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International policy manager at Advocates for Youth.
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I just finished a first quick review of the long-anticipated PEFPAR Five-Year Strategy which was released today by OGAC (the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator). (The full strategy can be found here: http://www.pepfar.gov/documents/organization/133035.pdf.)
PEPFAR’s Targets from Fiscal Year (FY) 2010-FY 2014: PreventionIn every partner country with a generalized epidemic, provide 100% of youth in PEPFAR prevention programs with comprehensive and correct knowledge of the ways HIV/AIDS is transmitted and ways to protect themselves, consistent with the Millennium Development Goal indicators in this area.
Programmatic Strategy for Linking HIV/AIDS to Women's and Children's Health (p. 7)"Expanding integration of HIV prevention, care, support, and treatment services with family planing and reproductive health services, so that women living with HIV can access necessary care and so that all women know how to protect themselves from HIV infection."
Both of these bullets are extremely promising, yet some frustratingly infamous omissions remain causes of concern:
The Washington, DC City Council Committee on the Judiciary held hearings from public witnesses on October 26 and November 2 to learn about public opinion regarding proposed legislation (B18-482) to recognize same-sex marriage within the District of Columbia. The District has, for some time now, protected people from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and this would be another, progressive step towards full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and all queer people who wish to recognize their full human rights in Washington, DC.
Information on the bill can be found on the District''s website: http://www.dccouncil.washington.dc.us/lims/legislation.aspx. 10 of the 13 City Council members support the legislation, which is expected to be voted on by the full council in December. Over 260 public witnesses shared their views over the past two hearing days--in an incredible display of civic engagement.
The bill, titled "The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Equality Act" would enshrine in law recognition of same-sex marriages by the government of the District of Columbia while also allowing religious institutions of whatever denomination to continue to practice and perform marriages on the basis of their respective religious doctrines.
Opponents of the bill, noting the majority support of the City Council, argued throughout the hearings that the proposed measure should be put to a vote by the full district in a referendum, as has been done in political jursdictions across the country. Very few of these referenda have resulted in marriage equality (see: Prop 8 in California , Florida's "Amendment 2", etc.). The heated referendum in Maine on "Question 1" is another such example and analysts expect it to be "razor thin."
So we know that healthcare access and costs represent looming crises, environmental degradation continues to threaten the long term sustainability of life on our planet, our roads are breaking down, public transit is weak in all but a few cities, education and educational disparities continue to reinforce prevailing patterns of social, political, and economic marginalization in American society, and U.S. foreign policy, especially its engagement with low- and middle-income countries is, in many cases, reflective of policies drafted during the Cold War and it must now redefine how it will engage with the broader international community (and its over 1 billion young people) for the 21st Century.
There's a lot to be done. But all of those issues mentioned above require long-term policy responses; significant investments of time and committments of resources for the long haul in order to ensure we support a vibrant future for our country and world, including the Millennials generation.
Everyone knows the golden rule when it comes to charting the course of long term policy making: they that take online surveys determine the course of history.
In that spirit, I highly recommend checking out Young People First, a nascent organization that is developing a tool called the Future Preparedness Index to help our generation determine the terms of long-term policy making.
Check it out here to weigh in on what you think is most crucial for long term policy making.
Ruben Navarrette offers yet another self-congratulatory analysis of the sense of entitlement among today's young Americans in this touching article slamming young people for being civically engaged.
While Mr. Navarrette makes salient points about the positives of being young in the work force, citing our cheap salaries, greater freedom of mobility, and fewer financial and social obligations, the current response to the economic crisis has not effectively responded to the needs of young Americans. The underpinning philosophy of the 80 Million Strong Campaign is that with adjustments in the way the government partners with society (hello financial sector!) we can recover from the recession as a stronger and more unified society.
However, as Mr. Navarrette focuses on the challenges that today's adults face, he fails to note that the adults of today did not experience the same rates of double and even triple digit educational debt on top of credit card debt up to their eyeballs. Lending practices were different in their younger years, as was the cost of education and the standard of human capital in the workforce. Of course every demographic of society is impacted by the economic crisis, but this has not precluded other demographics (including those based on age, see here) from advocating for their interests. This is not fruitless "intergenerational warfare" over limited government resources but a mobilization of constituencies petitioning the government to work for them. In some circles that is called participatory democracy. Apparently in Mr. Navarrette's it's called entitlement.
So all you college freshmen, and freshwomen, and freshgenderqueer individuals,
Have you registered to vote? Do you know how? Do you think the process for your state is difficult to access for young people?
I know my first year at college (when Mr. Bush was elected for the second time), I was a bit lost in the paper work, the voter registration websites and the various phone numbers I had to call, all to exercise my right to participate in our democracy.
If only there was an easier way, one that was facilitated by the institution that had for all intents and purposes become my new home: my university!
Well, the Student Association for Voter Empowerment in conjunction with House co-sponsors Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois and Stephen LaTourette of Ohio and Senate sponsor, Dick Durbin of Illinois, have designed and introduced legislation which will require colleges and universities receiving federal funds to systematically register young people to vote at their college registration.
I think the idea is great. I do have a few concerns with the consequences of the legislation's implementation, however, but I think it's important to debate these topics openly.
In describing the arc of the struggle for justice, Gandhi once said, "first they ignore you; then they laugh at you; then they fight you; then you win."
In her final comments at the closing plenary of this past week's conference in Los Angeles, titled, "The Global Arc of Justice: Advancing LGBTQI Rights Around the World," former President of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), Paula Ettelbrick, used Gandhi's words to give us some perspective on the progress of our movement for LGBTQI rights.
Now I may be a bit cliche, and may or may not spend far too much time on famous quote websites, but I appreciated this Gandhi reference--and I will tell you why. But not yet.
Jointly hosted by the Williams Institute of the University of Califonia, Los Angeles, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Law Association, and the City of West Hollywood, the Global Arc of Justice Conference convened legal leaders of the LGBTQI rights movement from around the world. With a specific focus on the rights movement in Latin America, the conference was presented with simultaneous translation in English and Spanish (and in one session, Portuguese!). This allowed for the exchange of ideas across geopolitical and cultural borders about the LGBTQI movement that I've never before experienced. (More importantly, I got to show off that I didn't need a translation device.)
