Our Principles

We are clear eyed and bold

Our future is at stake, and we know the odds are stacked against us. We face these huge problems with bold actions and solutions. We tackle this challenge wholeheartedly because we believe in our vision.

We work in solidarity with First Nations people 

We recognise the history of invasion and genocide on this continent. We acknowledge that for Aboriginal people, continuing to live under colonisation will never be safe or just. Aboriginal people are feeling economic impacts more than anyone. We show our respect to First Nations knowledge and leadership, and know a more just and safe society can’t be achieved without it. 

We educate new members on the history of colonisation, direct resources to First Nations people and causes, and build solidarity into all of our campaign plans and actions.

We lead from our communities

The most important place to show leadership is right at home; in our classrooms, places of work, of worship, group chats and community halls. We will bravely speak out for justice, share our stories and welcome new faces into our movement with openness and generosity.

Together we are strong

We are a multi-racial movement, and our diversity of perspectives across identities and experiences make us strong. 

We reach out to each other across divides, show up, educate each other and take responsibility to tear down barriers to build a world that works for all of us.

We are disciplined and non-violent.

We act with unity and discipline, knowing that our actions represent our entire movement. We are open and unafraid to share our values, and are courageously non-violent in everything we do.

We collaborate with other movements for justice

We cannot win a just society, take down the wealthy few or fight these crisises alone. We work with other movements who share our values and align with our strategy, talking to them and learning from them. 

Our enemies will try to divide us but we build our shared power, as it makes us stronger.

We take initiative

Any group of 3 people can take action in the name of YOUNG, according to these movement principles. We ask for advice — not permission — from each other to make this happen. When we act, we ask ourselves, “does this bring us closer to our goal?” If yes, we simply do the work that is exciting and makes sense.

We learn and grow together

No one wakes up knowing how to change the world. We figure it out through trial and error, learning through talking and training. We support each other to share our mistakes, reflect and learn from our actions and celebrate our successes.

We have the conversations we need to have 

Powerful movements are built on trust. Our movement and our teams are a safe space for big ideas, conflict, and resolution. We assume good intentions and ask for clarification first, but we don’t shy away from having hard conversations when we need to.

We are a community who looks out  for each other

We come to this movement as we are, with different needs, and contribute how we can. We look out for our mates, communicate our needs and commitments. We take time out when we need to because our best work happens when we look after ourselves.