Rural Youth and the National Rural Assembly

The newsletter of the National Network of Forest Practitioners (NNFP) just came out with an article covering the National Rural Assembly. Not only did they send their intern to this national convening, but there was apparently an entire contingent of youth presenting on Youth Voices: Youth Response to the Rural Compact. As far as I can tell, proceedings have not been published yet; following is an excerpt from Jessica Turner's article:

My favorite part of the entire conference was ‘Youth Voice,’ which was a session that focused on young adults’ concerns for their communities. This was my generation demanding that rural people have the same advantages given to other members in society. The voices of Arthur Joe Jr. from Pueblo of Laguna, New Mexico, Jacqueline Smith from Marks, Mississippi, Gabriela Torres from Edcouch, Texas, and Brittany Hunsaker from Whitesburg, Kentucky, spoke with a unified message of the need for sustainable development of rural areas where the health of the people, community and the land are all priorities.

Each youth showed a short documentary film that they produced and answered questions from the audience afterward. Watching Brittany Hunsaker’s documentary about coal mining in Kentucky was heart-wrenching because it showed that coal mining affects every aspect of the rural community. When they all finished speaking, they were met with a standing ovation. My generation has the arduous task of continuing the momentum for change and justice in response to our country’s needs. It was encouraging to be in the presence of today’s leaders, showing such support for the next generation.

As a young professional stuggling to find opportunities to develop skills and leadership-to "lead from the middle"-I am encouraged by organizations that provide opportunities for younger (read: non-executive level) staff to attend national and regional convenings around such important issues. In my experience nonprofits, in their constant struggle to make new connections with funders and other people of influence, tend to capitalize on these events by sending high-level staff that can speak for and represent the organization.

However, in our (young professionals) effort to gain the skills we need, access to information, ideas and others in our field are crucial and the building blocks to becoming leaders and experts in our field.

What does "leading from the middle" mean to you?

For more about "leading from the middle" see Trista Harris's guide on her website Do Good Guides.