Organize for Democracy Reflection: Rocio Ostuni Lima Fernandez
Blue Future teamed up with Grassroots Democrats HQ to create a compensated program to train young people in virtual organizing, which we called Organize for Democracy. At the conclusion of the program, we asked our wonderful participants to write a reflection on their time in the program.
My experience at the Organize for Democracy Program has been highly valuable in all aspects of my life. Encouraging and strengthening the youth vote is something I have always been incredibly passionate for. In this program, I found myself surrounded by young, motivated organizers ready for any challenge at hand, and I knew I was in the right place. Their work to increase youth participation is incredibly crucial, given our current political climate. They are willing to give paid internships to a qualified diverse group of individuals in order to reach a wide range of voters.
During this program, all participants became informed on important critical races around the country. The program brought in exciting special guests at each weekly training to teach us about the key demographics and strategies for their races. These special guests added a more personal aspect to each race because we were able to hear from a person with direct experience in each district. As they highlighted the importance of the youth vote in their district, my motivation to guarantee abortion rights, better healthcare, and better gun control for their constitutents defintely fueled my willingingness to get on the phone and talk to voters.
The trainings we were provided are useful in all professional fields. Tools to help with organization and time management have helped me throughout the program and I will continue to utilise throughout my professional career. Organize for Democracy has a goal to ensure that the youth vote is never left behind and I was beyond grateful to contribute to the cause in this past election cycle. The hours are flexible and the impact is huge, so I would love nothing more than to continue my work with both organizations in the future.
