2008-12-05T10:03:00.001-08:00

From Millennial Makeover:

http://millennialmakeover.blogspot.com/2008/12/millennials-can-also-fix-housing-market.html

Millennials Sound Off on Bailout

2008-12-05T08:14:00.000-08:00

Stumbling across this youtube video today, I was reminded of the amazingness of Web 2.0. This young man makes a plea to the country to support the Detroit bailout. He was featured on the UAW's site as well. And who said these issues were too complicated for us young folk?

To Answer the Identity Question, We are "Game-Changers"

2008-12-05T02:20:00.000-08:00

Care of Kristen Cambell over at The Case Foundation:

http://www.socialcitizens.org/blog/are-todays-young-people-policital-game-changers

We are game-changers. We do not accept how things are being done and constantly look for ways to innovate and reform. We are just stepping into the political sphere, and I think the in the next few elections, both major gubernatorial elections nationwide and congressional elections, we will see the impacts of Millennials, not just at the polls, but behind the scenes on campaigns and even running for office themselves.

Who Are We?

2008-12-04T12:11:00.000-08:00

"Welcome to the socio-literary parlor game of 'Name That Generation,'" writes William Safire of the New York Times in a recent piece that detailed the frustrating and recurring exercise of giving an entire generation a single identity.

Off the top of my head, these are just some of the names the 95 million young people of America have been dubbed:

Generation Y – due to the fact that we follow Generation X

Generation We - dubbed by billionare Eric Greenberg in a new book

Generation "O" (for Obama) – presumably because the mania has no end

9/11 or Freedom Generation - as a result of the generation-shaping events in 2001

DoSomething Generation - which is leading with 78 votes on the organization's Website

Generation Net (for Internet) - complements to the technology that shaped us

Generation S (for service) - because Usher wanted in on this game too

Millennial Generation - resulting from the new Millennium we are growing up in

The list goes on, whether reflective of the times in which live, the events that have shaped us, the new technology that surrounds us, the rather egoistic ambitions of those who want to be the next Tom Brokaw (who is credited with naming the “Greatest Generation” with his book), or even the alphabet we use.

I have a feeling I am not the only one suffering from this never-ending identity crisis. But maybe it is not a bad thing. Perhaps it is characteristic of the time in which we live when deliberations on these topics are extended by the very nature of their being open to so many voices that have little to no barrier to entry in the debate. No longer can a single book, a single billionaire, or a single artist come along and give an identity to tens of millions of people, though they may try.

It seems time will be the only solution to this consequence of inclusivity. Everyone has their preference - mine is Millennial Generation - and that's understandable. What is problematic is something being stuck to our generation and not adopted within itself. Maybe we should put all of our technology to good use and settle this once and for all.

Constitutional Convention: Building Democracy 2.0

2008-12-01T02:04:00.000-08:00

We Want YOU to Upgrade OUR Democracy!

Join Mobilize.org, along with Declare Yourself, the National Constitution Center, Change.org, the National Conference on Citizenship, and Why Tuesday?,” for

CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION: BUILDING DEMOCRACY 2.0
January 9-11, 2009 at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

Constitutional Convention: Building Democracy 2.0 gives YOU the opportunity to sustain the election momentum YOU created in the 2008 election to ensure that the civic and political dialogue around major issues affecting YOU continues and results in action that causes systemic and lasting positive change.

Get the opportunity to use interactive keypad voting technology and other technology-savvy methods to engage in interactive dialogue about the election, Democracy 2.0, and building your influence.

Compete for funding over the three-day summit, and receive up to $10,000 in grants.

Visit the Convention website at http://www.democracyupgrade.com for more details.

Download the Participant Packet at http://tiny.cc/0ydwC.

For further information, contact the Summit Team at democracyupgrade@mobilize.org.

Ideas for Change in America

2008-11-25T09:49:00.000-08:00

Mobilize.org has joined in with Change.org on this effort to include citizen-generated solutions to the new presidential administration.

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Changeorg-MySpace-Join-Forces-Launch/story.aspx?guid={D9EAC19E-3C98-49F3-B018-D94515B549EC}

Gen-We Video

2008-11-18T12:23:00.001-08:00

Generation WE: The Movement Begins... from Generation We on Vimeo.

Youth Vote Impacts '08 Election

2008-11-12T14:10:00.000-08:00

Politico's David Kuhn writes in a piece entitled, "Obama has historic youth mandate" that the President-elect's "34 point margin of victory with voters under 30 was the largest in a generation, [and] cut across lines of class, color and education." He calls it the "most impressive youth mandate in modern American history." Kunh notes that the youth made up 18% of the electorate (one point higher than 2004) and had 52%-53% turnout among registered voters (about four points higher than 2004). Click here for more analysis from CIRCLE.

Patrick Ruffini, a renowned Republican online organizer, wrote in a recent blog post entitled the "The Straight-Ticket Youth Vote," that not only did young people favor Barack Obama 2:1, but they also voted for Democratic Congressional candidates in the same margin. The story, he says, is not how many new voters there are, but the staggering 25 point margin they swung in Democrats' favor by.

The claim Ruffini makes that is most surprising, however, is that had young people voted in the same numbers and manner as they did in 2004, Obama would have won the election only by 2 points, and more surprisingly, would have lost 73 electoral votes. While that would not have changed the outcome of the presidential race, it certainly would have made it substantially tighter. In congressional and state races throughout the country, it is almost a certainty the youth decided the outcome of some. Ruffini writes, "Obama has reshaped the electorate" partially through new voter registration but more-so by "gobbling up" most existing young voters.

To me, these and many other articles seem to beg three large questions: if this "historic" election only brought 53% of young people out to the polls, what will it take to increase that number (which, in my opinion, is still embarrassingly low for a thriving democracy)? Is the 25 point margin favoring the Democrats in this election the result of the last eight years and present circumstances, or is it part of a larger political realignment? Perhaps most importantly in practical terms - now that most of America has recognized the enormous "mandate" Obama has from young people, how should he act on it?

