What is “All Youth Are Sacred”?
All Youth Are Sacred is a narrative power building initiative that addresses the way we talk about and approach youth incarceration. This initiative is spearheaded by the organizations within the California Alliance for Youth & Community Justice. CAYCJ exists to lift up successful stories of our work and our young people as sacred. We stand as counter narratives and our presence humanizes us and asserts our right to live with dignity, humanity and support.
Shared value:
All young people are sacred and worthy of love, protection and guidance. We need a California where all young people and their caregivers have what they need to be safe, healthy, and thriving – enough nourishing food, stable housing, affordable healthcare, good schools and jobs, and mental health support. A state where we recognize and invest in youth leadership.
Aspiration/Affirmative vision:
In our future California, our communities are safer because we nurture our youth. Schools are well-funded, not policed. Black and brown communities are well-resourced and have a say in how their young people are educated and cared for. There are physical spaces separate from home and school where young people can safely explore who they are and feel a sense of belonging. When young people make mistakes, they receive loving guidance from caring adults, not punishment or isolation. We let children be children and, as they grow up, we listen to their voices and recognize their leadership.
Solution (example):
This future California is within our reach because we have already accomplished what was said to be impossible – through many years of struggle, a vast coalition of organizers, activists, artists, and youth succeeded in shutting down the state's Division of Juvenile Justice. But the promise of Senate Bill 823 will only be fulfilled when local communities are in control of the diverted funds and can ensure that they are used for the things that young people and their families need most. It is all of our responsibility to ensure that our youth have the tools, support, and spaces necessary to grow up safe, healthy, and respected as the sacred beings that they are.
Our goals are threefold
To build youth leadership and the skills necessary to advance our own narrative through our own media.
We change the narrative around the criminalization of youth and create an active & impactful approach to combat fear mongering media tactics that is shared across the state.
To create and maintain a culture that uplifts our shared vision and values of All Youth Are Sacred.
Where we've been:
Step 1 - Engage a core set of people to begin a narrative strategy brainstorming, create a core group prioritizing community based groups who focus largely on Youth justice.
April 27 Convening One: Data on dropping youth crime and arrests lights a fire; #AllYouthAreSacred is born
July 18 Convening Two: Hosted at TCE, narrative timeline of youth justice, youth listening session, building out the #AllYouthAreSacred narrative
Step 2 - Establish narrative strategy framework and begin building narrative infrastructure.
Planning committee strategy sessions to synthesize convening learnings into a narrative strategy framework and build starting infrastructure through fellowships, immediate communication capacity support, messaging and material development to support regional campaigns
Engage a core set of you to plan and outline a Narrative Power Building Fellowship
Step 3 - Organize regional follow ups to discuss narrative strategy framework as an organizing and advocacy tool and generate ideas for a coordinated statewide push, such as a budget strategy that also elevates regional priorities.
January - March; Host regional convenings to generate ideas for a coordinated set of next steps.
Release Community Safety Through Youth Power Fellowship application.
Step 4 - A statewide budget or legislative campaign; support regional campaigns; seed narrative infrastructure TBD
The statewide Narrative Power Building Youth Fellowship Begins
(Fellow announcement coming soon!!!)
We are excited to share and engage a new culture that uplifts community wellness and the sacredness of our people. We intend to uphold values of unity, support, and respect between all community members. We look forward to including YOU in our plan for a better future. <3
