CALAMITIES AND THE VIEWS OF YOUNG PEOPLE

CALAMITIES AND THE VIEWS OF YOUNG PEOPLE

Nico van Oudenhoven

Via our personal network of friends and colleagues, we presented 25 teenagers in the age group 14-18 [Generation Z] with the following three questions:

• “Do you ever think of the well-being of children and young people, say, two or three generations after you? We are not referring to your possible grand- or grand-grandchildren, but children and young people wherever they would be?”
• “Do you do this: ‘never ever’, ‘occasionally’, ‘regularly’, ‘often’?”
• “If you reflect on this topic, what do you think you could do now, when you are still young, to protect and promote the well- being of children and young people, say two or three generations after you? Please, don’t think here only about your possible grand-, or grand-grandchildren!”
• The young people hailed from some 20 countries from all continents. About an equal number of boys and girls replied. Anonymity was guaranteed. All but one gave permission to mention their first name or initials, name of country, and age and gender.

One boy admitted to never really thinking about future generations but was concerned about the decay of the natural environment and took care of wildlife around the house. Eight teenagers declared to reflect on this subject occasionally; to the others it was a subject of regular concern. 

A selection of their excerpts:

“…besides from this, I could protest and demand for changes in regulations concerning pollution. I believe no matter what I do, it will be far more impactful if the gov’ts take bigger steps to deal with these issues. Finally, I’d try to raise awareness on the issue…”

Raiin, 18, Bangladesh.

“…we do have a lot of other problems that could harm our future generations like violence and poverty, but I guess the Nature problems are within our reach to do something more and that’s what we should and must do…”

Beatriz, 18, Brazil.

 “…my first aim would be to provide peace not only in my country but also in the whole world. To be able to establish a peaceful environment I would try to understand problems of people who are in need like poor people or refugees. I would interact with my peers who live in other countries to improve our language skills and to get an idea about different educational systems maybe with the help of exchange programs. My other aim would be to protect our environment and nature such as consuming less plastic materials and avoiding unnecessary consumption…”

Beril, Turkey

“ … will do the little things I can do or do things the better way. My help won’t be that big but hopefully I can influence people into doing daily routine…”

Mapoliosa, 15, Philippines

“… we postulate a future that’s scary for the generations to come. Personally, I contemplate upon this fact a lot because every time I use plastic or use products with a high carbon footprint I feel like I’m destroying the planet for generations to come every time I use an antibiotic I risk the fact that bacteria will form resistance towards this medication which will render it useless for adequate future usage.

So yes, I am afraid of what will happen next and if my current actions are destroying the promised home for children yet to be born.  All of what I can do is reduce my usage of products harmful for the environment, and promote the idea of global warming, protest for more funding in sectors of science that are trying to develop new means of energy production. And elect political figures that will advance this idea.”

Anton, 17, Palestine

“…I often think about young people two or three generations after me. I think about what they will do and how their life will look like. …I think it is important to engage in political interests, for example for the renovation of my school. … I think it is important to demonstrate against racism and for the climate…”

Antonia, 15, Germany

“…but globally…I am sure that I don’t have the necessary possibilities to make life of the whole future generation better. As for me, I just try not to drop litter on the streets. Sometimes I feed birds when it is cold outside…That is why I think we need to develop our education. In this case the next generations of young people will be clever and have more career possibilities.”

Konstantin, 15, Russia

“…change the negative mindsets of people…Laws…favourable for six, seven generations after me…be inclusive for people with mental disorders…disabilities…”

Esther, Sierra Leone

“…probably the best thing I’ve ever done to help the future generation is scolding myself for taking my resources for granted or tweeting/sharing how ignorant we are for not taking care of our mother Earth…”

Jane, 14, Philippines

“…when I think about war in other countries, I think about other children like me. Children need to grow up in a peaceful community.”