Feel free to sound off in the comments section.

Independent Sector..Rocks..

2008-11-11T21:03:00.001-08:00

I’ve had a long, exciting 72 hours and I’d like to thank my new friends at Independent Sector (www.independentsector.org), especially Andrea, Jamie, Megan and Erica for an amazing first conference. I spent the past three days in Philadelphia at the Our Hopes, Our Voices, Our Future Conference and learned more than I have in a LONG time. I had the pleasure to sitting on a panel with Ben from NAACP and Janet from La Raza and I am in awe of all that they’ve accomplished, and continue to work towards.

I could blog about it, but I couldn’t write about it as well at Katya from Network For Good did – so please read her blogs from the conference here: http://www.nonprofitmarketingblog.com/. And in an attempt for blatant self-promotion, she wrote about me, so check it out and comment...

Thanks Katya, the Independent Sector Team and all the other amazing people I’ve meet this weekend... If your organization isn’t a member of IS yet – you should be... If for no other reason than to see Diana Aviv dance her heart out.

Veterans Day 2008

2008-11-11T18:39:00.000-08:00

“Based on the Great Legacy that We Have Inherited…”

…So reads the first paragraph of the Mobilize.org Democracy 2.0 Declaration. And on this Veterans Day, an annual federal observance since 1954, when Armistice Day was broadened to include a commemoration of all US veterans who have served in military conflicts, there is no better way to talk about the high level of civic participation and engagement that have come to define the unique position that the Millennial Generation finds itself in, than to look to our forefathers and to their heroic offerings in advance of the essential causes which strengthen our inherited democracy.

In May 2005, the World War II Memorial was dedicated in Washington as a long overdue tribute to the men and women who served in the greatest mobilization of land and sea forces, as a domestic population and homeland economy, in history. At the ceremony, NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw, whose national bestseller named this generation rightly, and simply, The Greatest, provided insight into the all-consuming national wartime effort.

“Men, women, young and old, everyone had a role. Farm boys who had never been in an airplane were soon flying new bombers with four engines. Surgical nurses were in mash units on front lines operating while they were being shelled. Teenagers were wearing sergeant stripes and fighting from North Africa to Rome. Guys from the city streets were in close quarter combat in dense jungles. Women were building ships and whatever were needed and driving trucks. Kids went without gum and new toys and in too many cases they went the rest of their lives without fathers they never knew,” he said.

Hearing again of the stories of the World War II Generation, reflective of themes which are deeply rooted in American ideals of neighbor-helping-neighbor, unity and selfless sacrifice and service to country and community over individual interests, we hear a calling as great as all others, we see what it is that we are striving again to achieve and we feel a purpose propelling us towards great action.

Our generation’s task is to preserve this inspiring microcosm of the American spirit.

Working with local organizations, schools, veterans groups and community leaders throughout the country, the Veterans History Project run through the Library of Congress, seeks to preserve the stories and thoughts of American veterans in a single national collection. The ongoing project, begun in 2000, currently has over 50,000 stories on a searchable online database, many in digitized multimedia form.

In Connecticut, an effort to document and write biographies on each veteran killed during the Vietnam War resulted in the publication of a book, “612,” representing one entry for each life lost. This research project was conducted through students inside a small town middle school, completely outside of their structured educational curriculum. Yet, through their work on the project, these students experienced firsthand the raw emotion of family members still grieving for their loved ones nearly thirty years after the conflict ended. They heard stories of bravery and sacrifice and gained a new appreciation and understanding for an era in American history in which this nation suffered through one of its most painful periods, marked by cultural division and strong sentiments regarding America’s military involvement in Vietnam. Eight years after the first idea for the project, the town dedicated a permanent memorial listing each name of the 612, the only place in the state where all of the fallen heroes are memorialized together. On Veterans Day and throughout the year, citizens throughout this country join together to remember and honor a sacrifice which extends beyond the confines of any history textbook.

As Millennials look to transition and transform demonstrated passionate concern for their country into action, through a new Administration that many believe will represent their voice over those of special interests, the 11th day of the 11th month provides appropriate moment to pause and reflect on a sacrifice that transcends personal beliefs and places America’s constitutional roots of justice, tranquility and general welfare above all others.

Through this recollection, we discover the American Democracy that Millennials have declared their commitment to act upon, for as each succeeding generation has taught us, Democracy is an unfinished project.

GOOD Sheet--The First Hundred Days

2008-11-10T10:08:00.001-08:00

GOOD Magazine has been releasing these handy little facts sheets, available online and at Starbucks. This is their newest one.

http://awesome.goodmagazine.com/goodsheet/goodsheet009First100Days.html

NYRA Launches Voting Age Video Project

2008-11-10T09:42:00.000-08:00

Will Interview Youth about the Right to Vote

Washington, DC – November 10, 2008: Thanks to a grant from the Sunlight Foundation and Mobilize.org, the National Youth Rights Association is launching a project to survey high school students around the country about the right to vote and lowering the voting age to 16.

Cameras will be distributed to NYRA chapter leaders throughout the country who will reach out to students at their high schools to ask a simple question: “Do you want to vote?” The interviews will be conducted over the next year and made available online on YouthRights.org and YouTube.

“The reason many people today feel that young people are apathetic and don't want to be involved in the process is that nobody has really given them the opportunity to express this interest.” said Stefan Muller, Vice-President of the National Youth Rights Association, “If we ask young people what they think and are willing to listen, they'll have something to say.”

NYRA hopes to conduct dozens of interviews from a diverse cross-section of the nation’s youth that is reflective of the growing popular support for lowering the voting age nationwide.

About NYRA:

The National Youth Rights Association is a national, youth-led organization whose mission is to promote awareness of the legal and civil rights of young people in the United States. NYRA is based in Washington, DC and was founded in 1998. NYRA has nearly 8,000 members and has been featured on CNN, Fox News, PBS, and in the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, LA Times, Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe, and numerous other publications.

