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What youths can do if given the chance
Collen Farai Mugabe
May 11, 2005

As one of a young and dynamic generation I strongly believe that if given a chance and adequate resources we can successfully change the world to be a better place. Looking at political issues, youths are being said to be leaders of tomorrow but they are denied a chance to lead and express them selves freely. All that youths are asking for is to be leaders of today. Political parties in Zimbabwe tend to use youths to engage in violent campaigns and demonstrations. Now as youths we believe it's high time that this should come to an end. NGOs should be there to educate youths to peacefully fight for whatever they want, and to stop them being abused through police brutality.

As young people we are worried about what the country will be like in the next twenty years. These old politicians must give us a chance to speak our minds freely. Day and night we are worried about employment, we cannot access important information about politics since most of the information we access is giving us lies that is meant to brainwash us and pretend that everything is normal. The TV and the radio are not open and are just publishing the same information day in and day out. Instead of youths going to the Internet to look for educative programs and informative websites they devote most of their time to music which has been banned on both the local radio and TV.

As youths we are saying that there is no freedom to listen to international music and reading independent newspapers must be considered our right that must not be affected by politics. As Martin Luther King wrote "freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed". As the oppressed in this case we must stand up for our rights. There is need for communication and at the same time we must believe in ourselves and be true to the people that we will be accountable to. Let us take a closer look at the present regime that is dominated by these old and unaccountable leaders who are concerned about driving flashy cars and living in big houses in the low-density suburbs. They don't have the interests of those who elected them into power. Let us peacefully organise our selves and make great use of the Internet. We can pass information amongst our selves and logically present our ideas to the world and seek further information.

People must not think that since we are youths we have got nothing to offer. They must give us a platform so that we can express ourselves without fear of facing problems with the government's tools of oppression. Also on the youths' side we must be there to sacrifice the few that we have in this fight against an unjust government. It is said, " if you are not prepared to die for your freedom then you don't deserve to live".

So as leaders of today and tomorrow let us participate in mass demonstrations.

*This essay was written during a Kubatana motivational workshop, 10-11 May 2005

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