Photo by August de Richelieu
Suppose the children are the future means to have them actively participate in the continuous agenda for nation-building. But how do we make such participation inclusive despite society intentionally excluding them?
The social, economic, and political landscape has become such turmoil in the past few years. From one crisis to another, the world can’t seem to catch a break. Young people are burdened with keeping up with the times and constantly adjusting to the new norm, even at the expense of their comfort.
It has been emphasized numerous times that young people are significant trailblazers for socio-political development. Yet, many of us who came before them, even our peers, still fail to take them seriously and listen to their voices as soon as they start caring.
How young people shape society
Whether their way of participation is conventional or not, they all play a part in shaping society for the years to come. But the way adults still see them as kids who don’t know any better can sometimes cause a blunder in the progress that the youth are trying to work on.
And if they are the foundation of the future, shouldn’t they struggle with the mess we created for the long term? After all, someone else is supposed to clean everything up. Young people are great partners for change due to their passion and desire to leave a legacy.
Society cannot function without the youth. Some nations struggle with a disproportionate youth population due to the decreasing birth rates. Who would want to live in such a difficult socio-political and economic position? Various industries today need the youth to survive.
Political representation of the youth
For the socio-political scene to be inclusive, all parts of society must participate, especially young people. Once deprived of the right to vote and in other political processes, the community put itself in a troubling position.
The voices of our youth, no matter how little, will ultimately amount to policy-making decisions that affect our long-term stability. We must ensure their future and well-being by listening to their voices within the discourse that affects their lives.
Not only that, we should include the youth in any political engagement; we must allow them to be vocal and active, not just decorations that everyone will later shove in a corner. In any political institution, process, and policy-making, young people already know their worth; it’s up to us adults to enable them the participation and not silence them through it all.
The new and emerging democracies with young people
Obstacles are inevitable when it comes to formal and institutionalized political processes typically endorsed by influential figures of society. They are the ones who will say one thing and change everything a moment after. Where does the youth fit in the equation?
When we include young people without using their power passively, they become empowered and will feel like they’re being cared for. The important thing for them is not an instantaneous change but for them to be heard, and in return, the leaders in power take action.
The problem is that many political leaders milk young people’s passion into voting for them using lofty promises and platforms seemingly in their favor. That still counts as not taking them seriously and diminishing their collective influence in changing lives for the better; the process will turn into an endless chase, and we are running in circles.
The active contributions of young people in every nation are crucial in carrying on the democratic torch. You might learn more and understand the essence of youth participation in society within the heart of democracy by Alfred Kurland.
We cannot turn a blind eye to their role in defining everyone’s future as they have many years ahead of them, thus more chances of making our country a better place one day at a time. Our vision is that the youth essentially have the democratic values imbued in their hearts, which will translate into active participation in socio-political dynamics that affect them.
Diversity of the youth’s political participation
Young people don’t have to be limited to an area where they can be helpful – for example, they can exercise their right to vote, which is one of the most fundamental rights of any citizen. A few years ago, voter turnout nationwide grew significantly in number, which can affect electoral laws and policies for future voter growth.
Being active at their age in a modern-day democracy must be protected and nurtured at all costs. The nature and scope of their participation are constantly growing, and there’s nothing we can do to stop them. They’re no longer allowing themselves to be stuck in a shrinking space with all the ideologies they’ve been exposed to via technology.
Looking at the bigger picture from their perspective would make us see where they’re coming from, how exponential the inequalities are, and what we can do to maintain or expand the future of youthful participation in society.
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