###

Yes...We MUST keep up the momentum.

2008-11-09T12:25:00.000-08:00

I have seen many articles in the wake of Tuesday's election surprised at the voter turnout among Millennials and instead of recognizing the Millennials as a new powerful voting bloc, they automatically began musing on whether members of the generation would actually make a difference or keep up the momentum.

Since this is OUR generation, what do you think?

http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_10939331?nclick_check=1

17 Year-old Primary Voting and Engagement

2008-11-09T10:19:00.000-08:00

Connecticut voters ratified a state constitutional amendment this week which would grant voting rights to 17 year-olds in party primaries if they will reach the age of 18 by Election Day. The amendment, which would make Connecticut the 19th state to put into law such a measure, was approved by voters by a nearly 2:1 margin.

“This will help encourage lifelong voting habits among young people. This will encourage not only voting, but working on primary campaigns and getting involved in the political process. It shows that with hard work, perseverance and a good idea, we really can amend our constitution to expanding voting rights in Connecticut,” said State Representative James Spallone, a member of the Judiciary Committee.

As an example of what this amendment will mean, if a young voter turned 18 in August 2008, making him eligible to participate in the November election, he would also have been able to vote in the February 2008 primary to select the candidates for the November ballot, even though he would still have been 17 years old at the time.

“With the passage of this constitutional amendment, thousands of 17 year-olds can now participate in the political process sooner and hopefully become lifelong voters. The passage of this amendment was due to the hard work and perseverance of high school students throughout the state of Connecticut who joined forces…we owe them a sincere set of gratitude,” said Secretary of State Susan Bysciewicz.

In an October statement released in support of the Amendment, Bysciewicz argued that if 17-year olds can sign up to serve their country in the military, then they should be able to choose their preferred candidates for office when they will be able to vote. “If our state’s young men and women at 17 years of age can make a decision and commitment of that gravity—knowing there is a great chance that they will be deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan—they certainly are capable and mature enough to cast a ballot in primary elections,” she said.

The passage of the amendment holds special significance for Connecticut because it was the first state to ratify the 26th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which lowered the national voting age to 18, in 1971. That Amendment has been interpreted by the Supreme Court as not restricting states from setting a voting age below 18 but rather prohibiting them from setting an age above it.

A 1986 Supreme Court decision, Tashjian v. Connecticut, further specified that a state political party has the power to determine who is eligible to vote in their primaries, under their existing legal authority. As Adam Fogel, the Right to Vote Director for Fair Vote, explained in testimony to a Pennsylvania House of Representatives Committee in May 2008, it is in the political party’s interest to extend primary voting rights to 17 year-olds, “Studies show that if a young person votes for one party in three consecutive elections, that person votes with that party for life. Parties should be encouraging participation, not discouraging it—if a young person cares enough to participate and will be eligible to vote in the general election, we should provide them with that opportunity.”

Officials with the Connecticut Office of Secretary of State estimate that the passage of this Amendment could make as many as 10,000 new voters eligible to vote in the next primary elections, scheduled in September 2009 for municipal elections. The office said that it would work with high schools across the state to integrate knowledge of the Amendment into an existing requirement for civics education.

Connecticut joins Alaska, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia and Washington in having a 17-year old primary voting law.

Take the Democracy 2.0 Survey

2008-11-07T09:17:00.000-08:00

We want YOUR input on our generation. Take the Democracy 2.0 Survey, available at http://tinyurl.com/5ulxnk.

Millennials Flex Their Power at the Polls

2008-11-07T09:16:00.001-08:00

Just the beginning for Millennials:

http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/campaign-2008/2008/11/06/young-voters-powered-obamas-victory-while-shrugging-off-slacker-image.html

Mobilize Streams First BYOC Live

2008-11-05T15:20:00.000-08:00

Free TV : Ustream

Hard Choices And Challenges Follow Triumph

2008-11-05T07:09:00.000-08:00

Last night I got the chance to be part of history. The moment of truth finally arrived; Barack Obama was the next President.

But what does this mean?. "After a victory of historic significance, Barack Obama will inherit problems of historic proportions.Not since Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated at the depths of the Great Depression in 1933 has a new president been confronted with the challenges Obama will face as he starts his presidency".

Now that the whole euphoria is passing, it is time to continue getting informed, read, analyze and know all the new challenges and opportunities that this decision will bring to all of us, and how you can be part of this change.

For this reason, I recommend you to read the article posted today by Washington Post, titled: "Hard Choices and Challenges Follow Triumph" on http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/05/AR2008110500041.html?hpid=topnews.

It's November 5th: What Now?

2008-11-05T00:09:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

It is the day after what has been the most important election of our lifetime.

At Mobilize.org, we are looking forward, creating ways to help YOU harness your energy from this election and make sustainable change in YOUR local communities and nationwide.

We want to give YOU a few ways to help us continue to “upgrade” democracy into 2009, and work to build a Democracy 2.0.

Here is our list of 5 things for getting involved on November 5th:

1. Take the Democracy 2.0 Survey.

Share your views on current events, your generation, and our democracy. Take the Democracy 2.0 Survey, (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=o_2fBLiJ6QlxCTr9HiIwoheQ_3d_3d). Feel like doing more with the survey? Email Christina Gagnier at christina@mobilize.org to become a survey administrator!

2. Get your friends involved today. Ask your friends to join our social networks.

Mobilize.org is available on all your favorite social networks: Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. Get your friends engaged!

3. Read the Democracy 2.0 Report.

Released in October 2008, read Mobilize.org’s Democracy 2.0 report, (http://www.mobilize.org/index.php?tray=content&tid=top359&cid=IS6), on its trailblazing project to get Millennials involved in upgrading our democracy.

