Is Access Granted or Taken?
A generation of young people accustomed to immediate, open access in most areas has been effectively shut out of public decision making on issues and policies that affect their lives. Can older people and organizations rectify this situation, or do young people simply need to stop waiting to be asked to the dance?
While Millennials are pragmatic and not prone to extreme ideologies, they are left without an overarching political philosophy to guide their interest in or opinion of government affairs. They have a sense of futility about political involvement, particularly with regard to changing policy—the kinds of strategies tried by their parents with little or no societal impact.
“There is a chasm between general interests in causes and particular things we can do as individuals,” says Ben Rattray. “People want to feel that they are part of a critical mass of people dedicated to one overriding cause.”
David Smith, founder of Mobilize.org, continues: “There is an opportunity cost for young people of when and where to dedicate their time. They don’t know how to get started; they didn’t even know that public officials would meet with them. They keep doing service after high school, but because they don’t teach civic education and teachers are scared of political involvement, they don’t know how to access the political arena.”
The themes Rattray and Smith raise were echoed often in the interviews conducted for this paper. Young people feel they have no access to decision makers and decision making, particularly with regard to public policy. This too often and too easily stops them from participating in policy-related discussions and efforts. Ginger Thomson, the CEO of YouthNoise, echoed other respondents when she said, “Young people need more training, guidance, and supportive places to build a constituency for their causes.”
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"While Millennials are pragmatic and not prone to extreme ideologies, they are left without an overarching political philosophy to guide their interest in or opinion of government affairs. They have a sense of futility about political involvement, particularly with regard to changing policy—the kinds of strategies tried by their parents with little or no societal impact."
I would have to say that instead of futility there is an ever increasing awareness in the consciousness of Millenials that the "King is dead" and his clothes well he has not had any for a long long time. Our parents did not stick with the movements they began or more appropriately were not encouraged to stick with the movements or even at a deeper root just did not have the discipline the strong focus or the sustainable vision of what the future should be like.
We know the old system has to die and be reborn from the ashes but the egos and the powers that are sitting on the differing institutions are generally pushing with all their might to keep it all up for just one more day. This of course is by no fault of their own since no one is really truly prepared or knows what changes need to be made at the very core of our societies to truly bring forth the new golden age.
“Young people need more training, guidance, and supportive places to build a constituency for their causes.”
The above hits on it in a nutshell. For every organization I have been party to that fly banners high about change they all seem to fundamentally operate in the manner that new ideas are meant for idealism and not true practical application. I do not know how many times I have been in groups stating one or more core mission statements that I was deeply interested in. Months went by and disillusionment set in. Those core mission statements were truly a smokescreen for doing something in a forceful direction with the support of others rather than solving the fundamental problems the mission statement declared as the intent.
I often say if the power systems are to be transferred with the least amount of conflict and desperation we will need to create safe spaces to foster think tanks and practical working groups to solve the many problems we face. Within this space no age no status and no educational level is required to participate just a willingness to engage and an openness to growing in the direction of solution not problem. To dictate to new generations by action and by force that the only way ahead is via a system that has failed in so many ways is a tragic tale so many of us feel great disease about.
The solution: A conscious movement to new paradigms and the allowance to do so and the renewing of some very core human connections and support systems we have lost along the way.
peace out!!
M.PhoenixCrow
Love this piece! Thanks!
It's a really good one!
I mean really, really good!
"While Millennials are pragmatic and not prone to extreme ideologies, they are left without an overarching political philosophy to guide their interest in or opinion of government affairs. They have a sense of futility about political involvement"
These words are very true, but I feel that young people still understand what good, progressive ideas for development and social change are when they see them. However, these ideas and movements have been coming piecemeal to members of the millenial generation, and have only been paid cynical lip-service by leading political parties in the US. What will it take to educate social citizens about interconnections between the immediately visible and diverse needs of our society (clean renewable energy , healthy and accessible food supply, educational opportunity, equitable physical and mental health care, workforce development etc)?
I have begun to believe that one of the keys to engagement, and perhaps the development of a truly new political and social change platform, would be the ability to communicate these interconnections between social, ecologic, and economic systems and structures in a way that communicates how advocacy or action in one area must be reinforced and scaled-up by additional action in a related area. A model needs to be developed to illustrate how spreading support (especially financial support) to a broader base of organizations can help target systemic, sustainable impact. A tool like this could help stitch together the innumerable camps and causes of the progressive NPO sector into a visioning and action platform that fosters social and political identity and action.
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