Let me preface this by saying that I am absolutely grateful to be living in a democracy and by no means does this post imply that I want a revolution in America. But I’m curious . . .
The April 6 Youth Movement is credited with being the force behind the events we’ve watched unfold in Egypt. They had been meeting for months with Nobel prizewinner Mohamed ElBarade to study the works of Gandhi, MLK and Gene Sharp; learning the philosophy and practices of non-violent resistance and civil disobedience. The youth movement’s vibrancy and success has led Egyptian scholar Emad Shahin to say, “The [Muslim] Brotherhood is no longer the most effective player in the political arena [in Egypt]”. This is a BIG deal.
Their organization, their tenacity, their technological savviness, their hope, their love for their country – I find all of this truly inspiring. So, I’m curious . . .
Is a youth-led movement like this possible in the USA? I realize we aren’t in need of the same type of uprising, but think about it. . . Are young people in the USA too apathetic, too self-centered to work this hard to make change happen at this level? OR Are we (adults in power and leadership) too unwilling to take our young people seriously enough to ever allow their passions to go this far?
What are your thoughts? Do we really care about the voice of our young people in this country? Do they even have anything worth listening to?