4. Be a Resident MoBlogger and create a video sharing your election experience.

Got something to say? We want to read it! Join our MoBlog team (http://mobilizedotorg.blogspot.com/) and comment on what you care about most. Mobilize.org wants you to share your election experiences. Get your videophone or a laptop and post video clips of your thoughts on the election.

5. BYOC with Mobilize.

Join us for our first social media meetup! Bring yourself, your computer, and invite five of your Facebook friends to Mobilize.org’s first social media meetup. November 5 from 6-8 p.m. at Mobilize.org. Hear from and engage with your peers in the non-profit, business, and tech communities about a question on all of our minds: What Now?

Keep Mobilizin’ –

Maya and the Mobilize.org Team - Ian, Christina, Ana, Nick, Kenneth and Gloria

Update on Delaware Valley School Board Controversy--Our Watch of a Millennial Candidate

2008-11-04T23:53:00.000-08:00

Update on the situation with Millennial school board candidate Ryan Balton:

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081105/NEWS/811050331.

Barack Obama the President-Elect of the United States

2008-11-04T20:33:00.000-08:00

It's been called. After a historically long election, Barack Obama has been called as the next President of the United States.

Get Minute-by-Minute Coverage on the Election from Millennials

2008-11-04T18:17:00.000-08:00

Check out Chris Golden and Nick Troiano giving the play-by-play of the 2008 election at http://270to44.blogspot.com.

Mobilize.org featured on BET

2008-11-04T17:13:00.000-08:00

Check out our Mobilize the Polls program, featured on BET.com.

http://www.bet.com/News/Decision08/beheard_news_NewsArticlePoliticsHotlineVotingDirtyTricks.htm?wbc_purpose=Basic

Democracy 2.0 Report Available

2008-11-04T11:32:00.000-08:00

The Democracy 2.0 report is now available for download.

To order a hard copy of the report, you can fill out the form in the side column of this blog.

Feel free to use the comment feature to leave your feedback about the report.

V-O-T-E!

2008-11-04T09:54:00.001-08:00

Mobilize.org encourages all Millennials 18 and older to head to the polls today. No matter what side of aisle you fall, a vote today strengthens our generation's voice.

If you have any problems at the polls, please get a hold of us at 866. MOBILIZE.

Mobilize.org Featured in the Daily 49er

2008-11-03T09:37:00.000-08:00

Featured in the Cal State Long Beach Daily 49er:

http://www.daily49er.com/news/1.891989

Make the extraordinary, ordinary: The power of advocacy and coalition

2008-10-30T06:10:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday night, I got the opportunity to participate in a very interesting group discussion on the power of advocacy for the non profit sector. This group discussion was lead by Larry Ottinger, President of the Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest, and it was hosted by the Young Non profit Professionals Network. The goal for this discussion was to hear different perspectives on the real impact and influence that well driven advocacy strategies can bring to any organization. The discussion lasted for more than an hour and a half, many important statements where said, and many question also flourished.

I strongly suggest for anyone who is interested in trying to make a powerful change in the world, to help me understand, if at the end it might be accurate to conclude that in any event(it does not matter if it is made by a non profit organization, by a for profit, by the private sector or by the government), advocacy, coalition and even lobbying should be almost mandatory in order to spread the word, have a more powerful voice and to make what seems extraordinary, almost ordinary.

But what happens when this secret power ends up in the wrong hands, and all the information is suddenly favoring only one side of the story? When it comes to advocating, and spreading the word, everyone has something to say, and it can be related to any current event. This reminds me of the article that was posted on Wednesday on USA Today call “A legacy of 2008: facts, lies and videotape” by CGNS political writer Chuck Raasch. In http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/columnist/raasch/2008-10-29-raasch-column-10292008_N.htm. Which made me wonder if it is safe to compare non profits advocacy strategies, to the power of media and the way they are constantly spreading the word.

Finally, to help you understand even more everything related to Advocacy and Coalitions (not just in the non profits, and during the elections, but for any type of movement), I suggest you to read the “Mobilizer’s Guidebook”, which you can purchase from us, for a discount price of $20.

Campaign for College Affordability Issues New Backgrounder on The Economy and Its Effects on College Students

2008-10-29T08:45:00.000-07:00

Read the new fact sheet from the Campaign for College Affordability.

www.collegeaffordabilitynow.org

Twitter Vote Report--Citizens Driving the Election

2008-10-29T08:44:00.000-07:00

A volunteer network of software developers, designers, and other collaborators have teamed up with the award-winning blog techPresident to launch Twitter Vote Report. Individual voters will use their cell phones to report on their individual experiences – the good, bad and ugly. How long is the wait in Cleveland, Ohio? Are the new optical scan machines staying up and running in Palm Beach County, Florida? Is failure to bring ID to the polls thwarting first-time voters in Indianapolis? With Twitter Vote Report, we’ll know the answers to those questions straight from voters from all over the country.

Twitter Vote Report was inspired by a techPresident blog post on October 6th proposing the use of Twitter for election monitoring. In less than a month, volunteers across the country, with no other resources than their know-how and volunteer time, built www.twittervotereport.com to stream individual messages from Twitter and that will aggregate messages into maps and graphs.

Voters will use Twitter and the code, or hashtag, #votereport on Election Day to report whether they had a long wait, or voting machines were faulty or if there were registration problems – or if everything went well.

Voters can also send a message to Twitter Vote Report by:
• Sending a text message to 66937 beginning with #votereport
• Calling to (567) 258-8683 (258-VOTE) to leave a message by touch tone keypad
• Downloading the Twitter Vote Report iPhone application

Participating in the Twitter Vote Report project are an impressive range of organizations including the Election Protection Coalition, Rock the Vote, Credo Mobile, Common Cause, Plodt, YouTube, Twittervision, NPR’s Social Media Desk, Independence Year Foundation, The Center for Community Change, Student PIRGs, PBS, Video the Vote, Election Suppression Wiki, Women Donors Network, and Demos. In addition, Current TV will be using the #votereport information as part of their special election coverage throughout the day.

