December 2020 Archive
Editor's Note
December, finally bringing an end to the infinite year of 2020, paradoxically brought new beginnings. This month, for The Gen Z Times, was the month we most grew as a community. Before I comment on this edition, I would like to thank all of our new followers and welcome them into our community — welcome! To us, The Gen Z Times is not an activism account in which we post and you like/share; it is a hub of information everyone benefits from and contributes to. Again, welcome; we hope you enjoy your stay!
This edition's theme revolves around self-reflection. While I was writing the Editorial, I got entranced in my retrospection of my journey in activism (am I really an activist?), and I am more than honored to say that I learned a lot about myself culturally after writing this editorial. Reading our amazing submissions also seized tears from my eyes, making me discover even more about myself and this beautiful, surprising world we live in. I honestly hope you benefit as much as I did while reading this edition, because we are blessed to have all of these texts.
Happy reading,
Catarina.
Editorial
The Westernization of Activism and its Impacts in the Youth of Developing Countries
Catarina Castro
As the corona virus spreads around the world, so did information. Progressively, young people around the world have become more aware of issues about their own surroundings. With social isolation came social awareness; however, information about developed countries reach mainstream media much quicker than about developing ones. As a consequence, young activists from these developing countries often neglect — or simply do not know — about what is actually happening in developing countries. Although these two issues are also pivotal to understand and inform others about, these issues have certainly saturated in media, and bringing awareness to issues in other parts of the globe would be beneficial to all activists. As an activist from a developing country, I am often discouraged by the lack of representation I and some of my neighbours have; time and energy that could be spent on informing others about the imminent crises in our countries is often wasted on informing others about situations overly addressed in activism profiles. We, from developing countries, have an internalized hatred for our country: we often think that our countries' issues are irreversible, and it would be a waste of energy and time to talk about them. It takes work and introspection to get over this stigma, and it is reinforced by activism being westernized; that is why activists from developing countries can be discouraged by only seeing Western issues being addressed. Furthermore, not addressing issues in developing countries builds a narrow mind in young activists elsewhere, and this disables them from growing as activists. The impacts of the westernization of activism includes the discouragement of young activists from developing countries and reinforcing our hatred for our country.
As an activist and international student from a developing country, it is my goal to raise awareness about the situations happening in my country, since they are rarely addressed in mainstream media. However, some issues are addressed in mainstream media, and activism accounts around the world often fail to recognize them. Activism needs to be as intersectional as possible, and in order to do that, activists around the world need to pay attention to issues beyond their own borders as well. If they do not, it is very likely that some of our issues will be swept under the rug and over publicized issues will take over again. Since our issues are often not portrayed by mainstream media, it is pivotal to look for activists from developing countries so one can get informed as much as possible, and use their own power to spread this information. If this is not done, activists from developing countries can follow one of both roads: being completely discouraged to be an activist in the international community or stop addressing their issues entirely, only addressing the ones addressed by mainstream media. Either way, activists from developing countries will fall even deeper into the hole of self-hatred and hatred of our own country.
A question that often occurs to us is what is patriotism, and whether or not we are patriotic. Living in a Westernized society that implies that developing countries are inferior only due to their "status", we are not patriotic. By westernizing activism, this stigma is just being reinforced by not addressing our issues. However, when our issues are addressed, they soon subside. A prominent example of this phenomenon is the Yemen Crisis: in late May-early June, young activists from the United States started raising awareness about the humanitarian, social, political, and economic crisis occurring in Middle Eastern Yemen. Nonetheless, this crisis officially commenced in early 2011. The "hype" lasted for only a few months, and it limited to hashtags, infographics, and sketchy donation sites. After Yemen stopped being popular in "activism TikTok", the focus shifted back to issues happening in the United States of America, such as defunding the police and reproductive rights. Consequently, people's minds — especially young ones — become narrow.
However, the reversal of these impacts entirely depends on us. Although some of us do not have access to what is happening beyond Western borders, it is essential to do anything in your power to get informed about these issues. To do that, follow and support activists and celebrities from developing countries, alongside hearing us out about our own issues. Finally, it is pivotal to hear us out and not invalidate our experiences in developing countries; without that, we will be stuck in the infinite loophole that is misinformation and lack thereof.
