Check out our 2016-17 Annual Report ! (PDF)
Watch our year-end video!
Completed Programs – October 2016 to September 2017
Middle East Youth Leadership Jam, October 14-21, 2016, Amman and Wadi Rum, Jordan – The 9th annual event brought together 18 diverse young leaders from around the region, who are committed to hope, possibility, justice and peace for all peoples in the region.
Latin America Indigenous Funders Conference, October 24-27, 2016, Lima, Peru – YES! was honored to collaborate with the International Funders for Indigenous Philanthropy (IFIP) on this ground-breaking conference to serve front-line and grassroots indigenous communities in Latin America.
Coherence Lab mini-Jam, November 3-6, 2016, Lihue, Kaua’i, Hawai’i, USA – YES! partnered with Coherence Lab, in order to support several Kaua’i based leaders to strengthen their connections and ties and support growing movements among ecological and youth organizations on the island.
Oakland Peace Center mini-Jam, November 10-13, 2016, Oakland, California, USA – Several Jam alumni and YES!, who are Oakland Peace Center members, co-organized a local jam for the collective, in order to strengthen relationships and shared efforts towards peace, social justice, and a positive futures for Oakland.
India Jamily Reunion, November 17-21, 2016, Goa, India – 13 alumni from the five India Youth Jams gathered for a reunion to build collaborations across Jam communities, share integration strategies of bringing the Jam to daily life, explore the future of new Jams in India, and of course, practice the fine art of hanging out!
India Arts for Social Change Jam, November 29 to December 4, 2016, Panchgani, Maharashtra, India – The first-ever Arts for Social Change Jam in India! The Jam brought together 20 artists from around the country — dancers, musicians, storytellers, filmmakers, photographers, visual artists, and more — to strengthen and deepen arts offerings towards building a thriving, just and regenerative world for all. It was organized by a group of alumni from the India Youth Leadership Jam and Arts for Social Change Jam.
Pakistan Youth Leadership Jam – January 26- 31, 2017, Karachi, Pakistan – 3rd annual event! 23 diverse change-makers, from all parts of Pakistan and working in fields ranging from women’s empowerment to youth development to human rights and citizenship, came together to grow in self, healed divisions, created support for each other, and visioned a positive future for their families, communities and land.
Habib University Learning Exchanges – February 2-4, 2017, Karachi, Pakistan – YES! facilitated transformative co-learning experiences for Habib University staff and students.
Jozi Taste-of-a-Jam – February 27, 2017, Johannesburg, South Africa – YES! hosted a four-hour ‘taste of a Jam’ with 15 changemakers from the Johannesburg area. They had a beautiful time, slowing down, connecting, and learning from one another — and we hope it leads to more connections soon!
Queer/LGBTQ* Jam, March 10-16, 2017, San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA – This Jam brought together 25 change-makers from around and across the LGBTQ* spectrum for collective visioning, interpersonal healing and understanding, and self-transformation.
HOME (Healing Our Movement Ecosystem) – An Environmental Movement Jam – March 28 to April 2, 2017, San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA – 19 change-makers from the intersecting environmental, ecology and environmental justice movements gathered to heal the movement ecosystem at all levels. Grassroots leaders, conservationists, indigenous peoples, alternative builders, eco-justice warriors, scientists, and policy advocates, and more, explored their stories, learnings, struggles and hopes, and found ways to amplify vision, balance, well-being, connectivity and collective effectiveness within this vital movement. Core partners: Ashoka Finley, Colin O’Brien & EarthJustice, Jodi Lasseter & North Carolina Climate Justice Summit, Kyle Lemle & Spiritual Ecology Fellowship.
Anatolia Arts for Social Change Jam, April 3-8, 2017, Izmir, Turkey – The second annual Arts for Social Change Jam in Turkey brought together 24 artist-activists from around the country — dancers, musicians, storytellers, filmmakers, photographers, visual artists, and more — to strengthen and deepen arts offerings towards building a thriving, just and regenerative world for all. Organized by a group of alumni from the Anatolia Youth Leadership Jam and Arts for Social Change Jam.
Evolving + Emerging Economies Jam, April 11-15, 2017, San Francisco Bay Area, CA – 15 diverse visionaries and entrepreneurs committed to a just and regenerative world gathered to transform themselves, their relationships, and the economic system via impact investing, social entrepreneurship, community currency, worker-owned business, new metrics, collaborative consumption, gift cultures, and more. Co-sponsoring partners: RSF Social Finance and New Resource Bank.