Matt Cooperrider, a key architect of the effort, called Twitter Vote Report “the best aspects of grassroots activism and digital technology combined with an open source ethos to really change the way we participate in elections.”

"The goal of Twitter Vote Report is to expand the ways in which Americans participate in the electoral process this Election Day," said Nancy Scola, associate editor at techPresident. Andrew Rasiej, founder of techPresident, added, "This Twitter campaign is an ideal example of the combined power of social media and impassioned citizens to participate in our democracy. Power and control is shifting from politicians and campaigns to people and we'll be able to see that in real-time on Election Day."

Please visit www.twittervotereport.com to learn more about how Twitter and other technology tools will be used on November 4th to track voters Election Day voting experiences.

When I find good all-partisan advice, I have to share it.

2008-10-28T18:16:00.001-07:00

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GOOD Magazine several weeks ago began posting little newspaper print issue briefs at Starbucks. They have covered issues like immigration and gas prices, and most recently, education.

But reading today the explanation of what GOOD is to the information consumer of these issue briefs, they posted a key tagline which is an opportune piece of advice during this time in our country:

AMERICA. LOVE IT OR FIX IT.

Our Voting Bloc--The Importance of Millennials Taking Their Seat at the Table

2008-10-28T18:09:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend at a talk I gave about the power that Millennials can play in the political sphere, I emphasized that we all need to think not just about how our country will be affected by which candidate we decide to vote for, but how our voting bloc will be affected by our choice to vote at all.

If Millennials show up to the polls, we WILL matter. We will no longer be ignored if our numbers changed the direction of the election or we make up a notable portion of the electorate.

People often counter prompts to vote during any election with, "I do not like either of the candidates." Regardless, you should care about your future, and your position as a member of a generation that does need to be taken seriously.

Cannot wait til November 5th!

Where Will You Be November 5th?

2008-10-28T18:08:00.000-07:00

Where will YOU be November 5th?

Join us at Mobilize.org’s B.Y.O.C.

(Bring Your Own Computer)

Bring yourself, your computer, and invite five of your
Facebook friends to Mobilize.org’s first social media meetup.

November 5 from 6-8 p.m. at Mobilize.org.

Hear from guest speakers in the non-profit, business, and tech communities regarding a question on all of our minds:

What Now?

Facebook, Twitter, blog, Digg, or use other social media tools
to spread the word about Mobilize.org.

Meet other D.C. area people interested in making a change after this election.

R.S.V.P with Ian at ian@mobilize.org.

Snacks and refreshments will be provided.

Location: 1133 19th Street NW, 9th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20036

Maya Enista Interview Featured on YouthActionNet

2008-10-28T18:06:00.000-07:00

Check out Mobilize.org CEO Maya Enista on YouthActionNet.

http://www.youthactionnet.org/index.php?fuse=additionalcontent

Millennials Get Politics - We Told You So

2008-10-24T10:55:00.000-07:00

Harvard University’s Institute of Politics Poll Released

Millennials are increasingly engaged and understand that poiltics can effectively solve our problems. In the last two years we’ve seen a 9% increase, according to Harvard University’s Institute of Politics’ latest poll of 18-24 year olds out yesterday.

Among the many results is this one:

“More young people see the effectiveness of political engagement than one year ago. Nearly seven in ten 18-24 year-olds today (69%) say they see political engagement as an effective way of solving our nation’s problems, up six percentage points from fall 2007 (63%) and fall 2006 (60%) IOP polling. Fewer young people today agree that politics is not relevant to their lives (28%) than did one year ago (32%) and fewer believe that elected officials don’t share their
priorities (69%) than did one year ago (71%) or two years ago (75%). In addition, over six in ten young people (68%) say running for office is an honorable thing to do, up from one year ago (67%) and two years ago (66%).”

This is great news, and yet not surprising. It’s great that we have more polling on this. Mobilize.org and many others have been saying this for a long time. It’s shown up in our gut-instinct, anecdotally, and in our own survey of thousands of Millennials that created the Democracy 2.0 Declaration.

The key is for us to support the growing sense of political awareness with opportunities to build more grassroots and netroots action that build Civic Currency. Mobilize.org is working on this and our next Democracy 2.0 Grant Summits focus on just that.

The work enters a new phase on November 5th.

Poll: Americans angry, worried over state of nation

2008-10-23T19:35:00.000-07:00

A new national poll suggests that only a quarter of Americans think things are going well in the country today, while the rest of those questioned are angry, scared and stressed out…

To read the full article go to :http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/21/america.poll/index.html

My Comments:

Being so close to the Election Day, it is easy to find a lot of polls on the perception that people have of the current situation of the country and how the President handles things. These polls are the reflection of what the average American feels and thinks about how the country is supposed to be managed. By analyzing a few of the polls, I think it is safe to say that to the unknown eye, it is very easy to one day just answer a few questions about your opinion on the proposals and results of a candidate or another. But what is really hard to do is to actually follow up, with what they are saying. What is the agenda behind what they are proposing? How will it benefit or affect you directly, and how you can help to make the situation better? Everyone has the right to speak up, but only the informed people are the ones who will be heard. Get informed, read about it, and form your own opinion. Information is the key to a good decision. The power of real change is in your hands.

Get Involved This Election from the Comfort of Your Own Home

2008-10-23T10:41:00.001-07:00

Tweet. The Twitter Vote Report.

Check this out: https://votereport.pbwiki.com/

Creative College Financing?

2008-10-23T00:17:00.000-07:00

Millennial College Solution: Blogger Scholarship

http://gawker.com/5067303/-opportunity--blogging-scholarship-avail

Yet Another Book About How "WE" Are

2008-10-22T21:53:00.000-07:00

In the Wall Street Journal a few days ago, a new book, The Trophy Kids Grow Up, was covered. The book addresses how the Millennial Generation is interacting in the workplace.

