By Adam Fletcher, founder and director of The Freechild Project

Money is running low, problems are flying high. Our society is struggling without the resources it needs to meet the challenges it faces. Politicians talk about change while community leaders talk about things staying the same. Teachers are challenged to measure the chores they've been given while youth workers hope to meet needs they may not be familiar with. The poverty, racism, gender discrimination and other oppression facing our society today are nearly overwhelming.

The entire time we're all this is going on adults are doing worse than ignoring youth - if that were the only problem. Instead we adults are actually causing the challenges youth face to get worse. Luckily, as Rachel Jackson of Books Not Bars said, "Our youth are not failing the system; the system is failing our youth. Ironically, the very youth who are being treated the worst are the young people who are going to lead us out of this nightmare."

The Freechild Effort

In 2002 I began working with a group of friends, allies and others across the country to build the collection of resources you will find on The Freechild Project website. These youth, adults, and elders share details on the issues young people care about and the actions they are taking. We work together to find reading and to write original Freechild publications.

Starting in 2003 I began offering workshops for children and youth, youth workers and teachers, foundation officers and government officials in youth involvement, youth voice and engaging young people in social change. Dozens of people across the country have worked with me, and today Teddy Wright joins me in providing training and technical assistance. We continue to use the Internet to expand and sustain the Freechild network, with our blog, social bookmarks, interactive map, youth rights wiki, and facebook page.

Do you have ideas, suggestions, or questions about the Freechild's website, publications, or tools? Get in touch!

Through our collective efforts as advocates and allies, we can move toward the goal of radically-inclusive democracy around the world.