Social Organizing

An entry from Crys....


Democracy and the concept of grassroots democracy is often lost on youth in America. Engaging in policy has become more of a passive activity. Now that I work in policy, I experience how long policy implementation and planning can take, but I also see how difficult it is to infuse the voice of real stakeholders in this process, especially the voices of young people. It is a constant and changing struggle. The language used by most policy makers and youth that have stories and ideas for change are often different. Even when the language is not different, it still takes a neutral third party to intervene to say that both are trying to communicate the same point. Additionally, only youth who are given the option of attending these meetings are there, very rarely do you see youth gatherings in the street addressing political agendas/ initiatives.

However, youth organizing in a grassroots fashion still exists. When we were preparing for our in-service with Sonke Gender Justice on Monday, we heard a mass of voices coming down Adderly Street. Hurriedly, we all rushed toward the balcony. On the street was a group of women protesting the importation of poultry. We watched the police guide traffic through them and engage in crowd control tactics, and as they passed out of sight we made our way back inside. An hour later, we heard voices again, this time it was a youth movement protesting high youth unemployment. It was invigorating to hear, and moving to see. When was the last time youth took the streets in mass in the U.S. Capitol city streets to address a specific youth societal issue on a weekday with no particular special event?

We also went to Soweto and saw the grounds of the youth uprising against the mandatory instruction of Afrikaans in schools in 1976. Youth and children were killed standing up for their beliefs. No one was willing to take a hero role, they were a community of youth with one voice asking for large systematic policy change.

South Africa is reminding me of the power of the youth voice and the impact that it can have when exercised in a community. The community can be one the streets, and its louder there...

In solidarity,
Crys