Politics
Indonesia's Youth Population Growth
Kaleb Mordechai
In 2018, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) stated that, “Indonesia’s working age population (ages 15-64) is growing.”(1) With an increase of Indonesia’s working age population, this is the perfect opportunity for economic growth because there is a great potential of productivity and creativity. (2) One of the ways Indonesia can maximize this opportunity is by improving its quality of education. (3)
Furthermore, 2020 hasn’t been the ideal year for everyone around the world. With a global pandemic, a lot of schools are closed and have moved from offline learning to online learning. This transition wasn’t easy for a lot of people, because not everyone has WiFi in their homes, and not everyone has a good quality computer in their homes to do online learning. (4) To
fix this problem, the Indonesian government has allocated Rp. 1.9 trillion (around $128.4 million) for cellular data subsidies. However, this budget was unable to help everyone. (5)
The government’s resources are very limited and sometimes we cannot fully rely on the government for everything in time like this. So it is also up to us, as the young working age population, to see this not as a problem but as an opportunity to help others who are less fortunate. We can help each other by volunteering to teach those who have trouble doing online learning, or by donating anything that can be used. Let’s do whatever we can to help maximize this great opportunity for a better future for Indonesia.
(1) Creating Jobs for Indonesia's Youth: Five Charts That Matter. (2018). Retrieved 24 October 2020, from https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2018/01/26/NA020718-Creating-Jobs-for-Indonesia-Youth-Five-Charts-That-Matter#:~:text=Indonesia%E2%80%94the%20fourth%20most%20populous,workforce%20will%20need%20quality%20jobs.
(2) Population of Indonesia - Demographic Composition | Indonesia Investments. (2017). Retrieved 24 October 2020, from https://www.indonesia-investments.com/culture/population/item67
(3)Ibid
(4) Angdhiri, R. (2020). Challenges of home learning during a pandemic through the eyes of a student. Retrieved 24 October 2020, from https://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2020/04/11/challenges-of-home-learning-during-a-pandemic-through-the-eyes-of-a-student.html
(5) Olivia, L., & Shofa, J. (2020). Students and Teachers to Receive Internet Subsidy for Online Classes. Retrieved 24 October 2020, from https://jakartaglobe.id/news/students-and-teachers-to-receive-internet-subsidy-for-online-classes
Sources
https://www.indonesia-investments.com/culture/population/item67
https://jakartaglobe.id/news/students-and-teachers-to-receive-internet-subsidy-for-online-classes
-John F. Kennedy
“Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”
We Need to Slap SLAPP-SUITS
Mantrana Mahi Agarwal
“I'll sue you in the American court.”
-John F. Kennedy
One of Bollywood’s most iconic lines. Well, we’ve all heard of the term “ I’ll sue you” but what does that mean? Well in dictionary terms it means “institute legal proceedings against (a person or institution), typically for redress.” It is formally called a lawsuit, i.e. “a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the civil court of law.”
According to Wikipedia, a typical lawsuit plays out like this- “ The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint. If the plaintiff is successful, judgment is in the plaintiff's favour, and a variety of court orders may be issued to enforce a right, award damages, or impose a temporary or permanent injunction to prevent an act or compel an act. A declaratory judgment may be issued to prevent future legal disputes.
A lawsuit may involve dispute resolution of private law issues between individuals, business entities or non-profit organizations. A lawsuit may also enable the state to be treated as if it were a private party in a civil case, as plaintiff, or defendant regarding an injury, or may provide the state with a civil cause of action to enforce certain laws. The conduct of a lawsuit is called litigation. The plaintiffs and defendants are called litigants and the attorneys representing them are called litigators.”
In most cases, lawsuits are filed by companies against each other in the field of business, but this is where things get darker. A lawsuit can be filed against individuals as well. So for a moment, imagine yourself as a high school student filming a documentary on the Delhi Riots. Let’s say you include highly sensitive information that brings about more transparency in the so-called “transparent” government of India. In order to maintain their so-called transparency, the Government of India can file a lawsuit against you for let’s say Rs .10,00,000 for some bluff reason. Before the matter can even reach the court- you need to hire a lawyer, a lawyer that costs approximately Rs. 5,00,000 per hour. So instead of spending about lakhs of money investing in a good lawyer, you simply pay a fine of Rs. 10,00,000 and take down the video. Now it may seem perfectly fine to you and not that big of a deal, but if you look closely, it’s a clear, well indirect violation of Freedom of Speech and Expression.
Such lawsuits can be filed against anyone- a big corporation against a freelancer or even a corrupt politician against a reporter. At the end of the day, all these lawsuits aim to achieve is the silence of an individual and probably some money but isn’t this integral part of the law trespassing over the basic pillar of equality created by the law itself? Not all lawsuits are bad- We need lawsuits that help protect the rights of individuals, privacy, valid corporate matters and more but what we do not need is SLAPP suits i.e by definition- “A strategic lawsuit against public participation is a lawsuit intended to censor, intimidate, and silence critics by burdening them with the cost of a legal defence until they abandon their criticism or opposition.” My words can be used against me. My actions can be used against me. But when the law is against you, and you’ve done absolutely nothing but use Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights- The Freedom of Opinion and Expression, isn’t it going against its very principle? If not known, it is the law’s duty to protect Human Rights.
