WHEN THE YOUNG BECOME THE VOICE OF REASON

Photo: Lusaka Times

Every society plans its future; that is why it puts its resources into making sure that the younger and the future generations live a life better than the previous one's. As such, every attempt is made to make sure that mistakes are not made and left for the next generation to grabble with. Ideally, this is how communities have been styling themselves traditionally for generations. 

But is this still the case in a world in which every aspect of our lives has been commoditized and given a monetary value? In this world of neoliberal capitalism, money is a virtue. 

During the Women Deliver 2019 plenary session among world leaders like Canada's Justin Trudeau, 18-year old Natasha Mwansa challenged world leaders that they cannot make decisions for the youth. The young Zambian activist changed leaders to include the young in power because the decisions these leaders make affect the youth.

However, this manner of running societies seems not to be the case now. In Africa, leaders stay too long in power so much so that they become too old to work and even walk. African leaders become so much out of touch with the future of their countries that they live as if they are immortal.  They embezzle public funds, divide communities and leave behind bitterness that the future generations have to deal with.

In the west, and the USA especially, the younger generation is asking the older generation to take climate change seriously and to curb gun violence. No, the older generation is thinking of bigger money to even care about the future of their children and grandchildren. "What climate change? What gun violence?" they ask!

In Europe, Greta Thunberg of Sweden is making waves in the world as the voice concerned about the future of our planet. In America, it is the students not adult, who are talking about gun violence. "We're all working together, which is something we haven't seen from the adults in a very long time," said Cate Whitman, a high school student in New York.

Money is the language they understand! What a world!

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Kuir ё Garang is the editor of THE PHILOSOPHICAL REFUGEE. You can follow him on Twitter @kuirthiy