India Youth Jam, April 13-20, 2017, Himachal Pradesh, India – The 6th annual Jam united 30 social changemakers from around the subcontinent for self-awareness, community-building and systemic visioning. Core partners: Sukhmani Kohli, Shruti Tharayil, Vartika Poddar, Roy Jacob, and Saud Hakim.
NYC Leadership Jam, April 27-30, 2017, Millerton, New York, USA – The first-ever NYC Jam gathered 20 diverse and intergenerational changemakers from the New York City Metro area and co-created a safer space for truth telling, healing, compassion, and understanding, as participants committed to collective visioning, liberation, and transformation at all levels. The Jam was organized by a diverse group of Jam alum from many different Jams.
South India Jam, May 23-28, 2017 – Bangalore, India – 27 South India-based changemakers gathered to explore regional challenges, build bridges across divides, and deepen in inner awareness. The importance of localizing collaborations and connecting rural and urban changemakers was emphasized. Hosted by a team of alumni from the India Youth Jam.
Arts for Social Change / ARTivist Jam, July 2-7, 2017, Santa Cruz, California, USA – 28 musicians, visual artists, dramatists, dancers, graphic recorders, spoken word poets, and more, joined together in cross-pollinating and linking up the vital ARTivist movement! This 5th annual Jam focused on mutual support, interconnection, collaboration, visioning, and lifting up the essential contributions of artists in social transformation.
Education Transformation Jam – July 3-9, 2017, Baltimore area, Maryland, USA – 20 intergenerational and dynamic change-makers in the field of education came together to (re)weave an oft-divided education transformation fabric. The 4th annual Education Transformation Jam was held in collaboration/conjunction with the semi-annual Free Minds, Free People conference. Co-organizing partners: Free Minds, Free People; The Field Academy and Schools without Borders.
Delhi Youth Jam, Uttarkhand, India – July 5-10, 2017 – Several alumni of the India Youth Jam organized this first-ever localized program, to bring together 20 diverse changemakers from around the National Capitol Region. The hope was to sow the seeds of connection, collaboration and a shared vision for Delhi’s future. Core partners: Aditya Gupta, Sukhmani Kohli, Rashee Mehra, and Saud Hakim.
Law and Social Change Jam, July 25-30, 2017, Millerton, NY, USA – This 3rd annual Jam brought together 21 diverse lawyers and law practitioners, who are vital to co-creating a better world, in environment, human rights, criminal justice, land rights, immigration, alternative economies, and more, and who want to heal and deepen their connections on personal, interpersonal and systemic levels. Core partners: Chris Tittle, Parag Khandhar, Judi Cohen, Jeff Carolin.
Southern Leadership Jam, August 4-9, 2017, Highlander Center, Knoxville, TN, USA – 20 diverse and intergenerational changemakers from the US South gathered for this 5th annual Jam to co-create a safe space for truth telling, healing, compassion, and understanding. They re-envisioned the New Normal and how to get there from the current context of erosion of voter rights, discrimination, and unjust policies facing the US South today. Core partners: Jayanni Webster, Fight for $15; Ekua Adisa and Ashley Cooper, Mycelium; Jovan Julien, Project South; Hannah Sadtler; Malika Sanders-Fortier, Grassroots Democracy; Jessica Norwood, Emerging Changemakers Network.
Anatolia Youth Leadership Jam, August 23-30, 2017, Mardin, Turkey – This 7th annual Jam united 28 social changemakers from around Turkey to focus on self-awareness and healing, ecological renewal, community connection, social entrepreneurship, health and well-being, community media and building a transformative vision and future for Turkey. For the first time, it was held in southeast Turkey, to more directly make opportunities to include members of the Kurdish community and Syrian refugee community. Core partners: Hanzade Germiyanoglu, Asil Dugan, Burak Dindaroglu, Argin Kubin, Ayse Gokce Bor.
North America Leadership Jam, September 10-17, 2017, Quaker Center, Ben Lomond, CA – YES!’s longest-running program, which has helped to birth so many Jams around the country and has been happening for the last 12 years. 31 diverse multigenerational leaders from around North America committed to co-creating a shared vision, finding common points of collaboration, healing historic divides, and exploring the self.