#AgeOfAdolescence – 5 Youth Led Movements Across The World You Must Follow

Illustration of kids

“We proved that it does matter what you do and that no one is too small to make a difference,” said 16-year-old Greta Thunberg, a Swedish student who began a solo climate protest by striking from her school last August. It was not surprising to see UN Women on Twitter sharing “She is proof that we need to listen to the young generation for a sustainable future.”

Around the world, young people are becoming a power in their own right. Millions them are now engaged in what has become the civil-rights struggle of our time. It includes girls in India demonstrating against police inaction over sexual assaults; Pakistani school children marching through Lahore after the latest Taliban attack; young people on the streets of Cameroon’s capital, Yaoundé, supporting refugees; and Yemeni students demonstrating against a war that has destroyed their childhoods.

It is an important moment. The torch is not being passed to a new generation; this new generation has had to seize it. Here’s how some of them have done it.

1. #FRIDAYSFORFUTURE

A large float featuring of climate activist Greta Thunberg at the annual Rose Monday Carnival parade in Dusseldorf, Germany. Photo courtesy-The Guardian

A large float featuring of climate activist Greta Thunberg at the annual Rose Monday Carnival parade in Dusseldorf, Germany. Photo courtesy-The Guardian

#FridaysForFuture is a movement that began in August 2018, after Greta sat in front of the Swedish parliament every school day for three weeks, to protest against the lack of action on the climate crisis. She posted what she was doing on Instagram and Twitter and it soon went viral. The hashtags #FridaysForFuture and #Climatestrike picked up and millions of people from across the world began to protest outside public spaces, schools and even their parliaments.

According to the #FridaysForFuture website, 1.6 million strikers across all 7 continents, in more than 125 countries have been in 2000 different locations.

If you want to become a striker in India, here is where you can begin. 

2.  MARCH FOR OUR LIVES

People hold their hands up with messages written on them during the March For Our Lives rally in support of gun control March in Washington. Photo courtesy-AP

People hold their hands up with messages written on them during the March For Our Lives rally in support of gun control March in Washington. Photo courtesy-AP

Advocating for gun control reform and better school safety, March of Our Lives began in Feb 2018, a day after a mass shooting that occurred at a school in Parkland, Florida. Seventeen students and staff members were killed in this gun fire. 

Emma Gonzalez, a student activists, led the crowd in 6min 20secs of silence to symbolise the amount of time it took the gunman to commit the 17 murders. The movement picked up so rapidly that even Barack Obama tweeted – “Nothing can stand in the way of millions of voices calling for social change.” Several Hollywood celebrities such as George and Amal Clooney, Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw, donated $50,000 to March For Our Lives. 

3.  INTERNATIONAL INDIGENOUS YOUTH COUNCIL

Standing Rock, North Dakota Water Protectors.  Photo courtesy-  Socialist Alternative

Standing Rock, North Dakota Water Protectors.  Photo courtesy-  Socialist Alternative

Dakota Access Pipeline, a series of constructions of controversial pipelines that were designed to deliver oil through the United states, were posed to destroy the land and water. Therefore, in 2016, this led to a peaceful protest- Standing Rock Indigenous Uprising of 2016. 

The project was opposed by youth activists such as Iron Shell-Dominguez and Thomas Dominguez-Lopez.  International Indigenous Youth Council was established while the protests were at its peak.  The objective of IIYC was to organise youth through education, spiritual practices and civic engagement to create positive change in their communities. The IIYC has several chapters including youth and young adults under the age of 30 who can join the local chapters.

4.  #BLACKLIVESMATTER

Protesters walking during a Black Lives Matter rally in Minneapolis Photo courtesy-  Black lives Matter

Protesters walking during a Black Lives Matter rally in Minneapolis Photo courtesy-  Black lives Matter

When 17-year-old Trayon Martin was shot by 28-year-old George Zimmerman in the name of self-defense and was later acquitted, it created a big uproar in not only the United States but across the globe.  In 2013, three Black organizers—Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi—created a Black-centered political will and movement building project called #BlackLivesMatter calling for freedom and justice for all black lives. 

The movement is not centered around a political ideology but supports a race-conscious reform. Today, the movement is a member led organisation with 40 chapters. At the core, the members organise and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes.

5.  PINJRA TOD

The graffiti outside the north campus of Delhi University. Photo Courtesy- Indian Express. youth

The graffiti outside the north campus of Delhi University. Photo Courtesy- Indian Express.

In 2015, an anonymous letter was sent to the Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia protesting a woman’s right to stay out late at night. This protest led to पिंजरा तोड़ (Break the cage) #pinjratod, a collective effort by women students and alumni across colleges and hostels in Delhi. Pinjra Tod demands that ‘safety’ and ‘security’ not be used to silence girls and women’s right to mobility and freedom.

It seeks to discuss, debate, share, mobilise and collectivise struggles against restrictive and regressive hostel regulations, demand access to safe and affordable hostel accommodation and pro-active functioning of Sexual Harassment Complaints Committee Cells. In 2016, girls and women from across the country joined Pinjra Tod to protest the ban of a curfew time in hostels, girls being told to not wear skirts and to cover their heads with dupattas.

Have you heard of or started a youth movement yourself? Or does this inspire you to create a movement within your neighbourhood, community, school, college? Remember, change begins with YOU! Write to us at contact@leher.org if you’d like us to feature your movement.

Photo Credits : Unknown

Words By : Leher

Leher

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