I have not read the book, so I cannot comment on the content in its entirety, but the tips that the Wall Street Journal pulled out for "managing Millennials" were condescending and semi-ridiculous.

Examples:

"Even if a chore seems mundane, explain why it's meaningful and critical to a project."

or

"Managers should be very clear in explaining job responsibilities and how meeting them will pay off."

Just like other generations, most of us understand that a job is a job, and that sometimes we have to do things at work that are not quite so "riveting."

This feeds into a key insight that the media and researchers don't quite understand: you cannot label "Millennials." We are a very diverse generation, and because of the age span of the generation, roughly ages 16 to 30, it is tough to don a label.

I also wonder who is being studied in these multiple studies, since it never seems to be anyone I know.

Hmmm...

New from Gallup---How Many Young Voters Will Really Vote?

2008-10-22T21:51:00.000-07:00

See what the latest Gallup poll says about youth candidate preference this election and whether or not the fabled "youth vote" will come to the polls on November 4th.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/111310/Young-Voters-Favor-Obama-How-Many-Will-Vote.aspx

Tough Times Yield New Opportunity

2008-10-21T11:04:00.000-07:00

Warren Buffet says the key to his success is that he is greedy when others are fearful, and fearful when others are greedy. The underlying idea is that at a time of instability and hardship, potential and possibility are at their highest.

By no means do I intend to give financial advice. But I would like to suggest that in the similarly rough times we are experiencing more broadly in our country, when, like the market, confidence is low and our future uncertain, it is now the time to invest, and invest heavily.

CNN reports today, “A new national poll suggests that only a quarter of Americans think things are going well in the country today, while the rest of those questioned are angry, scared and stressed out.” Add to this the fact that confidence in our President and in Congress are the lowest they have been in decades and it becomes evident that we are in a very perilous situation as a nation - not only because of the immense issues we face, but also because our capacity to face them is severely inhibited because out lack of faith in our own government.

The unfortunate thing is that these trends can be self-perpetuating. As soon as Joe the stock trader starts selling off his assets, Jane does too. It is in this downward spiral where the smart investor goes in the opposite direction, as should the social entrepreneur, if you will. We know the market will rebound, much like our country will. So, as the saying goes, when the going gets tough, the tough get going.

I see young people as being “the tough.” Now is not the time to be discouraged, but to dream. Now is not the time to sit back, but to stand up. We have seen two national leaders attempt to capitalize on the hope and change that every American deep down desires. What is clear to me is that neither hope nor change can be peddled as commodities in America. These are qualities that are innate in all of us, and things that we, ourselves, need to start acting on, through dedicating our time and talent into self-improvement.

Reiterating the Democracy 2.0 Declaration, we as citizens are called to be the leaders of today. If the Millennial Generation is able to take advantage of these tough times and start investing in our communities and taking action to address societal problems, then we will stand to gain a lot, as both a generation and a as country.

As those who stand to both lose and gain the most, depending on the direction we take, young people ought to be the catalysts behind a ground-up reawakening of American dream. It is in these tumultuous times that we find the best opportunity to do so.

Why Young Voters Need to Vote This Election

2008-10-21T00:48:00.001-07:00

Millennials on Speak On It talk about the importance of voting in this historic election.

So Sad in This "Youth-Friendly" Election

2008-10-21T00:39:00.000-07:00

In a display of age discrimination in this supposedly youth-friendly election, Delaware Valley School Board Director John Kupillas writes the following (Pike Dispatch, 10/16/08) about a nineteen year-old candidate for the board, Ryan Balton:

“Can a teenager fresh out of high school connect to the residents served by this board? Maybe in the future, but not at this point. The section of the brain responsible for decision making and rational thinking doesn’t fully mature until the mid-twenties. Proof? Try to get auto insurance if you are a teen. The risk is the highest of any age group.”

The above commentary comes in the midst of community concern over recent appointments to the Delaware Valley School Board. Mobilize.org sincerely hopes that this situation can be resolved in accordance with the district policies and in the spirit of transparency.

As an organization dedicated to the Millennial Generation, we are disheartened to hear public officials dismiss the intellectual capacity and talent of members of our own generation, especially when these members take active steps to be a part of the political process.

Show your support and get the scoop:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/event.php?eid=36475382266&ref=nf

http://rbfordv.blogspot.com/

Democracy 2.0 and the Soul Of A Citizen

2008-10-20T06:39:00.000-07:00

This week the Mobilize.org office was turned into a movie lot, complete with a green screen and a make up artist for the filming of A Soul of A Citizen, a powerful documentary by Jeffrey Abramson (of GhostBusters fame) about what it means to be a responsible citizen in today’s tumultuous, yet exciting, times. I had the pleasure of being interviewed for this documentary and shared the updates and successes of our Democracy 2.0 Campaign. More importantly, we were joined by 11 members of the Millennail Generation, who have signed on to support the Democracy 2.0 Declaration who took turns reading their favorite lines for the Declaration. If you haven’t read the Declaration yet, please read it here: www.mobilize.org.

In the fast paced and often hectic world of Mobilize.org there are few times that I have the opportunity to sit back and really see the impact of the work that we’ve done and listen to the transformational experiences of the people within the Mobilize.org network. I haven’t loved my job as much (and I really love my job) as I did while listening to the Declaration being read, over and over again – with conviction, and passion and sass. Over the past eighteen months we’ve done a lot of work, hosted a number of conferences, written some amazing reports and worked with thousands of people and the one constant has remained the Democracy 2.0 Declaration. This powerful document has continued to impress and inspire both our staff and our partners and most importantly, the amazing millennials that we work with across the country.

Thank you to Liz, Henri, Joe, Ian, Kristen, Karlo, Caitlin, Chris, Nick, Kenneth and Kimi for participating in this exciting event and I’m looking forward to sharing the finishing project with you.

Stay tuned to Mobilize.org for more information about our participation in The Soul of A Citizen documentary and please take a moment to share your favorite line from the Democracy 2.0 Declaration.

