Our Mission
#JusticeORBust
Young Progressives Demanding Action (YPDA) was established to build an engaged, activated and organized constituency of young people and their supporters to fight for policies that reflect our collective values—values like justice, equity and sustainability.
We advance these values by educating, training and developing our members to become effective organizers and advocates within the legislative and democratic processes. We work to energize, organize and mobilize our community to find its voice and build its political power.
The urgency of this mission is great. The challenges of the 21st century are both numerous and severe. Our communities today face unprecedented threats—threats to our very existence as a species. And it is imperative that the values young people hold dear inform the solutions to which our decision makers and elected leaders turn.
YPDA believes in the human capacity for justice that makes democracy possible. However, we recognize that it is the human capacity for injustice that makes democracy necessary. By its very nature, a democracy is strengthened when the political, economic and social systems by which the people are governed are accessible and accountable to all. It is when these systems become closed off to the public, serving only the interests of the rich and powerful, that democracy begins to wither and die.
The policies that emerge from such a corrupted democracy are oppressive, exploitative and routinely destroy lives, communities and the very environment itself. Working to replace these harmful policies with policies that, instead, protect the interests of both people and planet is the necessary work we have before us. And though it is a long and difficult road to transform our society and way of life into one that achieves these values, our beliefs keep us moving forward.
We believe that all people deserve the opportunity to fulfill their potential; that all people have a right to self-determination; and that all people are created equal.
We believe that a healthy society is one in which all people have access to the resources necessary to cover their needs; in which all people live in a clean and safe environment; and in which all people enjoy equal rights and protections from harm.
We affirm that young people have much to offer by way of solutions to our most pressing collective problems; we affirm that organizing for our future is the only way our voice will be heard in the halls of power; we affirm that we will not back down until we achieve our vision of a just, equitable and sustainable future for all.
Structure
In pursuing our goal of achieving a just, equitable and sustainable society, YPDA has established three action committees focusing on social, economic, and environmental justice. Within these committees, members have identified core issues that young people care about deeply and are working to raise awareness and drive action by connecting the public to the policymakers that can make a difference.
Some of these core issues include societal commitments to sustainable agricultural and energy policies, social equality for all people, the right to public education, the right to universal healthcare, the right to a clean environment, the right to economic opportunity, the rights of workers to organize, the rights of indigenous people to self-determination, open and democratic elections, and a commitment to peace and justice for all people on Earth.