Youth and Advocacy

From Gandhi to Martin Luther King to Mandela, our ideas of resistance have hitherto been inspired by those with severe titles and deep baritones. So when a pint-sized teenage girl, not one year out of middle school, with fire in her eyes and conviction in her voice, unabashedly asked the powers that be "How dare you?", we all paused in that fateful moment and listened to how the world was burning. Tired of those atop the social hierarchy squandering away the resources belonging to the next generations, Greta Thunberg encouraged the new generation to reclaim their future and changed the face of climate activism. Malala was 15 when she staunchly stood against archaic conventions and men with weapons to become beacon of hope for women worldwide to continue their education and pursue their dreams. Fueled by the rage against the systemic injustices against black people, it was three young women that gave birth to the #BlackLivesMatter movement online. Whether it be in the Southall Youth movement of Britain, the historic Stonewall riots or even the Save Aarey movement - the youth have always been key proponents of social change and advocacy for justice.

In today’s digitized world, the entire world sits atop your fingertips. Today, the youth don't have to stand with signs or torches as they can ensure their message is heard and spread to the right people with the click of a button. Social Media has democratized the idea of what it means to be an activist by giving everyone an equal platform. The younger generation, apt at navigating through the digital space, use creativity and technology as tools for their activism.

The potential the youth hold in peacemaking and advocacy was recognized by the UN Security Council when they adopted the the resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security as it mentioned “important role youth can play in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and as a key aspect of the sustainability, inclusiveness and success of peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts.”

The Youth are often either infantilized and seen as vulnerable, in need of protection. They are seen as indifferent and passive when it comes to political advocacy. But whenever the younger generation attempts to use their voice to rebel against the existing power structures, they are suddenly labelled as troublemakers and their demands are wrapped as either naive or problematic. We, as a society, need to start viewing our youth as valuable players capable of instituting real change. As the future leaders of the world, their opinion needs to be heeded. The youth, with all their enthusiasm, creativity and dynamism, can be powerhouses that induce the change we all await.

~ Charumann Dube

Chief-Editor

AICUF 2023-24

Comments

Street Art - The Voice of Mumbai's Urbanity

“Art imitates life.” Art is a mirror showing the beautiful and grotesque face of our world. Through time, all forms of art have been windows into social structures, lifestyles, and beliefs of civilizations. Transformative art has evolved over centuries as the voice of people of their times, inspiring change from a shift in social norms to war revolutions. ["Humanity" at Sassoon Docks. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement, The Hindu] A tedious train ride in the mornings, the stationary traffic in the evenings, in the gray monotonous life of Mumbai, some days my eyes find the gorgeous colors on mossy walls and railway bridges, across old complexes and abandoned warehouses. The Street Art of Mumbai - present everywhere, unnoticed yet leaving its mark. From the cultural abundance of the city we inhabit to the push for human rights and protest against climate change, from promoting harmony to lauding the unsung heroes, street art does more than beautify the concrete forest we...

Drizzles and Downpours: An Outsider's Look Into Mumbai's Monsoons

Rivulets of water streaming down green leaves. Tiny paper boats floating around in muddy puddles. The sharp rat-tat-tat of droplets against tin roofs and the scent of sweet jasmine rising through the air. Back home in Kerala, the monsoons had been a time of celebration. The bright and lush paddy fields, car rides filled with the cheer of raindrop races, and the pleasure in consuming all the kozhikotta and chaaya that my grandmother made. Board games and splashing puddles colored my monsoon. Yet when I arrived in Mumbai, it all came to a pause. Dancing in the rain turned to rushing for shelter, my puddle splashing transformed into cuffing my jeans and my previously abandoned umbrella found a new purpose. Mumbai had taken away the joy of my beloved monsoon. Or so I thought. The monsoons in Mumbai were different. While in Kerala, the cities came to a standstill in the face of storms, the hustle and bustle of Mumbai remained unwavering. A phenomenon I’ve slowly be...

World Sight Day: A New Perspective

Creator: Niruti Stock | Credit: Getty Images We all start our week by lamenting the so-called 'Monday Blues' and stressing about our pending work. Many of us overlook the luxuries we own and curse the life we lead; we never take the time to step into someone else's shoes and live life from their perspective. Life is as appalling as it is enchanting and as unfair as it is beautiful. From time to time, we have all questioned our fate and wondered, “Why me?" At some point in life, we all stumble on a rock, struggle to rise, and conclude that 'nothing good can ever happen in my life.’ But have we ever paused to count all the 'good things' that have already happened to us? The purpose of this blog is not to make you feel guilty but to make you realize that, in many ways, you are in a better position than someone else. At the same time, it highlights a global initiative by WHO and Lions Club International. While the previous blog focused on the 'Leading L...

The AICUF Story!

Search This Blog