The Effects of Our Economy on Millennials Felt by Students and Families in Financing College

2008-10-17T08:46:00.001-07:00

This is only the beginning.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/business/17student.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Mobilize.org featured on Think.MTV

2008-10-16T14:10:00.000-07:00

Christina Gagnier, CIO of Mobilize.org, featured on Think.MTV in a short video by MTV Citizen Journalist Carl Brown, shot at California State University, San Bernardino.

The Key to Participation This Election: Winning Hearts and Minds?

2008-10-14T16:53:00.000-07:00

What do you think?

We Partied for the Presidency Almost a Year Ago...Three Weeks to Go

2008-10-14T16:41:00.000-07:00

In the midst of this election, it is important to remember the issues that concern the Millennial Generation. Below is a link to some confessionals Current did with the ambassadors from around the country who attended Mobilize.org's Party for the Presidency over New Year's Weekend in 2007.

http://current.com/topics/88793587_party_for_the_presidency

Another Digit for the Debt Clock

2008-10-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

When the people who maintain the National Debt Clock in New York had to make way for another digit last week, it was yet another reminder how we're digging a hole in this country deeper and deeper by the day. And of course, it will be the Millennial Generation and successive generations that will pay the price.

Our national government cannot strike an equal balance between the money it takes in and the money it sends out. It seems like such an elementary principle. But our legislators are immensely irresponsible on both fronts. We prove time and time again how shortsighted we are. Right now, a whopping 8% of our budget goes to paying the interest on these loans, many of which are to foreign countries like China.

Our national debt is over $10,000,000,000,000 (ten trillion). When will this insanity end? Some propose a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget, as many states have. Others suggest Presidential line-item veto power. Whatever the solution may be, we need to get the debt paid down and start doing something about the tens of trillions of dollars in liabilities we will be facing over the next decades through Social Security and Medicare.

The issue of the national debt is fundamentally one for young voters. It is time we put more pressure our elected officials to devote more attention to solving this issue.

We Need a Platform for the Millennial Voice

2008-10-13T12:21:00.000-07:00

Read this great article.

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/columns/shoptalk_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003871312

A Piece from Chalmers Johnson

2008-10-09T23:49:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite authors talking about this election in The Nation.

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20081020/johnson

Whether you agree or disagree, it is thought provoking. I have been appreciating the break I get from pundits when I get to breathe and get some insight from someone else on the importance of this election (or the non-importance in the view of some).

Go Vote...Absentee!

2008-10-09T23:43:00.001-07:00

Mobilize.org is pleased to provide funding to a great organization, Go Vote Absentee. In a few steps, these amazing college students get you what you need to register absentee.

Visit today. http://www.govoteabsentee.org

Research Says, Practice Shows ---CA Politics and Millennial Voters

2008-10-08T21:00:00.000-07:00

http://cbs5.com/local/proposition.8.poll.2.834082.html

Interesting. I would not have guessed that.

Thoughts?

Polling places lack resources, civil rights group says

2008-10-08T20:08:00.001-07:00

"Polling places in six battleground states, including many with large minority populations, could be overwhelmed on Election Day because officials have not allocated enough voting stations, machines and poll workers, a study released Thursday by a civil rights group warns..."

For the rest of the article http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-10-08-racevote_N.htm

My comment

Even before the economic crisis that the United States is facing, the election process in this democracy has received too little investment and inadequate oversight and accountability. The shortage of poll workers, machines and voting stations, are a clear example of how the financial resources dedicated to democracy are not being well managed. As part of the Millennial generation, and as a supporter of the Democracy 2.0 declaration, I honestly believe that we need to increase civic currency in order to guarantee the public's support for full investment in the electoral process. When that happens we will see democratic government at the local, state and national levels that is more responsive to the economic needs of the people and protects the long-term interests of the whole economy from Wall Street to Main Street.

Cover Story: Millennials Hint at Electoral Shift

2008-10-07T09:10:00.000-07:00

The following is a summary of the young voter profile in the 2008 elections according to a USA Today/MTV/Gallup Poll:

Tuned-out (17%) - None are registered to vote and giving a lot of thought into the election; the group least likely to be registered or paying attention to the election and the youngest of the groups.

Downbeat (26%) - 1/3 are registered and giving a lot of thought; The most pessimistic about the future and somewhat less likely to be engaged in the election.

Fired up (29%) - 2/3 are registered and giving a lot of thought; Registered to vote, paying a lot of attention to the election and firmly committed to a candidate.

Upbeat (29%) - All are registered and giving a lot of thought; the most optimistic about the future and favorably inclined toward both contenders.

Poll: 75% are registered - 73% say they will vote

Supporting Obama - 61%

- Among all polled, 71% favorable/23% unfavorable

Supporting McCain - 32%

- Among all polled, 43% favorable/45% unfavorable

Democrat - 40% Republican - 21% Independent - 36%

"Big Question: Will young people turn out to the polls?"

From the USA Today article:

The support for Barack Obama was described as "...the most lopsided contest within an age group in any presidential election."

"From the opening caucuses in Iowa — where he organized at every college and many high schools — Obama has targeted young voters with his political messages and campaign methods. He has made unprecedented use of online fundraising to finance his campaign and social networking and text messaging to reach voters. Those techniques have underscored his connection with younger Americans."

"Scott Keeter of the Pew Research Center calculates there are 58 million members of the Millennial generation eligible to vote this year, about one-quarter of the total electorate and second in size only to the aging Baby Boomer generation. Voters under 30 made up 14% of the those who voted in 2000; 16% in 2004."

My Analysis:

The article goes on to quote the director of CIRCLE, Peter Levine, who explained that in 2004 young voter turnout was the highest it has been in a while, and "as several of these happen in a row you start to wonder whether it's about the kids, not the candidate, at least to some degree."

