Beyond Getting Involved, Staying Involved- The Role of Gen Z in Socio-Political Activities

Across the Globe, there has been a rise in the movement and socio-political activities of young people. From the MeToo Movement, Black Lives Matter, Protests in Iran against the death of Mahsa Amini, the Reject Finance Bill 2024 in Kenya, the University student protests across the USA and the student protests that ousted former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheik Hasina. For decades the activation and participation of socio-political movements shifted to the more mature within societies who were all seeking better living conditions, equality of opportunity and fighting discrimination.
In an era where the access and availability of technology allows for the younger generation to be more informed, connected and able to send messages through various platforms it has made it easier to increase participation and add voices to a cause. In the years past, such connectivity made socio-political activity more localised and mainly publicised through mainstream media. Today, physical participation, messaging through technology and the ability to “like and share” content has strengthened the voice of the Gen Z.
There is one main issue in the midst of this modern advancement- Staying Involved. Whilst it is recognised that some issues are not foreseen, it is understood that there are issues that remain constant; standard of living, employment opportunities, poverty, pollution, discrimination, inequality, good governance and democracy. All the purposes for which movements were created as mentioned before made an impact and through various technological platforms created national and international recognition and impact. Getting involved seems easy, Millennials and Gen Z have become agitators for an overall better life but it appears that once the particular issue has received attention, ratification, resolve and or justice, then the movement dissipates.
If the voices of the Gen Z are to be impactful, the sustainability of their passion, beliefs and values is important to ensure that they have a respected seat at the decision-making table. As such, this panel challenges writers to explore and analyse ways in which the new generation of leaders can sustain their socio-political involvement