Beyond the Symposium: What Now?

D.C. is full of exciting and interesting events. Every week, I get invited to at least a dozen workshops, panels, and public forums at nearby think tanks, universities, and nonprofits. In my opinion, it’s one of the best parts of living in D.C.– the chance to hear from and meet so many fascinating people who are pushing their respective policy fields forward.

But what often accompanies the excitement of these opportunities is an element of frustration. After listening to someone outline their vision for a better world, I always want to know: what now?

As the Millennial Fellows designed our symposium, New Voices and Ideas on Care, Community, Technology, and Civic Engagement, we were conscious of this itching to get further involved with what we heard on stage from our panelists. So in order to expand the work we saw represented at our symposium to our audience, we put together a list of action items for anyone looking to get involved. These options are meant to suit whatever you have to give— time, money, or even just a follow on social media. The title of our symposium reflects the engagement we want to see, and we welcome all new voices and ideas on the topics presented last month.

For those with time to read and do both personal online activism, or for those who want to speak with their Congressperson about ad tech policy, we recommend perusing Dipayan Ghosh’s recent report, Digital Deceit: The Technologies Behind Precision Propaganda on the Internet. In addition to covering why we need technologists in policy as he did during our panel “Promises and Perils of Technology and Big Data,” Ghosh also notes in the report how to recognize when you might be seeing biased content online and what we can urge politicians to do to regulate it.

For those looking to become involved with community activism, our panel “Expanding the Table: Intergenerational Activism and Policy Change” provided three fantastic options for nonprofit work the D.C. area. The Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC) is a civil rights organization that empowers Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese American communities to create a socially just and equitable society. Their Take Action resources make it clear how you can become involved. You can also become involved with the campaign for immigrant rights of the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) by filling out their volunteer form. For those who like to combine activism with art, our last panel also featured a poet from Split This Rock, D.C.’s youth poetry organization that holds public events you can attend.

For those interested in policy work, our panel “New Perspectives on Communities of Care” brought Better Life Lab’s Alieza Durana to the stage to discuss the U.S.’s paid family leave policies. For the latest on this subject, follow PL+US to learn how you can get involved.

Finally, for those with the financial capability to make a donation, consider UndocuBlack Network, a group of currently and formerly undocumented Black people that organizes within communities to ensure ensure safety, facilitate resources, and provide support.

Hopefully these resources prove helpful as you take the step beyond the symposium and answer the question “what now?”