"A society's soul is best revealed in how it treats its children." - Nelson Mandela
Is the world still safe for the youth? Yes or no, the answer is not actually the panacea. The genesis of this century saw the rise of menaces. If this continues and if the world fails to provide safe spaces for the youth, every one's hope ought to be dashed for nothing would be expected from the youth.
The world is becoming more and more hazardous for young people, hampering their growth and development. While it is a fact that adolescents and young adults who comprise 'Generation Hope' have strong aspirations and enormous capabilities, too often they meet barriers in realising their potential as productive citizens.
Now, this becomes the problem. Humanity peregrinates a long road marching for a better world where every one can survive and thrive. They prepare the world for the future and in this quest, pampering the youth is a prerequisite.
As per CIA World Factbook, youth demographics profile account to 1.2 billion or 16% of the world population. Such number has the potential of transforming the world, that is, if youth are given safe spaces to grow and prosper.
Youth of today exist as themselves in a four- dimensional character in a four- dimensional world referred to as 'spaces'. They are citizens, peers, netizens, humans. Alike as they may sound, this essay seeks to elucidate the youth's characters and in the end answer why safe spaces is a necessity.
Youth as Citizens
Good governance has participatory as its first characteristic and its key cornerstone. In a socity where youth already embarked intense political engagement illuminated with the student protests way back 1960s in the US and Europe, and citizens and youth protests in the Philippines and South Korea, youth participation in the political process has been observed.
However, alienation and non- consultation in the political arena prevails until today. The youth's voice is still regarded as lower in volume, if not silenced. While it is true that in the Philippines, Sangguniang Kabataan is already breathed to life, it is actually coupled with the fear to expose political views. Youth are still manipulated by their own biases and at times the official of this organization itself harms another youth.
Youth's voice has to be heard, loud and clear without the fear of judgement. Safe civic space is encouraged so that more and more voices are heard for now is the time to make youth's voice heard at the decision- making table regardless of their political affliations, political ideologies, and political aspirations.
Reviving SK in the Philippines does not create anything unless, their voices are heard, and their voices would only be heard if safe space is ensured.
Youth as Peers
The very heart of placemaking is bringing the community together. From passive green space to active gathering place, from bypassed backroads to lively crossroads, from big box wastelands to market cities, it's all about thinking of creative ways to provide a place where the youth could go during leisure times or even have quality time.
There is this Project for Public Safety (PPS) in New York City which is a nonprofit planning, design, and educational organization dedicated to helping people create and sustain public spaces that build stronger community.
The world needs more PPS. Places with parks, gardens, sports facilities would definitely divert the attention of young people from vices such as drug abuse, smoking and alcohol drinking.
Youth as Netizens
With the advent of modern technology wherein the world seems to be at the fingertips of the youth, they become susceptible to cyberbullying and cybercrimes. Studies have shown that youth are the most active users of social media thus increases their vulnerability rate.
In a study conducted in 2015 entitled "Cybercrime Victimization: A Multi- nation Study" conducted in Finland, USA, Germany, and UK, results revealed that threat of violence were among the most common forms of victimization and youth of younger age are mostly prone to be the victims.
In social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, the idea of providing safe space for the youth lies on the youth themselves. Since, as netizens, they use such, they should also partake with the responsibility of creating a digital space free from bashing, victim blaming, identity theft, proliferating fake news and so on. This is through thinking before clicking.
Youth as Humans
The sad reality is that, risks escalate on the part of underpriveleged and marginalized youth where misery has always been with them.
According to Jayathma Wickramayake of UN Youth Envoy, more than 400 million young people live in areas affected by armed conflict, ot organized violence. Millions more face from deprivation, harassment, bullying, and other infringement of their rights. This expatiates the cataclysm that the youth endure.
The physical space where youth dwell most of the time has the greatest task of keeping itself safe for it has actually the strongest impact to a child's mental, emotional, physical, moral, and spiritual aspect as a human being.
What awaits the bully and his target in the Ateneo De Manila Junior High School Bullying Incident? How do LGBTQI youth community live their lives amid discrimination on gender identity and expression? Certainly, without safe spaces, youth who are underpriveleged and marginalized would futher suffer and would be alienated.
Indeed, the call for safe spaces require youth voice, youth empowerment, youth engagement. These three are anchored on the purpose of letting the youth live, survive and thrive in a welcoming and inclusive environment.
In this way, youth become seeds that are planted in good soil, with good exposure to sunlight, supplied with good amount of water, eventually grow healthy, and would soon bear good fruits. Only through caring for the youth, addressing their concerns, welcoming and including them that an investment for a brighter tomorrow is assured.
"In making the world safe for young people, we make the world better for all." - Antonio Gutterres (UN Secretary- General)