Generation Transformation: Youth Organizing & Resilience with United We Dream and Next Gen Fund

Published October 22, 2019

Youth organizers are leading the way in integrating transformative practices into their power-building work, and informing the way funders think about resourcing movements. Joining us are series guest host Taj James from the Movement Strategy Center, Eli Cuna from New Mexico Dream Team & United We Dream’s UndocuHealth project, Supriya Lopez Pillai from Hidden Leaf Foundation, and Claribel Vidal from the Ford Foundation’s Civic Engagement team.

Learn more about & see all episodes from the Generation Transformation series

Note: This episode was published under Irresistible’s previous name, Healing Justice Podcast.

About our guests

Taj James is a father, poet, strategist, designer, and philanthropic and capital advisor. Taj is the Founder and a Senior Advisor at the Movement Strategy Center and Curator at Full Spectrum Labs. Taj is also one of the designers of the Next Gen Fund which is providing support to the organizations, communities, and young leaders who are sharing their stories on this podcast series.

Eli Cuna currently serves as the Senior Advisor (as well as Founder) for the New Mexico Dream Team (NMDT), where her focus is on movement building organizing and political strategy in the southwest, southern and central communities. Prior to this role, Eli served as United We Dream’s National Field Director for four years. She is a member of the Board of Directors for the Center for Civic Policy (CCP) and Funders Youth Collective Organizing (FYCO) and holds two B.A. degrees and a M.P.A from the University of New Mexico.

Supriya Lopez Pillai has actively participated in social justice movements for more than 20 years and is the Executive Director of the Hidden Leaf Foundation, dedicated to contemplative practice, transformative change, and movement building. As part of the Movement Strategy Center, Supriya works in a collective to shepherd the Next Gen Fund, focused on youth organizing, healing, and resilience. She and her partner are parents to two radiant beings, all residing in Oakland, California.

Claribel Vidal is a Program Associate on the Civic Engagement and Government team at the Ford Foundation, where she works with the grantmaking team seeking to close the civic participation gap among historically marginalized communities. As a native New Yorker and Latina raised in an immigrant household, she has encountered distinct challenges that have exposed her to the systemic inequalities prevalent in our society. These life experiences have become motivating factors in her pursuit to contribute to social change.

The Next Generation Fund is a response to a growing call from frontline organizers to learn from restorative & transformative practices in order to support a rising generation of social justice leaders and nurture sustainable approaches to organizing and community building. The Fund is anchored by the Ford Foundation and developed in partnership with the Movement Strategy Center’s Innovation Center. Get in touch via NextGen@movementstrategy.org Center. Get in touch via NextGen@movementstrategy.org

Special thanks to the other members of the Next Gen Fund fam, including Luna Yasui of Ford Foundation, Karlos Schmeider, and Genaro Lopez Rendon.

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Conversation, Generation TransformationGuest UserLeadership, Organizing, Youth & Elders