'Activist: a person who campaigns to bring about political or social change.'
Young people don't know they are allowed and even welcome to open council meetings and local area meetings, this must change.
The older generations think that young people don't care about what they do or where they live, you'd be surprised at the number of young people (some as young as 11) who care massively about the problems around them.
I am 23, and I'm now seeing the problems growing around us, as a child I couldn't and maybe didn't want to but the younger generation now have so much feeling and emotion about the country and world we/they live in.
The fact that they are being blocked at every turn is giving them no incentive to want to grow and become what you might consider a constructive member of today's society.
We as a country should want to encourage young people to be involved but it looks like the powers that be are trying their hardest to push them away or sway them to focus on something different, that's why I decided to be part of a charitable organisation that focuses on showing young people their political and legal rights in the hopes that they come to us with project ideas and campaigns. We won't run the projects for them but we will give them the skills, training and encouragement needed to feel positive to the fact that they can do it themselves.
I decided to be part of the Youth Led Action training because it gave me the resources to help other young people realise and understand their political and legal rights and possibilities of today.
To those reading who hold a negative opinion on the younger generation please try and understand that a large number of us really are trying to better the world, and also remember that you were also young once, you had your social movement actions and political issues just like us, it's just that we have new ways of overcoming our troubles whether that be using social media or protesting on the street. Before you judge please take the time to listen to us, we might be able to work together!
Norfolk County Council deliver open council meetings often and they are always open for you to go and voice any issues or opinions you may have,
Please go, if not for you then for the generation after.
The next meeting is on May 8, 10am at County Hall in Norwich.
I'll see you there.
The EDP's Young People's Takeover is in association with The Inspiration Trust.
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