Speaking with the Future

Discussing advocacy with AHF youth advocates

GUEST BIO:

Aiden, Gabby, and Cameron are three youth advocates whose parents all work as AHF employees. They range from fourth grade (Gabby) to 9th (Cameron) and 10th (Aiden).

CORE TOPICS + DETAILS:

[1:50] - What Does Advocacy Mean to You?

Pure perspectives from young people

Answers to this question range from “speaking up, not speaking over” and standing up for what you believe in, to lending your voice to a group of people who need your support. This simple yet powerful definition of advocacy is one that we could all stand to keep in mind when the world of being an advocate seems complicated or frustrating.

[6:19] - Engaging Youth Advocates

What older generations can do

How can the older generation get youth involved in advocacy? It begins with being open and sharing their stories, rather than hiding the past or difficult truths from young people. Show the full story of the past, the bad and the good, because it informs the present and ultimately the future.

[25:29] - A Plea for Lawmakers

What leaders can do to ensure school safety

Safe areas, enhanced security measures, and better protocols can all be beneficial to help avoid dangerous situations at school. But the truth is that many attackers are people welcomed into schools— students or past students, etc. So our youth advocates’ perspective is that we have to reduce access to the weapons of choice of these attackers— high-capacity rifles. 

[0:00] - A Message of Hope

Optimism amid widespread pessimism

When all three youth guests are asked whether they have hope for the future of this country, the answer is a resounding “Yes.” There are many complex issues that must be addressed, and we’re nowhere near the finish line, but all three guests feel there is hope that positive outcomes can emerge when it comes to all of these issues. 

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ABOUT AFTER HOURS:

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation is the world’s largest HIV/AIDS service organization, operating in 45 countries globally. The mission? Providing cutting-edge medicine and advocacy for everyone, regardless of ability to pay.

The After Hours podcast is an official podcast of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, in which host Lauren Hogan is joined by experts in a range of fields to educate, inform, and inspire listeners on topics that go far beyond medical information to cover leadership, creativity, and success.

Learn more at: https://www.aidshealth.org

ABOUT THE HOST:

Lauren Hogan is the Associate Director of Communications for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, and has been working in a series of roles with the Foundation since 2016. She’s passionate about increasing the public visibility of AIDS, the Foundation's critical work, and how everyday people can help join the fight to make cutting-edge medicine, treatment, and support available for anyone who needs it.

Learn more about Lauren at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenhogan3Learn more about the AIDS Healthcare Foundation at: https://www.aidshealth.org

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As a nod to the past, Detroit Podcast Studios leverages modern versions of Motown’s processes to launch today’s most compelling podcasts. What Motown was to musical artists, Detroit Podcast Studios is to podcast artists today. With over 75 combined years of experience in content development, audio production, music scoring, storytelling, and digital marketing, Detroit Podcast Studios provides full-service development, training, and production capabilities to take podcasts from messy ideas to finely tuned hits. 

Here’s to making (podcast) history together.

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