2000 National Youth Platform

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• Overview
• Political Involvement
• Community Involvement
• Education
• Human Rights
• Health
• Drugs
• Juvenile Justice
• Environment
• Violence
• Poverty

The 2000 National Youth Platform is the second document of its sort published by Foundation of America: Youth in Action. Youth in Action has been working to increase young people's voices in the political process for over four years now. The first National Youth Platform was developed through two National Youth Conventions in 1996 (Chicago and San Diego). This year, a similar procedure was used to have a broad-based, diverse group of young people from across the country once again identify their top issues for America and the solutions to those issues.

The process centered on three basic questions asked to these young people:

Prior to the National Youth Conventions held in Philadelphia and Los Angeles, Youth in Action members distributed paper versions of the Platform survey across the country at various gatherings of young people. This organizational outreach was complemented by the youthlink.org website, where thousands more young people answered the questions upon which the Platform is based. To verify the accuracy of the data Youth in Action collected, Oregon State University then conducted a phone survey of hundreds of young people across the country. Their survey resulted in the same top youth concerns and solutions as Youth in Action's Platform data compilation.

At the Youth Convention in Philadelphia, young people offered their input and merged their information with the national data already collected. They then began the process of combining and clarifying specific solutions to the issues presented. The top ten issues and solutions were presented to Green Party candidate Ralph Nader at the conclusion of the program.

A week later, youth delegates in Los Angeles continued the process. They, too, came up with specific solutions to the top issues, guided by the information from Philadelphia and the national data presented. This information was presented to Natural Law candidate John Hagelin at the conclusion of the convention in Los Angeles.

The two separate drafts of the Platform were then reviewed by members of Youth in Actions. They were then combined into a single, finalized version, highlighting the main points of the two drafts. The combination process did not involve the rewriting of any aspect(s) of the Platform. Rather, the Platform was reviewed for factual and grammatical accuracy and formatted for publication.

The final version of the 2000 National Youth Platform follows.

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Situation Today

There is a great misconception today that young people are disengaged and apathetic. On the contrary, young people today are more engaged in their communities than in decades past. As reported in the Millennium Report by the National Association of Secretaries of State, young people often want to get more involved in the political process but are not provided the support or opportunities to do so. Instead they choose to devote themselves to their communities directly, as is seen by the steady increase in youth community service.

Youth Vision and Perspective

While we support and encourage community service, it is crucial that service does not replace one's participation in our democracy. As found in many other organizations in which youth participation in the decision making processes is encouraged through the establishment of youth positions on a board of directors, it is appropriate for there to be positions instituted in local, state and federal branches of government solely to incorporate youth views into the overall political process. There currently exists a very high level of distrust of the government among young people. As young people become more familiar with the political system, they often become increasingly distrustful, discouraged and disenchanted with the government. We believe that one reason for this is that there are not adequate mechanisms to foster partnerships and cooperative efforts between young people and the government.

Solutions

1. Currently, many universities and organizations conduct surveys to gather data on national youth issues. However, dissemination of this data is exclusive in that it cannot be accessed by all interested parties, such as universities, community organizations, non profit organizations, government agencies and the general public. A central youth information clearinghouse should be created and maintained by the federal government to ensure accuracy and access to all youth related agencies, organizations, and educational institutions.
2. Civic education must be reformed and expanded. Though civic education requirements in high schools exist in 29 states, the current state of civic education has been described in citizenship studies as "undemocratic education," teaching passivity, alienation, and disengagement, not activism and inclusively. Civic and democratic education must be reformed to address the roles and responsibilities of young people, and provide the skills and support for young people to fulfill those roles. It must be expanded to all schools nationwide to provide equal access and ability to participate in the political process and it must utilize proven educational strategies, such as service learning and experiential education, which according to one study, "promises to revitalize citizenship education . . . by offering students the opportunity to learn and practice the 'what, how, and why' of democracy. "

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Situation Today

Over the past several years, American has seen a definite increase in the need for an active, grassroots community involvement in towns and cities across the country. The societal conditions present in communities nationwide are not conducive to a sense of national well being. Three out of every four women in jail are mothers and increasingly larger numbers of juveniles are being incarcerated for nonviolent offenses. Statistics such as these show that the fundamental community unit C the family C is breaking down with seemingly no end in sight. While individuals must take responsibility for their actions, government must realize its role in the disintegration of the family and of communities nationwide. An active, grassroots effort is needed to reverse this trend.

