2007 Future Leaders' Mayoral Forum A Success
Read the Press Release about the Mayoral Forum
View the Forum Agenda
View a List of Forum Partners and Sponsors
Read "Not Old Enough to Vote Yet? No Problem - You Can Still Make Your Voice Heard"
Young people in Philadelphia have a few questions they want to ask the candidates for Mayor. And a few ideas about how to solve some of the most daunting problems facing the city. On April 13th, they had the opportunity to pose their questions and share their ideas with the candidates at a city-wide youth-led and youth-run candidate forum. More than 700 children and youth from across Philadelphia attended the standing room only forum at the National Convention Center. The Mayoral candidates in attendance were Michael Nutter, Chaka Fattah and Al Taubenberger.
In planning the forum, 30 youth from across the city came together for dozens of hours on weekends, after school and during spring vacation to learn, to listen to one another and to delve into the critical issues facing our city as we approach a mayoral election.
The group consisted of both boys and girls of many races and ethnicities. Some attend the city’s “elite” public, private and parochial high schools, others had dropped out of school, some attend alternative schools. Some have had comfortable and stable lives so far and know about violence only from what they have heard on the news, while others have faced more obstacles in their young lives than any child should ever face and have been personally effected by and surrounded by violence and other traumas and challenges.
In spite of their differences, they had much in common. They all had great hopes and dreams for their own lives and for the city of Philadelphia. They all believe they can make a difference and are willing to try. They all are passionate, creative, bright, caring and strong advocates for themselves and other young people. They are all also concerned about many of the daunting challenges facing our city, yet they are not despairing. They have many creative ideas about solutions – ideas we hope our city leaders will pay attention to and take seriously!
Out of their conversations, the youth have developed survey, which they used to poll other youth throughout the city. At the forum, a powerpoint presentation containing the results of the survey was discussed, and the results of the survey were used to inform the questions that young people asked the candidates.
In the weeks ahead, The Philadelphia Children’s Commission will be joining forces with other organizations to help these youth flesh out their concerns and their proposed solutions. They will then present these ideas, and their questions, to the Mayoral Candidates at the Mayoral Youth Forum on April 13th at the National Constitution Center, from 1 to 3 PM. We will periodically post some of their ideas and comments here on this website.
Today, we begin with a summary of some of their “Hopes and Wishes for Philadelphia ” that grew out of Saturday’s conversations.