Nothing in the world is perfect. Similarly even the legal system has tonnes of loopholes that nasty people take advantage of. But we must remember, at the end of the day, it is the very law that they exploit that leads to their downfall. I always wondered why a Human Rights Lawyer is extremely hard to find.. And from my understanding, it’s the constant fear of a SLAPP Suit. Well, a SLAPP Suit could be used for good purposes, I’m not saying it can’t, but when something does more harm than good, we need to stop using it, or at least arrange some kind of protection for its victims. If we really want to debate about the one percent of good SLAPP suits do, and if we really want them to stay in place for that one percent of good, then plastic should stay too. But unfortunately, we’re reducing the use of plastic- something so lethal that could kill us and mankind. A SLAPP Suit could similarly be lethal- like a poisonous snake waiting to attack or a tiger planning to attack its prey. Well, I’m not a lawyer- I’m just a teenager but what I do know is that there is an element of the law that contradicts the very purpose of Law and that needs to stop.
I respect the legal system and whatever it has done to protect us- but it requires so much more and one thing that needs to be added is a global version of an anti-SLAPP Law which states, “Under most anti-SLAPP statutes, the person sued makes a motion to strike the case because it involves speech on a matter of public concern. The plaintiff then has the burden of showing a probability that they will prevail in the suit — meaning they must show that they have evidence that could result in a favourable verdict. If the plaintiff cannot meet this burden and the suit is dismissed through anti-SLAPP proceedings, many statutes allow defendants to collect attorney’s fees from the plaintiff.”
The reason most people choose not to appear in court for a SLAPP- suit is the attorney fees. The question arises about why a lawyer is expensive in the first place, but that’s an entirely new topic. If proven innocent, if it is ensured that the attorney’s fees is covered, I believe more and more SLAPP-suits would be considered in courts around the world and thus Justice would be ensured. It’s not my place to knock on doors and protest for the adding of anti-SLAPP in constitutions worldwide when we’re quite shaken by COVID, Black Lives Matter and more which deserve their time and space, but above all what matters is our freedom of Speech and Expression.
By now, what you may have realised is that this Freedom of Speech and Expression could cost you money and as a reason you might want to stay silent- that’s fair enough and I won’t blame you. But if the next generation gets denied, their basic freedom because you just sat there twiddling your thumbs- it would be a huge price to pay. And thus, I as a global citizen, come forward and ask you when the time is right to protest- a worldwide protest- would you be interested in administering a global anti-SLAPP law? Not for you, not for me, but for mankind and the rest of those souls who paved the way to the world we live in today- would you be ready to pay your debt through this small action? And if your answer is yes, then, there’s no time like the present. #slapSLAPPsuits
Prose and Poetry
My Identity
Michelle Ramaa
The notion that each individual possesses an established persona is false, because a definition excludes the possibility of change. Identity is the result of a pseudo-environment founded upon social constructivism. It is based on which specific qualities one ascribes to themself in the hopes of finding some substantial evidence of character. Hence, conceptually, identity is adorned with bias and ego, and is utterly subjective. As Nietzsche’s doctrine of perspectivism stated, “there are no facts, only interpretations.” If one were to literally explore the pseudo-world they emotionally constructed for themselves, they would realize that, in the words of Walt Whitman, they contain multitudes. This occurs due to consuming a diverse selection of media and cultivating various social interactions which may be influential in forming central personal values. The “identity” that results from these practices does not reflect any factual reality. Rather, since there is no conclusive actuality to identity, it constitutes itself. Therefore, it is a theoretical element of personal construct psychology. Although it is not tangible, it gives comfort through the idea that each person has meaning to their life and consequently must execute their duties with purpose. It is essentially the very basis of societal structure, the only reason that it is still referred to, because it is human nature to long for something to provide a sense of fulfillment. Allow me to share with you a personal experience that makes up a large aspect of what brought me to this idea. Biologically, I am female. But preconceived stereotypes pertaining to this statement force me to present myself within the confines of the social construct of gender, which creates an entirely new identity for me. I am unable to describe my gender identity without using phrases like “feminine”. I cannot identify myself with gender without perpetuating the patriarchal stereotype that biological women must fall under the set of attributes termed “feminine”. As a result, identity does not permit me to have the liberty of expressing myself without having to cater to gender-specific standards. If I want to obtain the freedom of self-expression, I must refuse to limit myself to one set identity.
