POWER SHIFT 09– REPOWERING, RECLAIMING OUR FUTURE
Follow the live events on the official website: http://www.powershift09.org/
In the middle of our new administration’s first 100 days, Power Shift 09 will bring 10,000 young people to Washington to hold our elected officials accountable for rebuilding our economy and reclaiming our future through bold climate and clean energy policy.
From February 27th to March 2nd, 2009 young people from across the country will converge on Washington D.C. to take a message of bold, comprehensive and immediate federal climate action to Capitol Hill.
We will leverage the momentum we built locally through the Campus Climate Challenge, at our first national mobilization Power Shift 07, and our electoral engagement campaign Power Vote to pressure our political leaders to take the action our generation and our future demands.
Our window of opportunity is short; the first months of the new administration are critical in achieving significant, lasting changes. We must use the time we have to redefine what is politically or financially feasible and achieve what is scientifically and economically necessary to safeguard our future. Our political moment is now and we must not let it pass us by.
At Power Shift, not only will we deliver our message of change to our elected officials, but we will continue to strengthen the climate and clean energy movement by infusing our nation’s young leaders with new ideas, skills, connections with each other, and opportunities for employment and action.
Power Vote
This past fall, hundreds of thousands of youth mobilized to vote and demand bold solutions to the defining issues of our generation. The Power Vote campaign collected 341,127 pledges to vote and demand our leaders create millions of green jobs, invest in a clean energy economy, cut global warming pollution immediately, end our dependence on dirty energy, take dirty money out of politics, and re-engage as a leader in the international community.
Power Vote helped turn out the record 24 million young voters who decided this election and develop the skills of grassroots leaders to engage in the political process.
Our Demands
We want politicians to stand up to the dirty energy lobby and pass the energy and climate policies we truly need. We expect the politicians we elected in November to listen to what science is telling us and act immediately to reduce emissions, create jobs and re-engage globally to tackle the climate and economic crises.
At Power Shift 09 We Will…
* Push the new administration and Congress to pass bold, comprehensive energy and climate legislation.
* Prepare our leaders and our movement for the international climate negotiations in December 2009 where we will help build and ratify a strong global climate agreement – one that allows all communities to participate and benefit.
* Develop a comprehensive strategy for continued political pressure and accountability and a shared vision to facilitate the development and implementation of individual and group action plans for local, state and national campaigns.
* Strengthen the bonds between diverse youth constituencies while we train and empower each other with the skills needed to create one movement that tackles climate change, environmental injustice, and economic failure.
* Connect with fellow organizers and build community to build our power and sustain our own involvement for the long-term.
* Understand the magnitude of both the challenges and opportunities presented by the climate crisis and explore our own capacities to create transformative change.
And you can help. To reach our goal of uniting thousands of young people at Power Shift, we need you to invite everyone you can in your own community to this incredible opportunity. A group of 10 qualifies for a group discount, so register today and download the Recruitment Guide for more ideas and tips for building your team.
Follow the live events on the official website: http://www.powershift09.org/
