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Growing up with the Trump administration, the Black Lives Matter movement, global warming induced wildfires, and, more recently, the Covid-19 pandemic, my introduction to politics came very early on. It’s hard to keep a kid sheltered from current events when they’re happening all around you. Because of conditions like this, I’ve noticed a growing sense of political disillusionment with my generation.
When I started organizing with the Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA), there were many people I spoke to who were concerned about the same issues I noticed. However, many of these people felt like they couldn’t make a real impact. Because of this, a majority of my peers shied away from organizing and opportunities for involvement. While I sympathize with feelings of despair about our future, my experience organizing has shown me that there is genuine hope to be found in the struggle for a better world. If you’re reading this publication right now, I imagine you’re pretty worried about the general direction in which the world is going. In the United States, it seems we’re continuing the same old policies; an economy built for the wealthy and further austerity measures for the working class. Many of us see the need for a new system, by and for the people, but it can feel impossible to create any “real”impact. While it may seem this way, I’ve been shown firsthand the power of collective action through starting a chapter of the YDSA at my high school. Without this movement of young, though admittedly inexperienced, activists to collaborate with and learn from, I wouldn’t have had any hope of making a difference. I went from feeling atomized and alone to having a vast network of support and resources. With this support, I was given the invaluable opportunity to assist in projects like tenants unions, protest organizing, door knocking campaigns, and other actions that worked to shift power back into the hands of the people. Through this, I was able to learn both from my experience and the knowledge of more seasoned local organizers. Working withlocal groups has given me crucial insight on the actual process of organizing, and has left me much more capable of working on my own campaigns. A particular organization that deserves recognition is North Bay Organizing Project. Working with their team of experienced and dedicated organizers, I learned that there was real potential in organizing on a local level. Through the small victories we’ve achieved, I’ve found inspiration to continue my activism as I go off to college, and fight for a better future for as long as I can. Sometimes, when I speak to people interested in becoming activists, I’m asked what someone should do in order to start getting involved. For me, this has always been a tough question; I don’t think there’s a “right” way to do activism. When I started my YDSA chapter, I had nearly zero training, experience, or even basic knowledge on how to effectively organize a campaign. I made plenty of mistakes, and I wasted a lot of my time pursuing projects that just didn’t work out. At the same time, I was able to work on so many more projects that I could’ve only dreamed of previously. I attribute every success I had to nothing but sheer persistence. So, for those of us who are looking to get involved, my advice is to start wherever you can. A lot of work needs to be done in order to take back power for the people. Workers need to be organized, people need to be educated, unhoused need to be given shelter, the oppressed need to be liberated, and much more. You may not be able to help with all of these issues, but I’m willing to bet that you can help with at least one. When enough of us come together and each do what we can, you’ll find that a lot gets done. |
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