National Convening Program Books 2016 YEO National Convening Program Book | Page 5

YEO NATIONAL CONVENING 2016

From the President
Dear YEOs and guests:
For more than three decades, the Right has been investing in new leaders,
creating the infrastructure to draw young people into the right-wing
movement. People For the American Way Foundation’s youth leadership
programs, including the Young Elected Officials Network, is the answer
to those investments. We know that in order to build a flourishing and
sustainable progressive movement, we have to support young changemakers like the inspiring elected leaders who make up the Young Elected
Officials Network.
Today we need these progressive young leaders more than ever.
If you look only at the gridlock and dysfunction in Congress, it’s easy to
think that creating change through politics is impossible. Right now we
have a partially-staffed Supreme Court and Senate gridlock on the pending
nomination; a Congress refusing to move forward with critical legislation
to restore voting protections to all Americans; and a Congress refusing to
pass solutions to the influx of big money in our political system – in other
words, refusing to listen to the American people.
But every day you are proving that young elected officials can make
a significant, positive difference by introducing and implementing
progressive policies at any level of
office. From elected leaders putting in
place green polices to make their cities
more sustainable; to people fighting
to make sure every person in their
state can cast a vote that counts; to
representatives working to make our
schools, businesses, and communities
more inclusive, YEOs are doing the
hard, sometimes slow, work it takes to
create lasting change.
Young elected officials are on the front
lines fighting for progressive values
and having an impact on the lives of
those in their communities. Beyond
that, they inspire hope for all of us.
Through their work, young elected
officials aren’t talking about making
our country better—they are creating
a better country.

From elected leaders putting in place
green polices to make their cities more
sustainable; to people fighting to make
sure every person in their state can cast
a vote that counts; to representatives
working to make our schools, businesses,
and communities more inclusive, YEOs
are doing the hard, sometimes slow,
work it takes to create lasting change.

Sincerely,

Michael Keegan
President
People For the American Way Foundation
WELCOME

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