The Youth Economic Group (YEG) was founded by young people in the Catskill mountains in 2010 to help them develop economic security while also working for economic justice.
One of the most powerful tools YEG uses for self-empowerment and community development is the creation and management of their own cooperative business, Bags for Justice. Members design and print images of social transformation on shirts and tote bags.
Youth cooperatives in rural United States are very rare. Bags for Justice is also an affiliate of the New York State United Teachers union (NYSUT), making YEG one of the few, if any, youth union affiliates in the United States — and therefore, their wares are union made!
YEG also hosts an annual symposium in collaboration with SUNY Sullivan community college that welcomes students from local high schools to explore economic justice. They offer presentations to congregations, union gatherings and community events across New York and beyond.
To find out more about YEG and Bags for Justice, visit http://bagsforjustice.com/