Youth Vision and Perspective

A grassroots effort must be made to change the roles of mentors and family members; everyone's complete participation is needed. An all inclusive method should be taken to involve all members of the community. Young people must be listened to and involved in the decision making process; if not, they will not feel motivated and will not get involved. Such a strategy will result in community centers opening up with youth feeling they are welcome.

Solutions

1. Community centers with family and youth involvement as well as mentor support must be created nationwide. These centers can functions as places for young people to gather, as well as places where intergenerational partnerships can be forged. Generally, the few such centers that exist now are marketed to youth exclusively, not as places for people of all age groups. Without such interaction, adults and youth will continue to be divided and antagonistic.
2. Government should increase the number of free or low cost development programs for youth. This will get youth off the streets and into things of a positive and constructive nature. This would, also, prevent youngsters from turning to drugs, alcohol, fighting, and vandalism. Instead, young people will focus on academics, athletics, and other recreational activities. In addition, the government can fund programs for youth to rebuild communities. In general, we believe the government should consider increasing youth social programs.

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Situation Today

When 24% of our adult population is only functionally literate, education obviously needs to be reformed. Schools lack up to date resources, ranging from books to qualified, caring teachers who will get involved in the lives of their students and remain in the profession. State and federal funding for education is, for the most part, uniform; however, when property taxes are used as a financial source, children are punished. Economic disparities should not affect one's quality of, and access to, education. Finally, students are marginalized in school systems and there is little significant interaction between teachers, administrators, and students. Decisions are made for students rather than with students.

Further, the youth of this nation lack the power to control their own educational futures. The direction the educational system continues to push its students away from the true general educational needs these students have. Without the ability to affect the education system they are participants in, young people see no justice and no impetus towards reform. Students must see such direction in the educational system before they feel that all youth from all walks of life are given true collegiate or vocational preparation.

Youth Vision and Perspective

We believe that each and every student in this country deserves a quality education. In order to be represented fairly, we need to create more collaborative school environments where students would have an active role in the decision making process concerning their education. To achieve this goal an ongoing dialogue about ideas and the lives of students between teachers, students, and administrators is necessary. Further, we wish to see schools work for all types of students from all walks of life.

Service education is the duty of the entire community, including media, corporate industries, local businesses, colleges and other schools. These groups must work interdependently through collaboration to sufficiently assist public schools with equipment, facility, teacher training, college preparation and vocational and life skill preparation. Schools must adopt individualized programs of alternative and technological education, including but not limited to so called "online education." Every type of student from every walk of life must, with no exception, receive the quality individualized educational that he or she deserves.

Solutions

1. Departments of Education nationwide must increase student representation in all major decision making processes and foster a student teacher administrator exchange system in order to create an interactive environment. A Youth Council on Education should be created at the national, state, county, district, and individual school levels. The Council will be composed of diverse student youth, which shall have equal power to the Offices of Education, with equal voice and equal vote. They shall address issues in legislation relevant to education, issues of school management, issues regarding involvement with businesses and communities. The Youth Council will insure administrative staff roles for young people in all areas of educational development and management.
2. Schools should establish programs developed by the Youth Council on Education that will include, but not be limited to, the re evaluation of the current General Education Curriculum (for purposes such as the for standardized testing, classroom size reduction, etc.); programs such as improving teacher qualification standards and training; and especially programs that shall extend beyond text learning to encompass teaching through Internet, Television, Theater, Broadcast Radio, and Digital Technology.
3. Districts must further change funding sources of educational institutions while increasing and redistributing funds to get equal access for educational resources and alternative education. Such funding formulae should be combined with initiatives to create community interdependence through substantially increased partnership with regional businesses, colleges, and other neighboring school districts. This will result in increased alternative funding, equipment donation, teacher training, college preparation, and vocational and life skills development, and shall create a more unified future with job opportunities after internships with students more prepared for college and the workforce.

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Situation Today

As a world leader, the United States is obligated to ensure human rights domestically. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Despite an alarming number of human rights violations, there is still an inadequate focus on these issues within the United States' government today. While many human rights violations exist within our country today, they are more subtle yet more insidious than those in other countries. Perhaps the most disturbing fact about United States human rights violations is that these occurrences often happen under the cloak of "equality" or "justice." Such abuses include many issues: police brutality, sexism, homophobia, racism and the death penalty. These actions call for an immediate solution towards hate crimes, as well as the continuation of the equal rights movement.

