There are so many young people on the earth today than at any other time in the history of the world. There are about 1.8billion young people scattered all over the world, in every nation, and with diverse color of skin. The majority of young people captured under this statistic are below 24 years of age. Yet, the world has since come to witness the rage and fury that young people can display – when provoked. And young people are being provoked. They are provoked by the process of society that seems not to be working. They are provoked by the expectations placed on them to comply and blinding follow instructions without the courtesy to seek their buy-in. Young people do have a right to be provoked, but do we have the right to maim, hurt, and take the life of another? Of course not. So, when we recall that there have been reports of death following several of the rage storms and civil disobedience young people instigated, it begins to make you ponder on why young people are angry and who they are agree at, and whether or not something can be done to quell their anger as well as the consequences of such an emotion.
Young people are angry at their leaders. To understand the object of their anger, we need to acknowledge that every society require leaders – whether as legislature, the executive, or the judiciary. Leaders hold the responsibility of providing direction, managing resources, and showing examples that are ethical, inspirational, and profitable to emulate. However, in societies where the leaders show a lack of direction with their frequent vacillations in decision making and policy enactment, how are the young people meant to respond to the failure of leaders to lead? In societies, where leaders squander natural, economic, and human resources with their tilt towards greed, nepotism, and ineptitude, how are the young people meant to respond to the failure of their leaders to manage? And in societies where leaders show examples that are unethical, uninspiring, and not worthy of emulating, how are young people meant to respond to the failure of leaders to inspire? Young people, all over the world, have responded in unison – to the broken trust that leaders have caused and nurtured.
Young people have responded with cynicism to the rhetoric of political speech. Young people have responded with distrust to the promises and pledges of their elected officials. Young people have responded with a foul cry to seemingly laudable projects being developed for society. Whether these projects are good or bad, will we ever be allowed to judge for ourselves? Alas, the broken trust and air of cynicism between young people and their leaders have created a chasm that words alone may not close up. This broken trust is responsible for the devastation of properties as the aftermaths of chaos, riots, and civil disobedience witnessed in so many countries.
Society deserves to be able to harness the positives sides of their youth population. Young people are abled bodied, naturally creative, given to much enthusiasm, and seeking to be relevant in the larger affairs of life. Young people are at the fore of technology. Young people are open to change and new innovations. A true society would find its young people collaborating at the seat of governance, contributing at the center of technology, and creating endearing legacies of art, culture, and enterprise for any nations. There is a lot the young people can accomplish when given the right environment and structures. For all of that to happen in significant proportions, young people have to be able to listen and believe in their leaders again.