Youth Engaging In Political Activism

Identification of the issue

The youth today use the means of advocating their rights of freedom of speech by actively rioting and professing their position on the issues they are fighting against or siding with. Youth activism usually starts when the major problem of the government affects greatly or even a smidgen connects with any youth, albeit their school, social life, families, etc.

Since the youth had decided to take matters into their own hands, they use movements and organizations that support their stand which would indicate how relevant activism in youth is in this modern age. Activism came from the word “Active” and from the root word “Act”, it is a practice that emphasizes direct vigorous action especially in support of or opposition to one side of a controversial issue. It is taking part to achieve a goal, whether social or political issues. However, most laymen see activism as being rebellious, going against the government, and being petty. But before, being an activist means that you are admired and highly respected by the mass. The activists are highly influenced by the circumstances before and the issues in society. They were supported in their objectives as to why they protest and become the voice of the people. Students are a powerful group in society. Their desire to take active participation in pressing social, environmental, political and national issues has made its mark. They refuse to be still, and will always have something to say about their future and other generations’ future. Having modern knowledge in today’s generation gave them a boost to further fight for their rights. These gave them the advantage to explore more and become more concerned with what’s happening in the world rather than petty problems. They have developed a keen awareness of the problems faced by the mass in this generation. Instead of being on their cellphones, they fight for what they believe is right; to voice out those being unheard; the responsibility to even better themselves and other Filipinos as well.

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Statement of the position

The position that the group has decided on was the undeniable truth that youth activism is relevant in this time of unpredictability and that it will further cause both positively to the ones rebelling the unjust actions of the ones in power and negatively to those receiving the hate in the process of change in the world of politics. In the beginning, mostly the ones on top, specifically the adults leading the country, would exclude children, or rather the youth as a whole, in relation to politics by using excuses such as they are undisciplined, inexperienced, and furthermore emotional. Thus, clearly stating that the younger generation isn’t mature enough to comprehend how politics worked. It may seem that the paper is lopsided to the youth, considering that students are writing this, but history and reliable results showed that youth actively joining rallies and the likes had improved on how the government moved to eradicate situations disadvantageous to them, by compromising with their people.

The youth are actively involved in the injustice that the citizens have been receiving and neglecting to further allocate their time to resolve the issues urged by the people. Youth activists are very vocal and non-manipulative, they are not afraid of voicing out the struggles and problems they see towards the government, and because the government cannot control the mindset of these youth during the Marcos dictatorship he killed numerous people who have the potential to be a public servant because they don’t support his advocacy. And now the National Youth Chairman made a proposal to revoke the scholarships of those students who are anti-government. To stop them from opposing the decisions of the latest president, but the youth activists are unstoppable unless they got the right that they are fighting for. This is one of the main reasons why the numbers of youth activists are getting low because they are receiving different kinds of threats from the government, the students are also doing this for their family if their scholarship will be revoked their families will suffer. Youth activists have a great impact on our society for they are the one who voices out our struggles and problem towards the government but the government keeps on making them shut their mouth and force them to support the government or else they will haunt you. The government is completely aware that not everyone will be in favor of every decision on what they are doing, they should protect the countrymen but end up protecting only themselves, they should let the people voice out and express their freedom of speech because we live in a democratic country, but the problem is only those who are seated are the ones who are being heard. Instead of focusing on violence why not invest in the empowerment and support on the freedom of speech of the youth.

Supporting Evidence or facts

In the news article of Agoncillo (2018) of INQUIRER.NET, she featured five women activists in a procession called, Protesta de Mayo – a political version of the traditional Flores de Mayo, that was held at UP Diliman. The five women activists represented the injustices experienced by women under the Duterte administration by wearing symbolic gowns. The activists decried the hardships and struggles they experience by all political prisoners arrested on trumped-up charges for their activism. One of the activists wore a bloodied Filipiniana gown dotted with a bullet hole near the chest and also wore a yellow sash that says, “police line do not cross.” She said her outfit symbolizes the fight of all victims of extrajudicial killings. The activists also represented the 49 Lumad peasants and Moros killed because of the military operations under martial law. Human rights activist groups Karapatan and Hustisya, also a part of the Babae Ako, Lalaban Ako campaign, organized the Protesta de Mayo.

According to Santos (2017), a reporter from Los Angeles Times, a 13-year-old ninth-grader named Shibby, and other young activists are calling for the end of extrajudicial killings of suspected drug dealers and other aggressive policies by President Duterte. Shibby gave a speech at her school about making a stand against extrajudicial killings, creeping authoritarianism, and emerging dictatorship. After her speech, about 200 students and others marched through the streets to voice out their points. Moreover, in the news article of ABS-CBN news in 2017, a mass organization of Filipino youth and students called on President Duterte to resign because of the persistent killings of minors and largely poor suspects in his drug war. The leaders of the 400, 000-strong organization chanted, “Itigil na ang pagpatay! Duterte, resign!” at a press conference highlighting cases of the government threatening student activists and their families.

In the article of UP forum on the website of UP Diliman, it says that during martial law, “rebellious” organizations were banned and the student councils, publications, organizations were closed down or tightly watch by the State. Students continued fighting for what they believed in despite the repression they experienced. In 1977, Alpha Phi Omega, a fraternity, also defied the dictatorship and raise political awareness by doing the Oblation Run to promote “Hubad Bayani”, a play that exposed Marcos’ myths and condemned the atrocities committed under the martial law. In 2017, the Alpha Phi Omega staged again the Oblation Run in UP Diliman to call for an end to wars and to extrajudicial killings.

Conclusion

Many observers believe that the younger generation has become disengaged from political participation, reflecting, it is feared, a broader disenchantment and disconnect with representative democracy. Yet many of our traditional indicators, including patterns of voting turnout, church membership, and party activist, present only a partial perspective, and one that may now appear dated, reflecting the civic attachments and channels common during the 1950s but no longer mirroring contemporary politics.

Based on the evidence examined in the study, the report concludes with four main findings:

1. In terms of repertoires, the report confirms that engagement in political action, especially voting turnout and party membership, peaks among the middle-aged generation (those over 30 and under 60 years) as many others report;
2. Yet at the same time, younger people are more likely than their parents and grandparents to engage in political action, contrary to the thesis of youth apathy. A broadly linear pattern is found among successive cohorts in every type of society, suggesting a persistent generational shift, with important implications for representative democracy;
3. In terms of agencies, the report confirms many studies which have observed that the middle-aged also have the highest propensity to belong to traditional voluntary associations, notably political parties and churches;
4. Many previous studies also suggest that the generation gap is reversed with younger people more engaged with new social movements concerned with environmental or humanitarian issues, but the limited evidence presented in this study did not substantiate this proposition.

Therefore the comparison suggests that the political energies among the younger generation in postindustrial societies have diversified and flowed through cause-oriented activism, rather than simply ebbed away into apathy. Evidence in this report indicates that multiple contemporary channels of civic engagement, mobilization, and expression have emerged in postindustrial societies to supplement traditional modes.