Youth Vision and Perspective

For generations, the citizens of the United States have been plagued by discrimination based on race, gender, religion, disability or sexual orientation. There were nearly 9000 hate crimes in the year of 1995 alone, and there are alarming statistics that state the number of hate crimes continue to increase each year. 55.7% of hate crimes are on the basis of race, 17.9% are based on religion and 16.2% based on sexual orientation. Further, although women do have reproductive rights, they are often jeopardized by terrorists of anti abortion groups. On a more severe note, we must acknowledge that the death penalty is no longer merely a form of punishment; rather it is a form of cruel and unusual punishment as prohibited by the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution. Sadly, the death penalty has become a form of big business for many and is no longer administered equally or judiciously.

Solutions

1. The federal government should amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include sexual orientation and other minority groups not already included. The government should also extend these civil rights to legal non citizens in the United States' territories. The Civil Rights Division within the Department of Justice should be empowered to aggressively enforce the Act.
2. The government must pass the Hate Crimes Preventions Act (S.622). This act would enact a minimum sentence of 10 years to life for felons convicted of hate crimes. Additionally this act would broaden the definition of hate crimes to include less extreme acts of hate. By passing the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, Congress would send an unequivocal message that crimes of hate, anger, and prejudice will not be tolerated within the United States.
3. We must continue to recognize the Supreme Court case of Roe v. Wade (410 U.S. 113, 1973) to enable women to retain their reproductive rights, regardless of which political party comes into office. Reproductive rights, just as any other rights, should be and individual decision and not be at the mercy of politicians.
4. The government must abolish the death penalty. We have a moral obligation to repeal the system that has unfairly targeted poor and minority communities, taking funding away from community programs and education, just to name two examples. Our societal well being cannot be traded away at the whims of politicians for a capitalist industry that profits by putting citizens to death, many of whom are found to unfairly represented at best, or innocent at worst.

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Situation Today

Current research indicates that nearly 50 million Americans are without health care; out of this group, roughly one in four is under the age of eighteen. Moreover, many people live "on the bubble" C technically insured, but with no substantive benefits, just one paycheck away from being uninsured. To make matters worse, one in five HIV infections in the United States occurs in people under the age of 25. The HIV epidemic is spreading at a rate of 6,000 new infections each day. Approximately 83 percent of women aged 15 to 19 who gave birth to a child were from poor or low-income families without adequate health care.

Youth Vision and Perspective

All Americans should enjoy a high quality of life. To this end, all U.S. citizens, especially children, must be covered by an affordable and personal universal health care system. In the event that people are unable to afford healthcare for an extended period of time, such coverage should be provided by the government at low or no cost to the individuals. In addition, healthy and safe living communities must be instituted by supporting community and school programs that promote health and individual well being. Healthy communities require the involvement of all partners, including business and government.

Solutions

1. The government should provide subsidized health care for all children. This program can be administered through the currently-existing Department of Health and Human Services. As funding is made available, the program could be expanded to cover uninsured individuals over the age of eighteen as well; however, priority should be given to youth. The government shall use a competitive bidding process to secure health care for these youth to ensure that the program is being implemented for the lowest possible cost to taxpayers. Applicants into the program would be required to show proof of financial need to be eligible for coverage through the government.
2. At the federal, state, and local levels, governments should make concerted efforts to provide community programs that promote health awareness. These programs should stress healthy lifestyles for the community's citizens and encourage preventative medicine to save health care costs in the long run. These programs must be collaborative efforts drawing on input from youth, government, business leaders, social, non-profit organization, and other such groups. Such programs should become a regular part of the community's activities, promoting all aspects of healthy living for people of all age groups.

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Situation Today

Drugs in the USA are spreading beyond all boundaries. The low tax-bracket areas in which the drug trade thrives destroys families. Since 1980, the prison population has grown from under 500,000 to over two million. With the violent crime rate 18% lower in 1997 than in 1990, it is clear that more and more people are being incarcerated for non-violent offenses. The cost of imprisoning one person for one year is close to $30,000, while the cost for rehabilitative treatment in a methadone clinic for one year is $4,000. Even more alarming is the percentage of minorities in prisons as compared to the general population of the United States. While the U.S. is comprised of roughly 75% Caucasians, nearly 75% of the prison population may be categorized as minorities.

