Why the youth are an important squad in fighting hidden injustices

We have seen in many parts of the world today where the youth, despite being strategically excluded from mainstream government, manage to find their way of bringing positive change in the society.

The youth today, being savvy with information technology, play a crucial role in getting information across the globe and have forced many governments to improve their practices and policies, especially in matters of justice for and wellbeing of the voiceless masses.

In this discourse, I will focus on the involvement of the youth in fighting injustices in their respective localities.

To begin with, the youth are an important bridge between two generations: those ahead of them and those behind them. Building on the United Nations’ definition of ‘youth’, they are persons between the ages of 15 and 24.

The youth are in transition from childhood to adulthood, whereby their dependence on parents and guardians reduces as they grow.

The UNESCO records establish that the youth account for at least 16 percent of the global population, or about 1.2 billion people (UNESCO: World Youth Report, 2020, p. 19).

There are also about 2 billion children, according to UNICEF, a generation that will be greatly shaped by the choices of the generation before it, which is the youth of today.

One of the challenges facing the youth is a lack of voice, that is, not having access to having their opinions, ideas, or even complaints heard and accepted.

This is why the youth have to start their advocacy where they are, first by voicing out the injustices locally. To do this, the youth need a united voice that represents all. The battle against injustices is not fought alone.

The most common acts of injustice today include domestic violence, maltreatment of people with disabilities, denial of education to children, especially girls, denial of basic needs, sexual and physical abuse, child labour, and exploitation.

The question here is: are the youth aware of these injustices? Do they have training in analysing oppressive situations and how to help bring about change? Unless they are trained and assured of their safety after confronting such situations, they will keep themselves away to avoid trouble.

Youthfulness comes with a zeal for growth and progress; the enthusiasm of the youth can be harnessed and directed towards creating a more just and peaceful society. Moreover, the youth themselves are oftentimes the target of these acts of injustice.

Having them trained about them in advance will help end the loop of oppression in our society. The youth are targeted and taken for granted because it is presumed that no one listens to them and they have no platform to speak.

While the socio-political world has a lot of injustices already, the regular social life of the people has even more acts of oppression and injustices, beginning at the family level and beyond. The governments need to invest even more in giving the youth a voice in airing out what really happens beyond the eyes of the government.

As a generation, the youth of today are more or less neutralised in cultural appreciation, especially in the African setting, whereby they will not be 100 percent pro everything that their cultural beliefs hold.

The generations ahead of the youth will have a little bit more inclination towards cultural beliefs and practices and more tolerance, even if such practices are not good. The generations below the youth are voiceless, as they are children and have no real grasp of the matter.

Notwithstanding, from the family level, it is good that children are trained to be open-minded, that is, to say what they think, as well as to be keen to listen to other perspectives and to analyse matters deeply.

Being open-minded does not mean being carefree, whereby everything goes! It rather means being willing to learn, to see, to judge, and to act appropriately as per the situation at hand.

The youth need to be keen to seek mentorship in social action so that they contribute to improving their own lives and the lives of their peers. Today, the world has in place many things that can easily divert the attention of the youth to an endless loop of seeking attention and pleasure, which many young people take for granted.

It is time for the youth to rise wherever they are and join the battle against oppression and injustices, regardless of who is doing it and why. There is no justification for oppression, injustices, or denial of rights. If what we need is peace, then we have to join hands to work for justice in everyday life.

Shimbo Pastory is an advocate for positive social transformation. He writes from Manila, The Philippines. Email: [email protected], WhatsApp: +447459732915.