On November 2, 2007, this commitment hosted thousands of young adults converging on Washington, DC for Power Shift 2007, the first-ever national youth summit to solve the climate crisis. Youth of all backgrounds will use their experience from local and state level climate change movements to create a fresh, positive, and inspiring vision of the future, one focused on our potential to overcome the challenges of the 21st century, build a clean energy economy, achieve energy independence, create millions of green jobs, increase global equity, and revitalize the American economy. At this conference, leaders of our generation will share ideas, learn new skills, make new connections, establish a national voice for our generation, and send a united message to our national leaders: we are moving beyond the same old special interests, empty promises, and inadequate results to embrace a new paradigm that leverages our strengths and achieves what is possible for our future. Power Shift 2007 will occur in coordination with over 1,000 actions in communities across the country for Step it Up 2, as well as the first major public launch of the 1Sky campaign, calling for a major governmental mobilization to address global warming.
Power Shift's specific commitments for CGI are to: 1) Scale up the number of attendees from 3,000 to 5,000, 2) Fully fund and carry out its recruitment plan geared towards supporting low-income youth and youth of color in its movement to attend the event, and 3) Provide each participant with comprehensive training and tools to develop campus-wide youth voter coalitions and mechanisms for running large-scale voter registration and mobilization programs around the 2008 elections.
Almost as soon as Power Shift's coalition was formed 3½ years ago, partners began talking about the need to organize a huge national youth climate summit. In January 2007, partners decided that this fall was their time and created a student-led planning committee to carry it out. For Power Shift, CGI is an opportunity to think even bigger and expand the scope of its planning, and a platform to tell the world that young people are rising to the climate challenge in new and unprecedented ways and will be a critical force in the 2008 election cycle
Power Shift 2007 will include the following components:
Keynotes: Attendees will be energized by a diverse range of leaders in the climate movement, including Carol Browner, Van Jones, Rev. Lennox Yearwood, and many more.
Over 200 Workshops and Trainings: Conference attendees will learn best practices for organizing, including: campaign and event planning, voter registration, recruitment, communications and media, public speaking, lobbying, leadership development, and coalition building.
State Breakouts: Youth will strengthen and build state networks and identify upcoming state and regional opportunities to realize tangible progress and plan coordinated campaigns and events.
Confront Congress: Youth representing every state will visit the offices of their congressional representatives to support federal climate policy in line with the platform of 1) The creation five million Green Jobs conserving 20 percent of our energy by 2015, 2) A freeze climate pollution levels now and cutting them by 80 percent by 2050 and 30 percent by 2020, and 3) A moratorium on new coal plant construction.
DC March, Rally and Community Engagement: Youth will be exposed to the true meaning of environmental justice and moral responsibility as they partner with local environmental justice groups and hold a march and rally on local energy justice issues and federal climate policy.
Job Fair: Employers on the cutting edge of our energy transition will meet youth looking for the jobs of tomorrow in non-profit, clean energy, and other sectors that include a focus on sustainability.
Concert: A public concert will feature popular artists performing for a crowd of over 10,000, conference participants and local citizens.
Step It Up Action: On Saturday, November 3rd, we'll work with the Step It Up planning team to organize a huge action at Power Shift.
2008 and Beyond: Candidates for the Presidency of the United States will speak to their plan to reduce GHG emissions 80 percent by 2050, providing youth with examples of bold leadership, and allowing for youth to ask questions and propose concrete policy solutions.
Youth Climate Digital Video: A central component of the lead up into, as well as for the documentation of the conference, is to train youth with digital media skills who will record their individual and shared stories, and utilize the most cutting-edge web 2.0 and media tactics to spread these real-life stories and messages to a broad audience throughout the country.
These criteria will be used to measures the success of this commitment:
1. Youth Representation at Power Shift from 80 percent of congressional districts in the United States, allowing for implementation of Power Shift's Adopt-a-Congressperson program.
2. 5,000 diverse youth trained in the skills necessary to advocate for concrete climate solutions on all levels, from campus through federal. In 2006-2007, the Energy Action Coalition helped organize over 350 campuses to join the Presidents Climate Commitment and commit to becoming 'climate neutral.' Catalyzing the momentum from Powershift, success will be measured by increasing the number of climate neutral campuses to over 500 nationwide.
3. Adoption by congressional and presidential candidates of Power Shift's three guiding principles: 1) The creation of five million Green Jobs conserving 20 percent of our energy by 2015, 2) A freeze on climate pollution levels now and cutting them by 80 percent by 2050 and 30 percent by 2020, and 3) A moratorium on new coal plant construction.
4. Substantial local and national media coverage featuring youth leaders, shifting the climate debate towards action-oriented solutions.
5. 5,000 young people connected to leaders in the new energy economy from 300 top organizations and companies to the Power Shift 2007 Job Fair. Success will be measured through mentorship connections, fellowship placements, and job hires.
November 2007
Anticipated Launch
We are currently executing Steps 1-4 of the above implementation strategy.
1. Financial support from private entities to fully fund Power Shift 07 and cover travel and housing for 1,000 low-income youth and youth of color, thereby allowing any committed young person to attend Power Shift, and expanding the reach of the youth climate movement.
2. Non-profit and corporate partnerships to sponsor the event, with the opportunity for both non-profit and for-profit entities to be present at the Power Shift 2007 Job Fair.
3. Financial Support for the Energy Action Coalition to make sure the momentum and next steps generated by Power Shift 07 are realized throughout the 2007-2008 year, and ensure that the 2008 elections include real debate about climate solutions.
4. Financial Support for Power Shift 2007 focused on a 2008 strategy allow for the opportunity to work collectively with Rock the Vote, The League of Young Voters, The Student Pirgs New Voters Project, Campus Camp Wellstone, Black Youth Vote, and the Hip Hop Caucus amongst other groups to help expand and grow the power of the youth vote.
