YOUTH TO CHALLENGE POTENTIAL MAYORS IN DISCUSSION

The city’s youth will be engaging in critical dialogue with Providence mayoral candidates.

Civic Engagement | Pitu Sim | Friday July 30, 2010 2:57

Providence is experiencing drastic changes in its local politics and the city’s mayoral candidates are realizing this as well. As the political landscape changes in Providence, they too must adapt. With the election season quickly approaching, the candidates are looking to find a new voter base to add to their existing constituencies; who are these new voters and what do they want? They are the youth. As anyone can tell from the election of President Obama, this rising political influence wants change. Seizing this opportunity is Y4C, the Youth 4 Change Alliance. Y4C, an alliance comprised of five non-profit youth organizations—Direct Action for Rights and Equality (DARE), District Wide Student Government (DWSG), the Providence Youth Student Movement (PrYSM), Young Voices, and Youth In Action (YIA)—has been pushing for more youth voice and influence in institutional bodies of power. And what better way to do so than by holding Providence’s first ever Youth-led Mayoral Candidates Forum. The event will be held on August 12, 2010 at the Juanita Sanchez Educational Complex, 182 Thurbers Ave, Providence, from 3:30 to 6pm. This forum, although youth-led and oriented, hopes to engage the whole community in an array of discussions that cover not only youth issues, but also concerns that pertain to the entire community. More importantly, it presents an opportunity for young people from Providence to ask the candidates the rather hard question of: What are you going to do about it? At the forum, candidates will engage with questions pertaining to the Youth Bill of Rights, a campaign Y4C started during the fall of 2009. In it are eight rights that Y4C believes all youth in the city of Providence should have, including the Right to Education. The public, youth especially, is encouraged to come to this free event. Y4C has also set up a quiz game on their website. Anyone can “Play the Game” (http://www.y4cri.org/playgame) designed to help inform the community about all of the mayoral candidates. The following candidates have confirmed their attendance at the forum (listed alphabetically by last name): Steven Costantino, John Lombardi, Jonathan Scott, Angel Taveras and Christopher Young.