Breaking the Cycle
Tola Aluko
I used to drink coca cola religiously; I loved it. However, when I drank coca cola, I gained weight. When I stopped drinking it, I lost weight. But I still craved it. I craved being able to open it and hear the fizz. I craved being so close to it that I could feel the bubbles popping on my face. And when it burned as it cascaded down my throat, it was a state of euphoria for me. Then it gets empty and I'm left with nothing but an empty bottle of what I used to have.
When I chased people who didn’t value me, I suffered not only physically but emotionally. My self image changed and of course my weight spiked. It was constant fighting. Old drama. New drama. The coke had gone flat, but I still wanted to drink it. Until the coke was thrown away and we weren’t friends, and I was somewhat fine, I was thinking of trying something new. Until I let the cravings creep in. Until I imagined the bubbles popping again. Until I fantasized about that burning sensation, again.
I felt bad because I was told it was my fault that the coke was flat and I believed them.
So I wanted to make things right. I wanted their attention again; because they would give me one small sliver of their coca cola that would keep me satisfied, for a little while. They would throw me away like an empty coca cola bottle because of something I said, something I did, something they didn’t like about me. I apologized. I changed my whole persona for them. I gave them my small drop of coca cola, when it was all I had to give. They gave me a sip of coca cola, when they had a full bottle. I chased after that burning sensation for 9 straight months and always came up empty. Always came up with an unquenched thirst from that little bit of attention that I used to get.
Until an early morning when I was finally satisfied. They told me they wanted to be friends again. That they realized I was there for them. That they miss our friendship. I did too. I’ve known them for years. Why would I want to let that go? Why would I want to let something that was so important go? They dangled that coca cola bottle right in front of me, knowing I was thirsty. I was 9 months thirsty, my throat was so dry. I longed for some coca cola so bad I could taste it on the tip of my tongue; but it burns, it burns every time. After they said they wanted to be friends again, I didn’t hesitate to open that coca cola bottle and drink what they allowed.
Then they got mad at me again and the coca cola bottle was dwindling. I was growing thirstier, yearning for a taste of that detrimental acid, even though I knew there wasn’t enough for me. Even though I knew it was getting flat and I shouldn't be drinking it. Then they started to ignore me, they put a lid on that coca cola bottle as my tongue bathed in dehydration. They were preparing to throw me away like trash, again. I stepped on the scale just to find my weight had gone up, again. My clothes were tight, again. They were mad at me. Blaming me for all the problems with the coca cola and I almost believed it.
Until they dangled that now irreparable, broken bottle of coca cola in my face.
The acid had eaten its way through. The same acid that I thought was good and was burning my throat, broke through that glass coca cola bottle.
Something changed, something had to give. I knew drinking from that bottle would cut me. I knew drinking from that bottle would burn me. I knew despite all that, if I drank from that bottle, I would be thirsty again. No! I don’t want to go down this road. No! I’ve been doing it for years. No! I’ve thrown myself away for them. I’ve done everything for only a drop of coca cola; but it wasn’t enough and truth be told it never will be. The problem wasn’t me. It was the fact that they’re thirsty. They call me at 7 am in the morning when they know that no one else will answer. They keep me on the phone for 15 hours, with their issues, because they know that no one else will do that. They come crying to me for all my coke when people only give them the same pitiful amount that they gave me.
I’d soothe them with my coca cola. I’d give them all of mine to get some of theirs; but I let them hinder me. I let them get into my head. I became conditioned to only want their coca cola. When another bottle was dangled in my face. I turned my head away. I wanted to be their friends, no one could quench my thirst like they did. No one could spend nights in my head, rent free, like they did. ‘Why did they want to be friends with everyone but me? What was wrong with me? What did I do for them to throw me away… again?’ Yet, it wasn’t me.
It was that addictive temporarily thirst quenching coca cola that they gave me. I had never had better and I wasn't willing to try. I wasn’t willing to throw away what I thought was years of strong friendship. Which was actually years of toxicity. We hadn’t even been friends for half of those ‘years’! I had been conditioned since before I was a teenager to think that the burning sensation was okay. I knew I was a good friend to them but they weren’t to me.
I wanted so desperately to be their friends but they didn’t want to be mine.
The information that took me 2+ years to share with them, took me weeks to share with another after tasting from a different bottle. I was confusing the length of the friendship for the strength of the friendship. It was time to throw away all broken coca cola bottles and move on. Give true friendship another chance when I didn't just have that abysmal coke in my mouth. It was time to break the cycle… and I did.