Youth Vision and Perspective

All facets of society must undertake a large-scale effort to help people with drug abuse problems to take control of their lives and become a positive part of their communities. We want to help people on drugs, not just put them back onto the streets with an untreated addiction that may lead to violence. We must be made to increase the role of rehabilitation centers, and reallocate funding to these centers across the country so that drug addicts may be treated as patient with a curable condition C not as criminals to be marginalized and persecuted for reasons that are often based on no more than race or economic status.

Solutions

1. The government must recall all laws governing mandatory minimum sentencing for drug offenses. These laws waste money and resources and destroy communities by stressing incarceration instead of education and rehabilitation. Further, these laws are unfairly and unequally enforced, resulting in a racial bias to our failed "War on Drugs." Mandatory minimum sentences strip judicial authority by providing no opportunity for rehabilitation: given no options, offenders must be sentenced to jail and are denied the chance to reform themselves so that they may become productive members of society.
2. Governments at all levels must drastically decrease prison funding and simultaneously increase funding for drug rehabilitation facilities nationwide. By doing so, we will shift the emphasis in our system from incarceration to rehabilitation. We must realize that all humans are imperfect, but with help and the resources to correct their shortcomings, most people will do so. Our government's steadfast support of reactionary measures attempting to "solve" the drug problem has in fact been one of the largest obstacles to true progress in this area.

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Situation Today

Quite simply, the judicial system is not working and needs to be reformed. It is imperative that here be a common ground between juvenile offenders and the adults currently in charge of the system. There is a lack of understanding, which leads to stereotyping and biases on both sides. Further, economic, social and racial statuses and stereotypes too often unfairly affect the way juvenile justice officials react to a situation. More and more reactive measures are being enacted across the country and we seem to be losing sight. We must fulfill these objectives to ensure that youth will have a peaceful and prosperous existence. Finally, the prison industrial complex is a corrupt system in which minorities, those living in poverty and the youth have been exploited.

Youth Vision and Perspective

As young people, we believe that while all people are created equal, not all people are treated that way especially in the juvenile justice system. We believe that the courts that preside over young people require the input and assistance of other young people to serve as a jury of their peers. Juvenile offenders need to be viewed with respect and as human beings C human beings with an inherent right to exist and a potential for rehabilitation. The juvenile justice system must focus on helping young people become productive members of our society; it must not treat them as predators and write them off when they have an entire lifetime ahead of them. By changing the focus of the system from revenge to reform, we will eventually bring these young people into society as productive members.

Solutions

1. The Department of Justice should require 16 hours of youth sensitivity training for all law enforcement officers. Both youth and adult trainers shall conduct this training program. These types of programs will start to bridge the seemingly endless rift between youth offenders and adult officers. This will be the first step towards restoring young people's faith in the juvenile justice system.
2. For minor drug offenses (such as non-violent possession charges), communities and courts must make a concerted effort to seek out alternative modes of justice and sentencing for youth. Such practices could include teen court programs and/or family counseling. The justice system, especially at the juvenile level, cannot be allowed to become punitive; the effort must be made to emphasize reform.
3. Government at all levels must create opportunities for youth to have an active role in public and private programs to improve their communities. These could include entertaining community centers, grant making, or a national day of youth awareness and mentoring to raise awareness of youth rights and responsibilities.

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Situation Today

Currently, there are a number of environmental protection measures in effect - such as Superfund, federal regulations, and community service groups. However, these measures are not sufficient, as is evident by the lack of the public's awareness of their actions' effect on the environment and the continual damage to the environment.

Youth Vision and Perspective

We feel our country is obligated to do more for the environment. There needs to be greater efforts made for conservation of natural resources, the reduction of pollution through strengthening enforcement of current laws, and the implementation of agreements made at conferences, along with new, more stringent environmental regulations.

