Overcoming trauma due to violations of human rights and marginalization of individual and collective identity is essential for youth, especially to enable those marginalized due to poverty and racism to become conscious social actors capable of participating in socio-political life. This presentation reports on conceptualizations from an OSP, “Law Under Curious Minds: Narratives of Social Justice” (LUCM), which engages youth as active agents in developing remedies for the human rights violations they experience. The study provides a “mid-level theory” of the development and implementation of virtual out-of-school group programs for underserved youth in diverse contexts such as schools, churches, and community centers. A human rights and transitional justice framework is used to create critical pedagogical spaces for youth to negotiate and co-construct knowledge, narratives, and action strategies towards social justice. Participation of youth in program design/implementation is foundational and achieved using an emergent curriculum. Respecting individual tolerance for a degree of self-revelation, including participation and camera status, are instrumental to fostering an environment of trust. Opportunities for collective discussion and critical inquiry must be backed by individualized scaffolding. Several digital tools are available to model virtual spaces as stimulating and engaging contact zones, which bring the personal and collective together to elevate participation to material consequences individually at the emotional level, relationally by building positive youth modeling and alliances, and collectively in leveraging such alliances for advocacy and social action. Digital OSPs can enhance physical safety despite community violence, give youth relative control over their schedules, and expand OSP access.

Authors:
Yigermal Demissie Ayalew, Loyola University Chicago, United States
Kevin Miller, Dominican University School of Social Work, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Mr Yigermal Demissie Ayalew is a University Doctoral Student at Loyola University chicago in United States

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