Momudu, 15, Liberia

“… we also need to prove to ourselves that we are willing to help not

because other people told us, but because we are willing to help… with all our hearts…”

Josie, Philippines

“…in addition to this, I should educate my peers as well as family members on the importance of preserving the environment for generations to come.”

Maya, 18, Trinidad and Tobago

“…ultimately, it’s the government and large corporations who can actually cause anything to change, so protesting their actions or raising awareness about the injustices of their actions…”

Megan, 17, Canada

“…[if] I were to do anything in the present situation as a youth to better the well-being of the coming generation, it would be to promote independent thinking [free from stigma, free from norm, deinstitutionalised] and courage…”

Khaya, South Africa

“As a member of the community, I would start from raising awareness of my community on many problems which, if we don’t treat, they will be bigger in the future… There are too many problems that influence the wellbeing of generations that will come but, many of these problems are solvable, today.”

Kleida, 16, Albania

“All I can think about is saving the environment. I can recycle and make others aware about importance of clean and unpolluted environment… I don’t think I can do much more, but maybe I could do it in some more years.”

Jaša, 14, Slovenia

 “…it is not fair to survive two generations from now, [if] we lack those simple words: good education, equality, equal opportunities…”

Norhan, 18, Egypt

“…protecting …values passed on to our generation, keeping in mind the [future] generations’ demands…sensitize younger generations to emotional and spiritual upliftment…engage in global perspective…positive co-existence…”

Radikha, India

“…Take a simple example, leaving behind an empty water bottle in a forest. It will take at least 450 years to decompose and will affect future generations. Thinking about this should stop you from doing such things, stressing the importance of being aware of pollution and its effects. … raising awareness, something everyone can do, including children of today. This can be as simple as not making it acceptable for your friends to litter…. We always want more, and we want things to be easier, even at the cost of the environment.  …To solve this, we need to change our mindset to being satisfied with what we have. It is hard enough to change this mindset for yourself, let alone changing other people’s mindsets. However, it is not impossible…”

Ricardo, 17, the Netherlands

“…ensure the same opportunities as well as environment for the boys and girls… positive environment for recreation of children…eliminate  child marriage and eve-teasing… emphasize the opinion of child and youth…”

Sheila, 15, Egypt

“…while I’m still young, I can participate …fighting against the bad decisions that are taken by the government, hoping that I and thousands of other people … and try turning the world into a better place… choosing the next country leaders.”

Vlad, 16, Romania

“…change schools, teachers and curriculum…get treatment for …prejudice of boys against girls…”

Yasmeen, Egypt

“… AI [artificial intelligence] and SNS [social network systems] will be more and more developed, and the human relations will be more and more tenuous, we want to leave our message to our next generation about the importance of communicating with people directly as a flesh –and -blood  person. Employment rate will continue to be weak, …society will generously accept our future children even though they do not have a steady job… people who experienced the Second World War are now disappearing , … must communicate …the next generation about the value of life, importance of self-esteem, the awfulness of war so that the future generation will never repeat wars.“

NN, Japan

“I believe that every action and decision we take will have an impact on their lives. To prepare a better life for the future generations… acronym RESPECT:

R: Religion – everybody has the right to believe/adore what he or she want. As of our generation, we should ensure peace and good relationship with  fellows of different faith. We should love and respect each other no matter what their religion, teach the future generation to do so and give them the choice to choose their own religion.

E: Economic – we should treat each other equally irrespective of  their status, rich or poor, …Only by doing that, the future generations  will understand and live a life where money is not the centre of everything but compassion, care , love and sharing.

S: Social – To be socially aware … consider this difference as a point of communion rather than division.

P: Political – not let politics and the love of power divide us. Be engaged politically and not be afraid to say what we think to make a change in the world… Love and care about each other no matter what our political stand.

E: Environmental – Yes, Mother Nature…We can do that by taking action against climate change right now, which is our biggest challenge of the moment.

