Jeff Fleischer: CEO of Youth Advocate Programs, Inc., Jan. 2008

Dear Colleagues,

Today is the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King's Birthday. At YAP, we all have the opportunity to celebrate and honor his life and the principles that he stood for everyday. Our YAP principles are based on justice and equality and participation and empowerment and hope and optimism. Today, we can reflect on whether we are honoring his teachings, and to refocus our efforts on the struggle for justice and our contribution to transforming our society.
Dr. King wrote, "There is nothing more dangerous than to build a society, with a large segment of people in that society, who feel that they have no stake in it, who feel that they have nothing to lose. People who have a stake in their society, protect their society, but when they don't have it they unconsciously want to destroy it."

YAP staff all over the world have an opportunity to work with many members of our society who feel that they do not have a stake in their communities or their future. They linger in detention centers or large institutions. They are pushed out of schools and community life. They have voices that are not heard and they have gifts and strengths that are not recognized. There is no place for them to participate and contribute to others. They are not given an opportunity to reach their full potential due to poverty, discrimination, racism, neglect and a bias towards institutions and not people.

We can engage young people and their families and ask, What do you need, How can we help, What are your strengths, how do we work together as equal partners, how can we support you to give back to your community? How can we work together to create a stake in the community? We can work together to plan individualized strategies to empower and support each young person and family we meet.

As leaders in our communities, we also have an opportunity to organize others and to engage the powers that be to change the way our communities treat young people and their families. Do families have a stake in their communities? Are young people treated fairly? Do young people have a say in their future? Are young people treated in the most humane way possible? Do young people and their families have an opportunity to be supported in their own neighborhoods and to give back to others? Do parents have a say as to how our communities support our young people?

Let's use this week to refocus our energies and set some goals for sharpening our best practice tools and to committing to changing our communities with empowering our families in mind.

"Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love."
- Dr. King

Let's celebrate Dr. King's work together!

jeff

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