Solutions

1. We propose an increase in the conservation of our resources land water and other materials that are constantly being used and wasted each day. Our main goal is to increase the use of the 3 R's reduce, reuse, recycle through incentives and accessibility of recycling centers to the public. Another goal is to reduce the amount of artificial and non biodegradable products in packaging materials and other household items. We also suggest using other light sources and different transportation methods to save energy.
2. In addition to our first proposal, we would like to encourage stricter enforcement of current laws and better environmental regulation laws. First we suggest that harsher regulations be implemented in order to protect the public from industries and the pollution with those laws. We propose that larger penalty fines be enforced on violations in order to impede the pollution caused by such factories and the public. More suggestions are to provide waste centers and the use of Superfund in order for industries and residents to have a place to put their garbage and hazardous waste.
3. Create a school mandate that requires a minimum of four hours of environmental oriented community service to be performed by students in their K 12 education. This would increase awareness of environmental issues and get young people working to help the environment. With approximately 47.2 million students in public schools in 1999, a total of 188.8 million hours of service would be created in a cost effective manner. This also allows for an increased awareness of programs which already exist, such as Young Rangers, Sierra Club, and a number of other programs under the umbrella of programs such as AmeriCorps.
4. There is also a need for more strict enforcement of the current regulations, as well as the creation of additional environmental protection laws. In fact, 66% of students between the ages of 16 and 25 surveyed nationally by Oregon State University felt there should be stronger environmental leadership, laws, and penalties for violation of these laws. Further, those who breach the stranding regulations should be held responsible not only for paying the requisite fines, but for the compensation of the environmental damage caused by their actions. Finally, the government should make stronger implementation of Agenda 21.

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Situation Today

The nation's youth are in grave danger. Youth and political officials are not connecting and are therefore putting the future of this county in turmoil. Both sides need to make the effort to bridge the gap between the people involved. We need to make a connection and an understanding between our present leaders and our future leaders in order to give our future a chance to succeed. Without a means to express themselves, young people turn to gangs, drugs, and violence. Youth violence is almost always an outgrowth of an unfulfilled need for involvement and acceptance at home, at school, and in the community. Until this root cause of violence is addressed, we will continue to face the same situation in our cities and towns.

Youth Vision and Perspective

American youth believe in the right to live without fear. We have faith in our society and support opportunities for everyone, especially youth, and believe that we can make a positive contribution to our society, given the opportunity and the resources. However, everyone involved must do their part. This includes government, media, community organizations, and youth. A truly interdependent, intergenerational working relationship must be developed so that young people can feel accepted by the society they are living in.

Solutions

1. The age to buy all firearms should be raised to 21. Also imperative is an easily accessible, mandatory registration database of all firearms in all states. Individuals must be required to have a permit for all firearms, concealed or not. Mandatory background checks must be done prior to purchase of all firearms and continued annually thereafter. There should also be mandatory gun safety classes for all first time gun buyers.
2. The government must make an effort to regulate and tax all youth oriented media that contains explicit violence. This includes, but is not limited to, audio, video, art, theater, etc. A youth-driven regulations board should be created to establish a youth-perspective ratings system for this media. The current system fails to take into account the opinions of the young people who it is supposed to be serving.
3. Government must make an effort to liberalize current laws regulating marijuana. Medicinal use of all other illicit substances should be permitted by a doctor, if it is considered appropriate and necessary for the patient's particular case. This should be coupled with increased funding in schools for more counselors, education of parents via workshops, and teacher evaluation, to name a few possibilities.

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Situation Today

Despite the overwhelming economic prosperity the U.S. has experienced in the last decade, there is still a tremendous rift between America's rich and poor communities. Tremendous amounts of wealth are being generated; however, a large group of individuals is being systematically left out of the loop and continue to be stricken by poverty. With poverty comes crime, homelessness, and poor educational systems. This cyclical process compounds the problem, as youth born into poverty are mired in the trap and are unable to get out of the cycle easily. As the underlying cause to many societal concerns, poverty must be addressed immediately.

Vision and Perspective

All individuals, regardless of their social or political standing, should share in the economic prosperity that our nation is experiencing. Unfortunately, money is not trickling down to the poorest communities, and resources are not in place for people to allow all Americans to feel the positive effects of this economic boom. The government should ensure that impoverished communities have the resources to take part in the economic wave by providing opportunities for these people to create their own successes and wealth.

Solutions

1. The government needs to fund programs for the education of life skills such as personal finance, sex education, family planning, and health awareness. The government should provide incentives for businesses to offer services to non profit and community organizations. It is also vital to publicize opportunities for vocational training in economically disenfranchised communities and among the homeless. Community service programs should also be expanded to give more resources to grassroots organizations that are combating poverty.
2. The government needs to increase economic opportunity in impoverished areas. One way to do this is to provide tax incentives to attract businesses into communities. An important aspect is to also make it easier for community members to start their own businesses. This provides a sense of involvement, local jobs, and revenue flowing back into the community. The government should also provide low interest loans to families and businesses in disenfranchised areas. Providing grants to those businesses with a solid management will also be helpful. Politicians should also promote community involvement by attending community events and paying visits to local non profit organizations.

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