C: Culture – preserve our culture … Culture makes us unique and special. They should also inherit this, but this can happen only if we preserve it.

T: Tradition – Preserve it too and change when necessary…ensure to leave a better world for the future generation.

Mansour, 17, Niger

Covid-19, the wars in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan have shattered many existing future scenarios and has created a host of new ones; many more will follow in the months and years to come. There is no way of knowing which ones will prevail as literally everyone has their own unique experience and opinion. These are times of “radical uncertainty”.

The cynical but rather compelling views see a return to a mentality coined by novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky as “I say let the world go to hell, but I should always have my tea”. As these disasters and  calamities will create havoc mainly among the poor, the vulnerable and the weak, they will incur the deepest wounds and carry the ugliest scars.  It is likely that the rich, the well endowed, and the strong will remain on top and occupy more commanding positions than before. 

More power in ever fewer hands.  Borders will be firmly closed to those seeking a better life or escaping from tragedy or catastrophe; xenophobia will rise. Inequality and inequity will become sharper and reach farther.  Social and cultural activities will be curtailed. Whatever lessons learnt during adversities will be quickly forgotten, capital lost will be regained at an accelerating pace devouring irreplaceable resources and putting further stress on the environment.

And yet, as also witnessed in many of Mahabahu’s publications, a collectively owned wish seems to be emerging among a wide range of people and nations to create a world with greater solidarity, more caring for each other; a desire for collaboration  and a thirst to deepen their understanding of interconnectedness. This aspiration is coupled to a distancing from animal viruses and a revisiting the exploitation of nature. There is also the intent to help people cope with their losses and heal their wounds.  

The realisation that we live in “one world”, is more powerfully revealed by the far and wide protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, USA, in May 2020. So too, was  the call for racial justice, even in those places, where few people could possibly remember times when there was no injustice, no strife, no violence, no inequity and where not many people “could not breathe”. These rallies point to a new generation of ‘glocal’ activism that builds on and  goes beyond the  outrage about the way George Floyd was assassinated.

“… but that all recognize themselves as part of a single family and support one another. … The only alternative is the selfishness of particular interests and the temptation of a return to the past, at the risk of severely damaging the peaceful coexistence and development of future generations…Indifference, self-centredness, division and forgetfulness are not words we want to hear at this time. We want to ban these words forever!”

Pope Francis

“…it is urgent that we seek recourse in a social compact centered on people’s well-being and rights to tackle the present and future effects of […crises], establishing a logic of collective protection and equality, with solidarity-based responses … We have to move towards less unequal and more caring societies, leaving no one behind.”

Alicia Bárcena

Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission  for Latin America and the Caribbean

“‘I want to touch the world”

Teenager George Floyd

To recreate a planet that is safe and healthy, in the words of philosopher Heinz Bude, “we need a new understanding of solidarity. We should not be content to alleviate material hardship, but to recognize ourselves as a human being in others.”

The opinions quoted were not randomly selected, rather they were those of friends or family members who belong to our circle of friends and colleagues.  Still, one could just marvel at the inspiring, meaningful, and feasible ideas garnered from their short individual comments. As could be expected, ‘climate change’ is of overriding concern to all of them.

However, as a group, they harbour and express strong sentiments on international solidarity and collaboration, the importance of equitable education for all, and adhering to universal rights.  There is a profoundly felt connection to the past and future and a sense of togetherness with nature.

They appear to be willing to act so that they can make the world a friendlier place to live in, not just for themselves but also for those who are not known to them and will come after them.  They seem mentally prepared to be paying it forward, also in times of controversy, pain, tragedy, and beyond.

They deserve all respect, encouragement and support as their mission will turn out to be more overwhelming and daunting than ever before. However, they should not “walk alone”.

Nico van Oudenhoven, Correspondent of Mahabahu, Senior Associate, International Child Development Initiatives [ICDI.nl] ;  Nico.vanoudenhoven@gmail.com

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