EnMasse

[ouroboros]

So, what do you think are the most important issues facing young people? Mostly on the national level. What should groups be tackling when it comes to young people?

[TS.]

There are three for me (and most students at Trent):

1 - Global climate change. We would like to live to be in our seventies thank you very much.

2 - Poverty and inequality

3 - Access to education
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"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear." - Thomas Jefferson

[Admiral Awesome]

If we're going to go in three's, these are my top three.

1) Access to affordable education.

2) Access to affordable housing.

3) The Environment - climate change, etc.

[Raos]

I agree, VK and TS.

[Cartman]

As an older person, I hate the way younger Canadians have to deal with more shit than when I was in my late teens/early 20s. My first year of college tuition in 1987 was a staggering $582.00! I was mad because the company (that my folks worked for) only gave me a $500.00 scholarship. That meant I had to pay $82.00 for a year of tuition. I thought that was bullshit at the time considering my parents already paid taxes for the college to exist in the first place. IMO, older people prospered from many of the social programs that are now being cut. Take the money, run, and then demand a tax cut.

[Tehanu]

Cartman, I completely agree with you ... but as someone who started university in 1986 I object to your characterisation of yourself as an "older person." Dammit, that's not old!

Why, back in the day ...

Let's also add the elimination of grants from student aid programs, the reliance on institutional bursaries provided through philanthropy -- thus creating institutional differentiation, the vastly increased costs of residences, meal plans, ancillary fees including student services, a lot of which were partially or completely covered by university operating budgets ... the list goes on. Just take a look at the creeping incrementalism of the percentage of university budgets covered by tuition and ancillary fees.

[elmateo]

The future of:

The Planet - duh. I am not 'happy' about the direction of global politics, of the environment, the rest of it. These all seem to me to be pressing concerns about planetary survival, and they are being woefully underaddressed because people want to play get rich schemes for short term personal benefit. YARGHHhhghh!H

The Social Services I wont be heavily using for (hopefully) a few decades to come - things like pension plans, the heathcare system, etc. Why? Because a whole lot of people are going to be demanding these services as I enter the "work force" (my parents forexample) and I fear that their is a complete lack of understanding amongst a certain generation (I wont mention any names) that these services will be around for them when they need them, they just have decided since the 1990s that they don't need these services... and have been woefully underfunding them for their personal benefit.

Democracy within Canada: Political apathy amongst youths is a little scary. But what is more scary is what 'democracy' has come to mean in the unmentioned generation - I have a lot more respect for my parents' parents generation (utoh giving hints) who had a better understanding me thinks of this "democracy" and hadn't yet created a society that is so heavily influenced by corporations (eisenhower was still able to warn about the military industry complex in his day). I fear that the energy that I see a lot of youths having will get frustrated by a system which continually alienates people from a truer form of democracy. And I don't have any good 'solutions', except revolution [a sign of my youth maybe?]


Being young is frustrating!

I heard a really great snippet on Ideas last night about the responsibilities of elders to be activists. Was absolutely wonderful and heart warming - if only everyone could have a raging granny we wouldn't be so bad off.

[DSquared]

I think in terms of youth politics there is one critical group that has been neglected: working class youth.

I find much of youth politics rests on an assumption that the natural course after graduation from high school is to go to university, maybe do a couple of youth exchange programs, and then go on and use that education to be a "productive citizen." The reality is that many youth go to colleges and thus enter into the work force more quickly. In addition, some youth don't even enter into university, and under-employment of university graduates is a huge problem. And although not the majority, the numbers of people in their early 20s who have children is not insignificant. So I think that many of these youth organisations, the bulk of their membership being university students, are not speaking to the needs of many young people.
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This is pre-eminently the time, to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself-Franklin Delano Roosevelt

[TS.]

Part of the problem is that groups like the Canadian Federation of Students are uncritically accepted as the "voice of youth." Even if they are being critical of the government, the criticism is coming largely from middle-class students, which makes it "legitimate" in the eyes of the government. Something needs to be done to ensure that young people who do not go to university or college (since CFS represents college students as well) are heard.
_________________
"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear." - Thomas Jefferson

[DSquared]

[bshmr]

My 'wild ride' on this follows this PR about children being banned from school canteen on days parent passively unemployed. Hellava issue for 'kids' to deal with, much less solve.

http://www.connexionfrance.com/Children-unemployed-school-canteen-T...

Children excluded from canteens
September 07, 2011