Valuing and Building Youth-Adult Partnerships to Advance Just Communities is the theme fellows in the Session II program sites have been working on for more than a year. Like their Session I counterparts, the Session II fellows spent a considerable amount of time the first year exploring one of the primary stages of collective leadership: coming to a shared understanding about what they’re attempting to accomplish.

Part of that process involved getting members of the group to articulate what the concept of collective leadership for just communities meant to them. The following is a sample of views expressed by the fellows.

Collective leadership for just communities means …

“Leadership at different levels (age, cultural, racial, etc.) working together to ensure practices are in place that allow all members of the community to have the same access to participate in activities that are positive for both themselves and their community.”
— Boys & Girls Club of Benton Harbor

“Common purpose, equal and shared power, respect, moving forward.”
— Roca

“Everyone working together to aid everyone in community, regardless of socioeconomic status, race or age.”
— Big Creek People in Action

“Youth and adults are at one table identifying and working on the issue! TOGETHER!!!”
— Mi Casa Resource Center

“People working together, listen to youth, don’t condemn them until you’ve heard their story. The community has to respect the leaders. The leaders should earn that respect by being a good example.”
— Lummi Cedar Project

“Cooperative work to facilitate authentic empathy and understanding amongst members of the community.”
— Roca

“Folks coming together with a shared vision of what they see as a just society with protocols and a commitment to sharing leadership that builds on each other’s strengths.”
— Mi Casa Resource Center

“Matching the commitment, love and caring of our fellows, with avenues for positive change and the resources required to bring about that change.”
— Boys & Girls Club of Benton Harbor

“Everyone is valued and respected, protected and encouraged to fulfill their potential, their part in community way of life which we call Schelengen,’ which means ‘our way of life.’ There are many ways to grow and to share in this responsibility.”
— Lummi Cedar Project

“Using all resources available—both economic and volunteers—to make the community work for everyone; regardless of sex, race, religion, etc.”
— Big Creek People in Action

“Diverse people working together to realize how we are all connected and deserve the same rights.”
— Mi Casa Resource Center

“I’m not sure about this idea, but it’s interesting enough for me to want to stay here and learn of my contribution to my community; I know I want to learn more about it.”
— Lummi Cedar Project