Opinion: Student political activities seemed to get under some political, talkback and social media skins this week, as they had the previous week when secondary school students confronted a politician. To my mind the evidence of politically activated young people is great. The more the better.
Much of the activation concerns climate, exemplified by Generation Zero which expresses its objectives in terms of climate justice and a positive message of “collective wellbeing, community building, and hope”. Not much evidence there of negativity or wrecking.
The thing many critical observers get riled about is actually the strongest aspect of their work and the expressions of it seen recently. That is the recognition of the related nature of many injustices that surround climate.
Much of the criticism is directed by the view that such matters are not related. “If only they would focus just on global warming”, “What do Māori issues have to do with it?”, “Why do they drag colonialism into it?”. These are the same disingenuous criticisms we have always heard about activism.
To me the spread of banners at recent protests shows how well the connections are understood. In previous times some protests did tend to be single issue in focus. Often this enabled them to draw in wide-ranging support. The narrow focus was a strength in that it sometimes encouraged wider participation on the single issue but a weakness in that it suggested or encouraged the idea that the evils being addressed did in fact stand alone.
So you could be against a racist rugby tour, but not understand or be concerned with its relationship to colonialism in Aotearoa. Against a particular war but not militarism in general. Against some gender discriminations but not all aspects of it. Against some aspect of resource exploitation but not all. Against climate change but not the things causing it.
You do not have to be a conspiracy theorist to see why those who benefit from things as they are, or who mistakenly believe they benefit, prefer their activists in single issue form. It confines and limits them. It allows them to feel comfortable that all is not being challenged and in disorder.
To go back to the Generation Zero activists. On their website they express their concerns in terms of “Share your hopes with us” which follows an online poll they conducted among supporters and interested people. The word cloud (a common technique for policy formation) they produced from this focuses on the largest word “community”, closely followed by “climate justice” and “tiriti justice”. These are the central “hopes”, remember, not grievances, problems. To me it is inspiring that young activists have this perspective, it’s about as inclusive and positive as it could be.
The smaller parts of the cloud contain such specific hopes as “better cycle ways”, “more urban farms”, “less waste” and “fair pay” and more general and aspirational hopes such as “supporting each other”, “education” and “positive future” and simply “love”. There are also notes on youth, disability and gender justice, and reflecting a major current issue “a free Palestine”. I think it is inspiring and encouraging that these are the hopes of our young.
I can feel the groans from some critics about Palestine but this is such a prevalent and in-our-faces subject, so pressing in all major global debates, that I think it would be odd if it were not present. There are always famines somewhere, wars of oppression somewhere, disasters somewhere. Particularly gross or publicised examples of each capture attention and are seen to encapsulate the others, it’s just the nature of human attention. The shocking events in Palestine do that and rightly so. In fact a short article on the Generation Zero site ties together decolonisation here and climate concerns in a manner that resonates with many. Hence why one sees tino rangitiratanga signs at Palestine activities and Palestine signs at climate activities or demonstrations of mana motuhake.
I want to come back to the hope concept. Among the huge number of things to be positive about with young people there is the rightful deep concern about the personal distress which many feel about themselves. Many lose hope because of how they experience their lives. It is recognition of this that Mike King’s fight against such pain and its all-too-common suicidal outcome is labelled “I Am Hope”.
As their site says they have one goal – positive societal attitudinal change. They take the view that negative thoughts are universal, about ourselves and the world we live in. Many young people are left feeling isolated and alone. In a world that does not recognise their distress, being surrounded by and experiencing hope is the key to positive outcomes. You could say the problem is us not them.
Hope may not be a strategy as is commonly said. Fair enough but equally a strategy not backed by hope is useless.
So when we see young people expressing hopes like Generation Zero, they should not be rejected or scoffed at or criticised. They should be welcomed and supported.
Not only that. They are right. As earlier generations were right about protests that were regarded then as outrageous, or worse.
Thanks Rob, very well expressed. The way we live and connect to others is an important aspect of reigning in our carbon footprint and ecological overshoot, when we are so dependent on imports and exports.
Israel’s grab of Palestinian’s land is equal to the worst aspects of western colonialism. So, even if you thought the massacre of Palestinian women and children was ok – perhaps the bombing of Gaza at an intensity and carbon footprint equal to any recent war should of concern to us. And yes, the oil and gas reserves off the coast of Gaze has something to do with it.
I am positive about the future, which will draw us closer to our communities and nature. During the COVID lockdown, many people discovered the joys of spending time with their family, and the wonderful walkways, remanentes of bush close to their homes. The answer to mental well being is also re-localisation, connecting to a local share economy and your community, while at the same time expressing solidarity for those that have the same aspirations like Palestinians and Tangata Whenua .
Bravo Rob Campbell. At the moment we are witnessing a battle-royal between individualism and community, between greed and necessity, between short-termism and care for our kids, and most of all – between the childish fantasy of endless GDP growth and the implacable laws of physics.
Radical and rapid change is essential. We have to find a new economic pathway – one that accepts the need for less consumption, less inequality and more teamwork. Yet our current coalition government is deliberately removing any legislation designed to protect our environment, reduce emissions, and ensure that our kids have some hope of a viable future. Their attitude might have seemed appropriate in the 19th century; in the 21st century it seems nothing short of deliberate show-motion genocide.
I’ll be out there supporting our rangatahi as long as I’m well enough to be able to walk with them.
I love to see the activism of youth. But I wish it were based on facts and not so much wishy washy ideals that have no practical value at all.
examples of this wishy washy stuff?
I’d guess that what Kevin Trenberth could be talking about would be the promised wholescale benefits of neo-liberalism.
I see nothing whatsoever that is ‘wishy washy’ about wanting to be able to continue to live safely on our planet with sufficient food and water available and reasonable secure shelter.
Wishy-washy? Not so. The students at the SS4C event I attended presented a cogent list of specific demands. Many of them also concluded the event by filling out submissions on the Christchurch City Council’s current Long-term Plan as it touches upon climate as related matters.
The real wishy-washy ‘ideals’ are coming from our MPs – yes, the people whose salaries we pay so they can plan for the future. Their bickering, blame deflection and greenwashing is a direct and shameful betrayal of our kids’ future.
The confronting reality is that per capita, Kiwis have a very high GHG footprint – several times higher than what we need if we want to prevent a global economic meltdown, enormous suffering, and mass migration. It’s time our selfish complacency was challenged.
“Wishy-washy”? Not at all. In fact these young demonstrators had fashioned some very clear demands which they presented to local governments and Parliament. They are to be applauded for their clear vision.
Thanks Rob – this is a terrific article and rightly calls out how this fundamental change imposed on the nation by this government’s extreme neoliberal ideology is influencing a wide range of inter related issues. It’s great that at least our school children see that!
As bad as that is, there is an opportunity here for each of us so severely impacted in our own way by this shitstorm/maelstrom, to rise up and come together to create a better vision of the society we want. And through protest and the political process, replace this regime with one that can deliver on our aspirations.