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Mahatma Gandhi once said that we must be the change we wish to see in the world. Then I say, from this day forward, I will work for social justice with ALL people, especially those whose race, religion, heritage, sexual orientation and other characteristics, including AGE, have held them back. I will advocate for change in straight-forward and obvious ways, and I will ally myself with others who do the same.
In his 1967 book Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "Power at its best is love implementing the demans of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love." Age-based programs, age-oriented social change efforts, and age-motivated media perpetuate alienation, segregation, and injustice against younger people throughout society, and they are the enemy of love. We must correct these things now.
Soon, The Freechild Project website (http://freechild.org) will feature the new slogan "STOP SEEING YOUTH: Start Seeing People." Our resources will be refocused towards inclusion and empowerment for ALL people, and towards the elimination of age-based segregation. In the book Strength of Love Dr. King also wrote, "We are called to be people of conviction, not conformity; of moral nobility, not social respectability. We are commanded to live differently and according to a higher loyalty." Live different, and have a higher loyalty. Stop seeing youth, and start seeing people. What would a world without youth look like? Some people will shudder when they read that line. I don't. I look forward to that day. When there are no more youth, when there is no more age-based segregation, our communities will change. We will begin to see the need for participation by ALL people, regardless of age.
While much of our world is currently steeped in ageism and alienation, some people have began to envision change. When many groups who advocate for "youth rights" concentrate on the rewards of age-based elimination, I must differ. I think that the first thing that ALL people need to experience is authentic responsibility and sincere duty- especially people who haven't experienced those things before. What you have responsibility for and what you feel dutiful towards are up to you. But we can't expect the sweetness of reward until we've given the fruits of our labour.
When younger people volunteer in their communities, they work to eradicate the anti-community sentiment that pervades our larger society. Younger people CAN be mentors, CAN be teachers, and can even be ELDERS in the community- as long as they treat themselves that way, and allow others to treat them as such.
The transformation of "youth" to people can- and will- take time. That is the nature of long-lasting, sustainable social change. It is a journey we must take, one foot in front of the other. Enjoy our journey.Across the world there are new youth programs starting up every day. There are youth tutoring programs, youth sports programs, youth involvement programs, youth activism programs, and so many more. All these programs, all just for youth.
It seems that for every youth program created, there is a "youth" problem cited: youth pregnancy, youth violence, youth illiteracy, and youth delinquency. All these problems, all just for youth.
What's wrong with this picture?
In our 21st century global culture, we're still focusing on division and separation in an attempt to address our problems. However, instead of building community, increasing activism and engagement, and meeting the challenges of our new century, we are actually only making them worse.
By developing "youth-only" programming, we are reinforcing the dominate social opinions about youth: that youth are purposeless; that youth are inherently "bad" and need special treatment; and that youth are strange, alien beings that should continue to be segregated from mainstream society.
This is why I propose that all young people around the world start demanding that society stops seeing youth as different, and starts seeing everyone as people.
By doing this, our community organizations will actually serve COMMUNITIES, not special agendas; governments will actually work for EVERYONE, not just the privileged; and YOU and I can work with EACH OTHER, because we are people all the same. There are many facets to this discussion, and the rest of this article will explore them.
This most important reason why society should stop addressing younger people as "youth": WE ARE TEARING OUR COMMUNITIES APART. Reasoning for this statement comes from Alfie Kohn, an education theorist. He said, "Children, after all, are not just adults-in-the-making. They are people whose current needs and rights and experiences must be taken seriously." Without the inherently altruistic, optimistic, and energetic input and action of younger people, our societies cannot and will not change.
I personally have had many experiences when people have assumed that I am a "youth," and have treated me poorly because of it. When they found out that I am an adult, or work fulltime they automatically treated me with more respect. If we continue to seperate younger people from adults in our society, we will continue to treat each other differently. (I'd bet your opinion about me changed when you read I am an adult.)
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Adam Fletcher
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Comments
Transition...celebrating the stages of life Jennifer Lynn Wheaton | Dec 12th, 2003
Thank you for your insights and for sharing your idea. This article peaked my interest as I am researching "rites of passage" and the role that they play in societies around the world. Although I agree that age segregation has fractured our communities and caused problems that no social safety net could ever solve...I do believe that honoring the different stages of life in playful, artful & respectful ways is a means to healing the chasm that has grown between the different age groups in our societies. The concept of a rite of passage is one that I believe can evolve to serve as a way to honor whatever stage in life a person finds oneself. IF a whole community can celebrate together to honor the growth of each and every human being as they transition from stage in their life to another...will that person not be compelled to contribute to that community in meaningful ways throughout the entirety of their life. But to honor & celebrate these transitions we must also acknowledge that they are taking place...this also means acknowledging the point in ones life when they do take place...ie, their age. Are we not able to simply shift our language from dealing with what is "wrong" with youth, the elderly, mid life...and start focussing on what is "right" with these stages of life...and CELEBRATE them.
I must also note while on the topic that the idea of a generation gap does not truly exist...as this idea assumes that no one was born between the parents of today and the children of today. What about those who are in between these two groups...do they not have a valuable role to play in building a bridge between the perceived gap?
Sangeeta | Feb 26th, 2008
I think being a youth myself - the proposed statement is a profound one, as there definitely is an hierarchy based on age in predominant global culture.
Western culture has this way of emphasizing the importance of children and education. All of that is fine and dandy - it is one of my own personal beliefs and I hold it quite firmly. However, the proposition made allows one to reconsider our own sense of "reality" and escape into a world where your capacities and abilities to contribute to mainstream societies (its decision-making processes and such) is not undermined in the exact same way it is in Western society. It is that notion of pride - that notion that makes us believe we have a certain level of power over those that are younger than us: making the instantaneous association with a lack of consciousness to 'immaturity', when there really is no direct definition of what 'mature' truly is; it is a matter of interpretation and socialization.
I realized when I was younger that it starts from that moment we spend with primary school children and feel bewildered with what they have to say - when it is something profound or intelligent, we ooh and awe, we giggle, but little time is spent comprehending what that particular mind is trying to convey.
Being a youth - struggling in school to make my mark - I realize that there is a system, and it is unreasonable. It does not consider my opinions until I have a degree - or until I have am 'worthy' of making a mark. And we internalize the matter - we accept that we need to establish ourselves into 'somebodies' until some other 'somebody' considers what we have to say as important. However, what if that thing I have to say could be said now? What if it was a contribution to a greater solution to one of the many problems the global communitty faces? And what if I don't live until the day I become a 'somebody' or someone hears what I've got to say.
There goes an idea - a thought - the possibility for positive change, due to a little ageism.
Thank you for writing this article, it really will make me reconsider how I, myself, treat others and my own self.
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