The fight against corruption by the Youth

My last column a week ago focused on: How can Gen-Zers and Millennials fight corruption? I came up with various suggestions.

I emphasized that many young people are fighting corruption and are making a big difference for the future. And we need to celebrate that!!

I received various responses to this exciting topic. Today, I would like to provide you with the response of one reader:

“I also believe a step in the right direction were protests and chants. I remember fondly a video from last year where kids aged roughly 6-11 years old were chanting "Ikulong na yan, mga kurakot" (Jail all the corrupt), a famous chant that got traction. How did it become famous? Through chants in protests, which were brought not only in formal protests but also online and even concerts. Pushing through this exposure helped the youth, albeit not so much, to at least be aware that the corrupt must go to jail.

The millennials and gen-zers, I believe, should focus not only on making the corrupt pay for their crimes, but also push for a movement of educating the youth without colors.

It is not enough for me to say "ally with Risa because she fights for women's rights and fights for our national security." I believe that's not enough and it should not be. What I believe how our education should be directed is how we recognize these advocacies and if they are supported through actions.

If you were to ask a kid, "was the K-12 education format successful?" They would say no. Their answer would probably be based on what they heard from their parents: added cost without great return.

However, that should not be their answer at all. The children should recognize that K-12 was not successful because of the added stress, but rather because of what it failed to deliver. With great guidance, along with experience, their answer should be "it failed because the lessons we learned during K-12 were still being taught in college; the job market did not fully accept k-12 graduates; the lack of support and resources from our government.

Their response based on a personal level is good, but not good enough. Children should be made to think critically, not solely on what they hear from their parents or friends. Make children think critically and independently.

Why am I hellbent on this? Because millennials and gen-zs are this generation's teachers and educators. For a generation to be this much politically aware, I would consider it to be a failure if the next generation were to come and the way our patronage politics remain the same.

I shared too many words, but all I really want to add is: Gen-Zs and Millennials should teach children to recognize what politics is about and make them discern how they value and scrutinize their own politics and values to think critically and independently.”

My respondent did a great job and I fully support his above messages.

In this exciting context, I would like to add a few messages of important personalities:

Let me start with Nelson Mandela, the former great president of South Africa:

“ As long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality exist in our world, none of us can rest”

My second personality I would like to quote is Albert Einstein:

“Three great forces rule the world: stupidity, fear and greed.”

My third personality is Martin Luther King Jr., a philosopher:

“In the end we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

And another one of Albert Einstein:

“The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.”

I hope you agree with me that the views of the personalities support the arguments of the respondent. When fighting corruption, keep the arguments in mind; they are supporting your important endeavors!!!

In conclusion, let me repeat what I said at the beginning of my column last week:

It is exciting that many young people are fighting corruption and are making big difference for the future. And we need to celebrate this!

I would appreciate if the young people would read the views expressed by one of my respondents and the important personalities and get physically active in changing things and make the world in which we live a better place. Let’s have faith in the younger generation, as they will make this a better country. We are in standby to assist.

I would appreciate your comments; please contact me at [email protected]