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752 West 178 Stree, Suite 1A NY NY 10032 Da Urban Butterflies Youth Leadership Development (DUB) Program strives and is committed to build strong, conscious and pro-active youth leaders to work for social justice in the Washington Heights/Inwood (WH/I) community and beyond. By provinding leadership development and capacity building trainings; alternative education around social issues and cultural awareness; self-esteem building; the organizing of youth-led events for youth and the comunity as a whole; mobilizing and providing a vital gathering place for youth, particularly young women of color DUB is active in the development of creative alternatives to violence, teen pregnancy and drugs. Our Herstory Da Urban Butterflies Youth Leadership Development Program was born on October 2004 to our mother organization the Dominican Women's Development Center and within the Latina Advocacy and Community Organizing Project. The DUB was created by a group of 5 young women from the WH/I community who gathered, identified youth related issues (teen pregnancy, sexual harrasment, the lack of spaces created by/for youth working with the development of youth leadership, particularly with young women of color), and began to brainstorm on creative alternatives to participate in the process of solving the issues in their community. This group of young women (ages 13-16) chose the name Da Urban Butterflies in homage on the Mirabal sisters from the Dominican Republic. The Mirabal sisters, Patria, Dede, Minerva and Maria Teresa are Dominican Heroines. These women made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. They gave up a privileged life to fight against the abuses of a powerful and corrupt Dominican Dictator, Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina had trampled the constitution, abolished basic human rights, and terrorized his opposition with torture, imprisonment, the death. The Mirabal sister took up the struggle to bring down Trujillo's regime. On November 25, 1960 Patria, Minerva, Maria Teresa and their comrades, Rufino De la Cruz, were murdered on the outskirts of Puerto Plata. They lost their lives struggling to restore democracy and the rule of law of their beloved Dominican Republic. Six months after the Mirabal's death, the Trujillo regime came crumbling down when he was killed on the night of May 30, 196. Their legacy will live forever in our hearts and the lessons they taught us can not be forgotten. Thus, DUB has taken the vow to work aduously in the process of creating healthy and empowered individuals/communities that will participate in the creation of a better world. We Are commited to Promote and Embody these core Principles I. Educate: We are to educate ourselves and our communities. II. Build Sisterhood Community: We are to work in collaboration with individuals and organizations who are acting to deconstruct systems of oppresion and exploitation. We are diverse young women with different talents and ideas; we are to celebrate each other; honor each other work together for our common goal; peace with justice. III. Organize... IV. Mobibilize: In the process of identifying, educating and organizating we are to also engage in actions that will advance social change. Hence, we are to reach out to the community and build strength with all the community members.
As Urban Butterflies we affirm that the flapping of a butterfly's wing produces change in the state of the Atmosphere. Hence we will dare to be powerful, to have vision and be agents of change. Together we build a different world... one block at a time.
Yearly Activities include Summer Youth Retreat *
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