FELLOW YOUTH, OUR GENERATION MUST NOT FAIL!

“Our generation has failed, yours must not.” said Mary Robinson the former president of Ireland and Chair of the Elders at One Young World. As I watched and listened, angst gripped me as I endeavoured to find resonance with her articulation.

“Is it possible for a generation to fail, and what does that mean?” I self-posited. The just concluded ‘One Young World’ summit in Manchester has been a pivotal moment in celebrating and encouraging youth efforts in embracing their role as key stakeholders in the globally acclaimed vision of realizing a better world. The summit held physically in Manchester, England, was a sign of better tiding for a world that has spent the better part of two years in the throes of a pandemic that continues to redefine life as we knew it pre-pandemic. The jubilation and aura of 2000+ of the worlds brightest youth change makers provided a much needed boost.

Upon reflection, I empathized with her assessment as evidenced by rampant conflicts, climate change, economic deprivations and inequalities that have led to lack of decent work, economic growth, quality education and the infrastructural dilapidation, leading to extreme poverty which stunts the potential of nearly a billion people on the planet from realizing a life of dignity and opportunity. Simply put, Mrs. Robinson’s generation didn’t do ‘enough’ to avoid and avert the catastrophes of our time despite earlier warnings.

OUR GENERATION MUST NOT FAIL! I define failure here as, ‘not doing what must be done to secure the present world for posterity when we still can. The signs are upon us; extreme poverty, inequalities in gender and education, climate change, conflicts etc.

As youth, we have the demographic dividend and the capacity. We must rise to the occasion.

Believe me, we can!

In her opening remarks, the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle painted the picture where she recounted her anxieties and doubts at being thrust on the world stage with little experience. We must work to empower ourselves and more young people to understand their role and contribution in achieving the SDGs and our shared heritage. Ignorance is nether blissful or excusable, it’s a fool’s paradise and recipe for disaster. We must not fail!

On the leadership front, we must continue to engage policy makers on alternatives that speak to the issues we care about. Where possible, we must aggressively engage in leadership contestations. Most importantly, as we take the reins of leadership we must be conscientious and commit to mentoring the next generation to inculcate ethical and character driven leadership. We must not fail; we (young people) have the most too loose.

We are leaders of tomorrow as well as of today. As ‘ONE’ global activists, we have the noble task of campaigning to end extreme poverty, preventable disease and promote global wellbeing by 2030, so that everyone, everywhere can lead a life of dignity and opportunity. WE MUST NOT FAIL! Too much is at stake. We surge forward, our path lit by the awareness of our noble task.

What began on high, ended on a waning note; Queen Elizabeth ll had passed on. Having become queen at the tender age of 27, being the head of state for U.K and leader of the commonwealth and steering both skilfully in the most turbulent of times, is testament to the fact that it is possible to develop ourselves and grow our capacities despite all odds.

Adored for her sense of duty, magnanimity et al. Her passing on should be a wakeup call: The next generation of leadership beckons; you(th) must be prepared to take your place.

Author: Moses Gichuho: Executive Director, Center for Leadership and Governance (CELEG)