The youth need a voice in a democratic society
Their participation should be part of the transformation process
THE RECENT #FeesMustFall Movement is a student-led movement that highlights the challenges the youth in South Africa face. The movement has received local and global support and has shown what power the students have. One of the biggest frustrations for the youth is that 23 years into democracy they are still being marginalised and excluded from the democratic system.
Debates surrounding democracy are often headed by leaders who have lifelong experience and age on their side. However, this platform allows for only specific people to participate in these discussions. If someone who has no political standing tries to enter this sphere, their ideas will automatically be shut down because they have no political backing. In doing so, the voice of the youth is being excluded over the mere fact that it is new and unheard of.
South Africa should evolve as a democratic society. The same voices cannot always be expressed, without allowing for new ideas to present themselves.
Giving the youth the opportunity to say what they think, should be done regularly as young citizens are the leaders of tomorrow.
Brexit is a prime example of where the youth Nzumba Martha Diampovisa are marginalised. Brexit refers to the June 2016 referendum in which more than 50% of votes were cast for the UK to withdraw from the EU. English comedian and political commentator, John Oliver poked fun at the people who were for Brexit, because they were not thinking about the repercussions that followed if they left.
In an episode of he said: “Former London mayor Boris Johnson, a man with both the look and economic insight of Bamm-Bamm from has been driven around in a giant red bus for the past month with the words: “We send the EU £350 million a week” written on the side.
Oliver also pointed out that the figure given was “highly debunked”.
Brexit does impact Johnson’s life, but not as significantly as it would the youth because he might not be alive to fully experience the consequences of leaving the EU. His reasoning as to why they should leave was never really investigated, because he was in a position of power and could thus make a life-altering decision.
The thoughts and opinions of the youth have been disregarded because they have not listened to their elders. The reason behind not listening to their elders’ advice is because often the advice is archaic and outdated.
In order to avoid making the youth feel marginalised and excluded, debates should be open to the public. This can be achieved by including the youth, because young people need to actively engage in democracy to ensure that it is a system that is constantly transforming.
Not having access to information is a major problem that affects how much the youth can contribute to democracy.
When elected officials go to Parliament, there are only a limited number of seats made available to the public. This makes it easier to control who comes in and out of Parliament, albeit limiting the amount of people able to contribute to the discussions.
The spaces in which these discussions take place also contribute to how inclusive the event is. When a student goes to an event feeling out of place and uncomfortable, they will be reluctant to voice their opinions. Getting over the initial fear of being in such a place could be overcome by placing emphasis on how important youth participation is for democracy.
Mentorship programmes also help to build confidence. Bright Stars is a South African mentorship programme, with the primary aim “to empower vulnerable children and help them reach their full potential”.
A programme like this makes it possible for young people to be with people who have their best interests at heart and who give them the tools to engage in public debates that affect democracy.The youth of today have so much to offer to a democratic country.
They are bursting with new and innovative ideas on how to make youth participation in democracy more accessible and appealing to other people. For some, the youth of today are viewed as entitled. But there’s never a discussion as to why some people have that impression of them. To make youth participation viable in a democratic society this conversation needs to happen.