Iskra Abello , Undergraduate student at the University of Concepción, 8th Region, Chile
According to experts, one of the underlying traits of young people is their desire to change the world and their passionate ideas. Those of us who have passed through young adulthood, or who are living it now, know that it is the time in your life in which you are most worried about “saving the world.” As young adults, we want to knock down the barriers of inequality, reduce poverty, get rid of discrimination, find justice for the oppressed and improve the environment. To do those things we organize marches, share our statuses on social network sites and belong to charity and environmental groups. Nonetheless, can we see any real changes? Personally I believe there is no such thing as a perfect world and that there never will be perfection on this earth. However, I do think it is possible to make improvements, and that’s why our role as young people is crucial; it is our duty to influence the decisions made by our governments. State politicians have a major impact on the welfare of the population; although they are not responsible for our happiness, they do provide us with the foundations upon which we build our lives. As I see it, it is impossible for us to change the culture and dynamics of the government’s actions. However, I believe that young people are agents of change; when we unite and speak out for justice we can inspire the general population to join in and raise their voices alongside ours; this is how we can shake up the government, move the politicians out of their comfort zones, make demands, force them to see that we are a thinking people, so therefore…. They should be careful; they cannot just do whatever they please! As a student in Chile, I have personally experienced the power that people have when they unite. While some might say that things have not really changed, I feel that it is a real triumph that we were able to start a movement, which started out as a student initiative, but which was eventually backed by the larger population. No one could remain indifferent to our plight and we forced the government to see us in a different light. Currently, it seems to me that the main barriers standing in the way of significant change are rooted in the economic interests that pull the strings of the government; policies are generally approved or vetoed for their benefit. What can we do? Educate ourselves, be aware, come up with our own thoughts and conclusions and make demands based on an intelligent platform. We need a population that thinks, and not one with a mob and pitchfork mentality.
