To achieve our vision of well-resourced communities and healing-centered justice, we understand the equal importance of deconstructing that which we deem racist, harmful and antithetical to true community safety, and creating that which we believe offers a healthier and more successful approach to equity, wellness, safety, and conflict resolution. That’s why we understand our role to be that of a movement builder.
As a movement builder, we employ specific strategies to:
- Assist state and local advocates with legislative advocacy support, research, and education;
- Organize narrative power to advance a new vision of healing-centered justice;
- Unite a network of movement leaders and organizations working across the country towards the same end; and
- Build community with Black Indigenous People of Color and system-impacted advocates to lead the movement towards liberation and change.
Policy & Advocacy
Since its inception, NYJN has been a hub for organizers and advocates to vision, strategize and align powerful state-level policy and advocacy campaigns. From in-depth technical assistance and knowledge sharing to campaign development and strategy, NYJN ensures that members have the support, connections, and resources they need to drive collective policy change.
Narrative Organizing
Through narrative organizing and power building, NYJN brings the youth justice movement together to develop shared narrative goals, develop a roadmap for implementing narrative campaigns, collaborate on media engagement and response work, and build collective narrative power.
Network Uniting
NYJN unites a community of practice for our members and the youth justice community at large. We convene advocates through webinars, information and strategy sharing, skills building and networking in order to connect, educate, and energize the national youth justice movement.
Transformative Leadership
True justice requires centering the voices and leadership of those most directly impacted by the systems we are committed to transforming. Through our Division of Transformative Leadership we invest in and build community with Black Indigenous People of Color and system-impacted advocates and creatives to lead the movement towards liberation and change.
