Photo by Guduru Ajay bhargav
Pearl S. Buck once said, “The young do not know enough to be prudent, and therefore they attempt the impossible, and achieve it, generation after generation.” Young people have an innate sense to break the mold and usher in a new age. They are changemakers by birth, and it’s in our best interest to help them cultivate that unique trait.
Alfred H. Kurland, youth services and teen empowerment advocate and program manager, sees the youth’s limitless potential as changemakers. He is doing his best to make that characteristic shine so that others can also see it.
Today, we’ll be looking at the competence that young people have and how powerful they indeed are.
How Young People Can Make the World a Better Place
Young folks are impetuous, self-confident, brave, fearless, and dynamic. They have high energy levels, ideas, and creativity to make the world a better place. They are also brimming with hope, and with their imagination and innovation, they are genuine problem solvers with great potential to make a positive social change on our planet.
Thanks to their young age, young folks constantly search for the greatness that produces the longing to aid families, countries, the environment, and communities. With technology and globalization, the world has become more accessible, with limitless possibilities for connecting with others; young people have the unique opportunity to consolidate in unity and put themselves in another’s place regarding genuine companionship.
Younger generations have the potential to assist in making our world a more flourishing and prosperous place to live. Values, traditions, and ethics provide generations of individuals with the drive to lead communities and society. They’re the things that also guide people on what decisions to make.
As time passes, changes in ethics and traditions are bound to happen, and the ones witnessing them will be the younger generation. They’ll be the ones who have the fairest chances to make a change for the better. If we didn’t trust our youth as changemakers, our civilization, culture, and existence would stagnate.
What the Youth as Changemakers has Done for the World
Alfred H. Kurland has witnessed many impressive things that the youth has done. Being a youth services and teen empowerment advocate and program manager, as well as being the author of The Soul of Adolescence Aligns with the Heart of Democracy, he has personally seen how much potential the youth can provide to the world. With that in mind, we’ll look at ways young folks work to improve the world.
• Creating a “Free the Children” Organization
Craig Kielburger was only 12 years when he co-created the “Free the Children” organization in 1995. The organization aims to enable the youth to reach their fullest potential as time changes. Nowadays, the organization aids over 6,000 youth groups and others throughout Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
• Raising Hope by Shooting Hoops
In 2004, when Austin Gutwein was only nine years old, he saw a sad video of kids whose parents died from AIDS. With his love for basketball, Austin figured the best way he could help was to raise money by shooting free throws. He ended up raising nearly $3,000 during that short endeavor. Years later, the organization has managed to raise over $3 million, providing kids whose life has been affected by AIDS with clothing, food, shelter, education, and more.
• A Charitable Lemonade Stand
Although Alex Scott was diagnosed with neuroblastoma in 1997, she didn’t let it stop her from living her life. She overcame many of the doctor’s predictions, who said it would be impossible for her to walk. When she reached age four, Alex explained to her mom that she wanted to establish a lemonade stand to raise money for other kids with cancer. Sadly, Alex Scott perished at the age of eight but was able to raise $1 million through her efforts, along with those who greatly supported her.
The youth has the power to lead us into a better future and to a better world. They will always be our best bet, so we should do our best to appreciate them and see the youth as changemakers that our world needs. If you wish to learn more about the youth and the power they have behind them, read Alfred H. Kurland‘s book The Soul of Adolescence Aligns With The Heart of Democracy Orphans, Rebels and Civic Lovers Unite.