I tend to agree that maybe, just maybe, our generation should be getting a bit more credit for higher civic participation than just attributing it all to Obamamania. Other civic measures are also increasing, he points out, such as volunteerism. The 2008 Civic Health Index demonstrates further that the millennial generation is more engaged than their immediate predecessors.

We know also that young people are less attached to their political party than older generations (over a third are registered Independents). Again, this should make us wary of attributing the excitement and participation to anything in a narrowly political context. The headline to the article is "Energized by Obama, voters under 30 show signs of shifting the electorate."

It may be true that young people support Obama more, but it is a completely separate argument to state that he is the sole or primary reason for increased youth civic participation. (Where was the polling that supports such a claim?) Just look at Ron Paul's candidacy. His presidential bid drew more young people than any other of his Republican colleagues because he too was perceived as a reformer and pragmatic decision-maker.

So I would caution the writer of the USA Today article about picking up on any "hints" of an electoral shift. The shift is not as much a partisan or ideological one as it is an anti-partisan/let's get things done/control our foreign policy/increase government transparency/communicate to us through our medium/end the influence of money and special interests/stop mortgaging our future - one. And whether its Barack Obama or Ron Paul or anyone else who offers that message, and offers it in a way we can relate to, we will support.

And to answer the BIG QUESTION: yes we can!

Uhmm, I mean will. YES WE WILL.

Bail Me Out!

2008-10-06T10:26:00.001-07:00

In April 2008, Mobilize.org, in conjunction with Common Cause, issued a report on college finance issues entitled, "We're Broke, Let's Fix It." The report detailed the growing problems with the student loan industry in the United States.

Feedback on the report was mixed. Some thought the report was of great value, since we attempted to address the problem from both points of view, a student borrower's and a lender's. Others felt that our paper was meant to be a scare tactic.

Six months later, it is clear our fears were rightly placed. Personally, I know people with law school debt who are getting job offers rescinded, students, who due to poor credit, may not get loans to complete their undergraduate education, and recent graduates who are losing jobs left and right in the financial sector. And, let's not forget the millions of Millennials who do not attend college and how the current state of our economy will effect them. Our generation is in debt, with some of us just struggling to survive.

Millennials, who is going to bail us out? This issue affects all of us, and although the conversation on the issue nationally has been strictly partisan, the solutions, those that are sustainable and innovative that is, will have to come from people who are willing to think holistically.

The cost of college already places an insurmountable barrier for many people. Without available financing, our generation will bear the cost, not only losing access to dollars but access to the knowledge we need to survive in our information economy.

Democracy 2.0 on Youtube

2008-10-05T08:40:00.000-07:00

The Search for the Stereotype

2008-10-04T10:56:00.000-07:00

I do not find it hard to believe that a search far and wide for workplace Millennials ended up in the same place as many other Millennial commentaries: at a stereotype. Certainly, when you are actively searching for the stereotype, you are going to find it.

It is again unfortunate to read an article about members of the Millennial Generation that leaps to wholesale conclusions about the entire generation. It is even more unfortunate that Catherine Waxler’s September 19 commentary, “The Millennial Outlook,” once again comes from someone who is not a member of the generation, merely an outsider following what has become the “Boomer line” on Millennials. (To stay true to avoiding stereotypes, not all Boomers would agree).

A read of blog rolls is indicative of the negative impressions that some members of older generations have of the Millennial Generation in the workplace. It is not as though Millennials themselves are commenting on their own colleagues in the workplace in a negative manner. Using personal anecdotes of angry co-workers should not amount to a negative pallor being cast on entire generation.

The quantitative research does not side with the assertions made in Waxler’s article nor do other forms of qualitative research. One study, in particular, found that the Millennial Generation takes themselves quite seriously in the workplace. In the study, Millennials at Work: Myths v. Reality, 67 percent of Millennial respondents agreed that formalities in the workplace were important for career success. Millennials also do not take the jobs they have for granted: 56 percent of Millennials feel that the jobs they do have are a privilege, not a right. This mirrors, not diverges, from the attitudes that Boomers and members of the Greatest Generation have of their employment status.

Despite merely these attitudinal measures, Millennials also have a financial impetus for appreciating their work: they are in massive amounts of debt, especially those who had to take out loans to pay for their college education. Thanks in no small part to the skyrocketing cost of college tuition, predatory credit and lending practices, lack of financial education, and a consumer-driven economy that gives little regard to the importance of saving, Millennials are widely regarded as the first generation not predicted to be “better off” than their parents, and many Millennials are under constant economic stress. In a survey commissioned by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, 47% of the respondents stated that they were living one paycheck away from having to use credit cards or getting money from relatives to make ends meet. This certainly does not exude a feeling of entitlement, but rather a feeling of necessity to earn higher wages to dig themselves out of the same types of financial woes being faced by millions of Americans in our current financial crisis.

Most troubling about this piece is its ignorance of another portion of the Millennial Generation, those low-income, non-college members of the generation who are just struggling to make ends meet and find a position in our information society. As aptly declared by one Millennial blogger, lnunez123, no one focuses “any attention on the minority Generation Y kids who did not have little league classes (because our parks were dangerous) and never got a thank you or a coddle in their respective lives.”

It is important to differentiate what is a generational characteristic from what is a stage-of-life challenge. Therefore, it is important to change the language from its negative connotations to those that more accurately reflect the fervor, passion, and career growth potential of the Millennial generation. Words like “impatient” and “entitled” conjure an obviously negative spin and proliferate stereotypes, when words like “enterprising” or “passionate” may more accurately reflect what this generation is longing for—the opportunity to use their unique set of skills and talents to make a valuable contribution to society and the workforce. Their whole life, Millennials have been told “You see a problem? You want something? Then do something about it.”

In any age demographic, one could seek out people who fall into the stereotypes of that particular generation. But searching for the stereotypes ignores the reality that millions of others in the same generational cohort have completely different attitudes.

A general suggestion for future commentators: Ask a Millennial.

***Thanks to Kristen Cambell for her guidance with this piece.***