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Tag Archive for: future forward

Taking Solace in the Ecofeminist Poetry of Mary Oliver

In the 1980s, ecofeminism emerged, combining feminist and environmentalist theory in the anti-capitalist assertion that the oppression of women and the oppression of the environment are strongly rooted together. Both resources have been subjected to masculine exploitation. For my capstone project at Brandeis University (where I graduated in May before returning to Minnesota), I analyzed Oliver's poetry with an ecofeminist approach.

SERIES: Future Forward

Creating new systems and leaders for a stronger tomorrow.

Commentary: Why More Students Are Skipping School

My Minnesota Youth Council committee created a survey that was completed by 227 high schoolers in Minneapolis, mostly from Washburn and Edison High Schools. The results are telling: students are missing school because the education system is not meeting their needs.

Values Voiced by Minnesota Legislators in Response to ICE Accountability Measures 

One of my questions as a voter: Why did votes for bills to protect Minnesotans, increase transparency, and enforce civil rights fall along party lines in almost every instance?

Who Doesn’t Want to Ban Semi-Automatic Weapons? A Deep Dive on Legislative Efforts

Guns have remained the leading cause of death for children and adolescence in the United States. “If this was any other leading cause of death we would respond with urgency. We would study it, we would fund it, we would coordinate a serious, sustained response.”

FUTURE FORWARD: What does it mean to be in it for the long haul?

Many tenants cried during interviews as they recounted their experiences. What moved them to tears was not interactions with landlords or even the threat of eviction itself — it was the dehumanizing language of shame and blame from the very systems meant to help.

How Policy Around Data Centers and NDAs Are Moving at the Minnesota Legislature

How the non-disclosure agreement ban related to data center development is progressing at the Minnesota legislature so far. "We’re not asking for secret engineering plans or designs. We’re just asking for information that affects our communities. We want to know how much it's going to pollute and how it will affect our wells."

FUTURE FORWARD: A Solution to Youth Homelessness 

As a member of the youth delegation connecting with legislators this year, we are recommending development of a pilot program to identify, renovate, and repurpose vacant buildings into affordable housing for youth, with dedicated funding allocated in the next state budget cycle.

The Capitol Action Day Around Violence Protection

Organizers responsible for the day and call to action included Violence Free Minnesota (VFMN), the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MNCASA), Mending the Sacred Hoop (MSH), Minnesota Alliance on Crime (MAC), Minnesota Children’s Alliance (MCA), and the Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition (MIWSAC).

“Allison’s Bill” Would Strengthen Investigations Into Deaths Suspected as Domestic Violence

Minnesota Senator Mary Kunesh is preparing to introduce “Allison’s Bill,” fueled by the death of Allison Lussier, who died of blunt force trauma. Police initially ruled the death an overdose, despite a history of domestic violence calls.

FUTURE FORWARD: The Long-Term Role of Feminist Media

"I believe that this is at the heart of good journalism: the ability to foster dialogue to provoke thought and change."

Future Forward: How My Advocacy Work Began at Age 13

The spring of my eighth grade year, Roe v. Wade was overturned. Up to that point, I had not been involved in advocacy work nor had I paid close attention to politics. I organized a walkout that involved 500 students in our small community.