Draft:Centre for Voters Initiative & Action (CVIA)

The Centre for Voters Initiative & Action (CVIA) is a global youth-led organisation that seeks to promote youth engagement in government through civics education. CVIA works globally to empower the next generation of young leaders. They do so by introducing youth centred policy, developing civic education curriculums and facilitating dialogue between youth changemakers and policymakers.

The group focuses on thematic issues surrounding voting and engagement in public affairs. They are solely led by secondary students, and were the first group to single-handedly draft and champion legislation in Congress for youth.

History
CVIA was founded in 2022 by Samad Quraishi, a 16-year-old student from Virginia. He joined several friends and established a global group of activists to expand CVIA to 24 permanent staff, and 750+ global volunteers.

Lobbying Efforts in Congress
In 2023, the group became nationally recognised after championing the High School Voter Empowerment Act in the United States Congress. Quraishi found an old copy of the bill online, which would designate high schools nationwide as voter registration agencies under U.S. Code § 20506. After making several revisions and determining areas for improvement, Quraishi took the previously dead bill to his team. The group's team of high school students, all juniors at George C. Marshall High School, began reaching out to members of Congress to gain sponsors and cosponsors. In December 2023, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson agreed to champion the bill in the House, with the policy being revised and influenced by the group. The group later persuaded 17 members of the House of Representatives to cosponsor the bill, including Jamaal Bowman, Earl Blumenauer, Shontel Brown, Maxwell Frost, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Pramilla Jayapal, Jamie Raskin, Darren Soto, Jared Moskowitz, Ilhan Omar, and others.

After organising roundtables with the White House Counsel, the group gained executive support for the legislation. The group also gained the attention of White House Senior Advisor Justin Vail, advisor to President Joe Biden for democracy and civic engagement.

The group continued to draft and find sponsors for a Senate version of the bill, eventually persuading Senator Laphonza Butler to lead the initiative, effectively creating a parallel bill to the one in the House. The lobbying efforts of the students gained the attention of Senators Mazie Hirono, Benjamin Cardin, Elizabeth Warren, Peter Welch, Sheldon Whitehouse, Mazie Hirono, Alex Padilla, and Cory Booker.

On 30 April 2024, the group organised a press conference to mark the landmark achievement of introducing the first youth supported bill in Congress. Members of Congress joined the group, along with notable social justice organisations, including the NAACP and Common Cause.

Dialogue with White House Officials
CVIA calls themselves a "bridge" for intergenerational dialogue between young changemakers and politicians, trying to bridge the generational divide. They host regular meetings and roundtables with White House officials to bring in youth voices to effect policy.

The Centre claims it lobbied the White House's Vice President's Office, President's Office, Domestic Policy Council and Office of Public Engagement to promote executive action for supporting civics education initiatives.

Global Advocacy
In late 2023, the group began addressing civics education disparities internationally. They believe that by teaching children about democracy and participation in public affairs, future generations will have knowledge to impact their community.

Following their mission, CVIA submitted numerous reports to the United Nations Human Rights Committee highlighting human rights violations under the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in countries with low democratic turnouts, including Somalia, India, and Costa Rica.

The group sent a delegation to the United Nations Office at Geneva to present their findings, engaging in dialogue with representatives of civil society, governmental officials, international legal experts, and United Nations Human Rights staff. As a result, the group's recommendations for increasing democratic stability and future generational prosperity through civics education have been adopted by the Human Rights Committee at their 140th session. They also submitted an application for ECOSOC consultative status in June 2024.

The Centre for Voters Initiative & Action's NGO representatives are the first high school students to submit researched reports to the United Nations treaty body, and youngest to engage in dialogue with the Committee.

Work in Somalia
On 5 February 2024, the group submitted a report on the list of issues of Somalia's review under the ICCPR to the United Nations Human Rights Committee, outlining how human rights violations in Somalia are perpetuated by a lack in civic engagement. The report was presented at the 140th session in Geneva, where they engaged in talks with the Committee on the importance of youth engagement.

The group gained the recognition and support of Somali Minister Abdihakim Jimaale Aden, who praised the group's efforts to expand youth engagement in Somali government. In a video interview, he pledged to continue working with young leaders. He also claimed militant group Al-Shabaab would be eradicated by 2025 in an interview with Samad Quraishi at Palais Wilson.

Following the Committee's concluding observations, declaring that "the State party should also promote the civic education of boys and girls in schools, particularly in regions over which it has regained control, in order to foster political engagement and contribute to the country’s future development", the Centre began developing civic education curriculums for Mogadishu primary schools to use, allowing students to become educated on democracy and civics.

Work in India
Following the group's success in Somalia, the Centre submitted a report on India's human rights situation for youth participation in government on 3 June 2024. They are one of 35 organisations to submit a report to the Committee for its 141st session in Geneva.

Other Advocacy Campaigns
At Virginia's 2024 General Assembly session, the group lobbied for Virginia bills HB 686, free public school meals; HB 958, students required on public school boards; HB 1247, supporting funding for public schools to promote English language learner programmes. They were also recognised on the Senate floor by Virginia lieutenant governor Winsome Sears, and state senator Saddam Salim.

The group also partnered with Tiffany Shlain at her Dendrofemenology exhibition in November 2023, registering voters on the national mall and educating civil society on the importance of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Consultancy
In 2024, the group launched a consultancy programme to advance youth-based policy for other organisations. The Centre is working with the American Youth Association (AYA) to launch a federal bill establishing a federal executive entity for youth, and with youth activist Elif Ozturk to model a Minnesota bill to eradicate period poverty nationwide.

Using the group's connections and prior experiences with lobbying, research, and development of policy which reflects youth ideals, CVIA has enabled a variety of youth groups to take action and represent their interests through legislation.

Organisation
The Centre for Voters Initiative & Action is led by an executive board and national staff, all of whom are young leaders. They have a primary presence in Washington, D.C. and Geneva, Switzerland. Their work spans across four continents, focusing on empowering youth globally.

The organisation has a board of directors that includes trusted advisors and experts on international law, social justice, and political sciences.