YOUTH MONTH
By Sane Zondi (Assistance Commissioning Editor : Youth) and the Youth ke Yona team
1976: a year marked by racial injustice, white supremacy and an oppressive government rule.
June 16, 1976: a day where youth of this country took action and changed the future of all South African youth and the country as a whole. Visuals from this day certainly invoke a spirit of courage, resistance, determination and an unwavering vision. The youth of 76 knew where they wanted to be, they knew what they wanted out of life and they knew how to get it!
2011: 35 years after the youth uprising. It is a year that is marked by high levels of unemployment, crime, substance abuse; notably amongst the youth and starkly increasing, diverse gap between rich and poor. The cost of higher education has been increasing consistently for the past three years; making it inaccessible to a majority of the countries’ youth.
June 16, 2011: a day on which we as a country, and more importantly the youth, reminisce in the spirit of 76. We celebrate the freedom granted to us by the youth of 76! The freedom of choice, freedom of expression and the freedom to be true to you and all that you rightfully stand for.
Yet there is very little to be joyful for in all this freedom, when one looks at the realities that youth are faced with on daily basis. Some seem to have been suffocatingly intoxicated by this freedom and use it instead to indulge and self destruct in their addiction of choice.
The thing about facing adversity is that it can either build or cripple you. The youth of 76 clearly rose through their adversity, proud and poised like the phoenix.
But it seems the youth of today are fast fading through our challenges. Some by circumstance and other by lack of vision and poor decision making. Our government often says that a child future should never be pre-determined by the circumstances and social limitations they are born into. And yes, they do make attempts to make sure that this indeed does not happen and all children and youth are given resources, knowledge and support to reach demonstrate their potential and reach their dreams.
But where are the youth in all this? Where is the spirit we inherited from our predecessors in 76? When do we reach our limit and say we can not allow ourselves to be subjected to these realities any longer. We will not allow ourselves to be crippled by circumstances. When do we get all those gone off the tracks to navigate their way back so we can progress as a generation?
We need to conjure the spirit of 76 and let it save us from ourselves
SABC Education; Youth ke Yona- positioning the youth to take decisive action now!
By Sane Zondi (Assistance Commissioning Editor : Youth) and the Youth ke Yona team
1976: a year marked by racial injustice, white supremacy and an oppressive government rule.
June 16, 1976: a day where youth of this country took action and changed the future of all South African youth and the country as a whole. Visuals from this day certainly invoke a spirit of courage, resistance, determination and an unwavering vision. The youth of 76 knew where they wanted to be, they knew what they wanted out of life and they knew how to get it!
2011: 35 years after the youth uprising. It is a year that is marked by high levels of unemployment, crime, substance abuse; notably amongst the youth and starkly increasing, diverse gap between rich and poor. The cost of higher education has been increasing consistently for the past three years; making it inaccessible to a majority of the countries’ youth.
June 16, 2011: a day on which we as a country, and more importantly the youth, reminisce in the spirit of 76. We celebrate the freedom granted to us by the youth of 76! The freedom of choice, freedom of expression and the freedom to be true to you and all that you rightfully stand for.
Yet there is very little to be joyful for in all this freedom, when one looks at the realities that youth are faced with on daily basis. Some seem to have been suffocatingly intoxicated by this freedom and use it instead to indulge and self destruct in their addiction of choice.
The thing about facing adversity is that it can either build or cripple you. The youth of 76 clearly rose through their adversity, proud and poised like the phoenix.
But it seems the youth of today are fast fading through our challenges. Some by circumstance and other by lack of vision and poor decision making. Our government often says that a child future should never be pre-determined by the circumstances and social limitations they are born into. And yes, they do make attempts to make sure that this indeed does not happen and all children and youth are given resources, knowledge and support to reach demonstrate their potential and reach their dreams.
But where are the youth in all this? Where is the spirit we inherited from our predecessors in 76? When do we reach our limit and say we can not allow ourselves to be subjected to these realities any longer. We will not allow ourselves to be crippled by circumstances. When do we get all those gone off the tracks to navigate their way back so we can progress as a generation?
We need to conjure the spirit of 76 and let it save us from ourselves
SABC Education; Youth ke Yona- positioning the youth to take decisive action now!
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