YOUth ACT

Your community-based hub for youth activism and impact entrepreneurship

Capitalism has the ability to co-opt, institutionalise, and demobilise social movements. As Angela Y. Davis, the renowned American political activist, academic and author, showed us, feminism hurriedly became the handmaiden of white supremacy in exchange for a seat at the table. And Homonationalism, a term coined by queer theorist Jasbir Puar, is a convenient excuse to pursue Islamophobic policies. As it stands, activism is for sale, and companies are paying pennies for it. They are also making bank off it. Greenwashing, pinkwashing, whitewashing… you name it. After long, hard-fought battles (with marginalised communities often in the frontlines), social movements that pose a threat to the system are co-opted by capitalist interests. The result is a white, middle-class chimera that chants to the tune of corporate social responsibility.

YOUth ACT is a grassroots organisation committed to systemic change.

If we want to do better, we can’t simply treat the symptoms of a capitalist society without addressing deeper issues. This requires an anti-capitalist perspective, and it entails fighting all forms of discrimination. To do this, we need activists who understand the injustices that stem from capitalism and who can approach issues from an intersectional perspective. We need activists who are reflexive, reflective, accountable, and capable of recognising and giving up their own privilege. However, many barriers exist. We know that access, knowledge, resources, and expertise are unevenly distributed. After all, not everyone can afford a six-month unpaid UN internship. So, if you want to be a change-maker, where do you start? We think the answer lies in our communities.

YOUth ACT is a grassroots organisation committed to systemic change. We are founded on the values of intersectionality, sustainability, equity and inclusion. We aim to empower each other through community building. We also try to incorporate anti-capitalist thought into spaces where the gates to critical thinking have been closed or where inclusion has been shallow. We believe in a necessary exchange amongst different social groups to ensure that those who would normally never come into contact, can learn, find common ground and fight social oppression. Because we understand that true, meaningful change can only come from below, we are not interested in hierarchical structures or top-bottom approaches. Instead, we work with a democratic, participatory decision-making system. We want to foster the creation of mutual aid networks based on reciprocity, whereby members work together and share knowledge and expertise. To do so, we are working on a number of projects that continue to evolve and transform as YOUth ACT learns and develops. To improve access to educational resources, we are working on YOUth ACT’s Archive, a communal resource hub that regularly collects and releases a variety of critical, educational material ranging from visual art and podcasts, to books and poetry. We have also launched our 5-month Starterpack programme, through which participants gain access to a series of workshops, a network of like-minded individuals, and inspiring mentors. The objective of this programme is to assist young activists, advocates and social entrepreneurs with the design and development of their own projects, and for them to acquire the hard and soft skills that they need.

If you would like to learn more about us, you can become a friend, attend one of our events or visit our website: www.youthact.net