The Power in Us
Article by Emeka Balakumar
Politics has become an even more enormous topic in society over the last couple of weeks. With numerous situations arising, politics has become essential to know in order to understand the news surrounding it. With a forest of news coming out every hour, it has become harder to navigate through it all and understand what is truly happening in our world, especially as many media outlets share different versions of the same story.
Our Power, Our Strength
Our generation has shown to have the strength, in both numbers and passion, to change political affairs when we put our minds and hearts to it. According to CBC, “Canadians between the ages of 18-38 [made up] the biggest group of eligible voters” in the recent election, representing about “37% of the electorate”. Our numbers show that we have the strength to change political matters through the candidate we chose to represent us.
Past those numbers, our usage of social media to voice our opinions has opened up discussions and helped share knowledge with others. As shown over the last couple of weeks, our social media presence has created change beyond what was expected. By creating awareness of these issues and informing others on steps to take in order to create change, our generation has proved to have the power to change the situation we are in. In these times of need, we see leaders coming up and using their presence, connections, and passions to lead those who are willing to contribute.
What is a Community Leader?
Collins dictionary defines a community leader as “a leading figure in a community,” but that barely scratches the surface of what a community leader truly is. Some may view communities as geographical groups; however, communities are bonds that groups form depending on their beliefs, values and/or passions. Within those groups, leaders are those who take their passions, beliefs, and voice in order to communicate their idea of change with others. We have seen them come into play - in small or large - and are ready to help voice ideas for a better future. It’s important to know that being a leader does not necessarily mean having big actions. As we all know, small changes can make a big difference in the long term.
How to be a Leader?
With so many digital platforms, being a community leader has become easier and more diverse. Whether it be in art, writing, music or dance, the digital platforms we have today have allowed for creativity in our voice. The first step is to find an issue that you are truly passionate about. With so much happening in our world, it is easy to get lost in the news. If something sticks out to you or sparks your interest, hold onto it and work with it. The next step is to do research on it. There are many articles, videos, and other sources that can provide valuable insight into the political climate on an issue. Being informed and knowledgeable is a long-term and essential asset, opening doors for others to also become more educated. To continue, find a platform you want to express your concern on. Once again, social media has allowed for the space to be creative when it comes to this. Whether you want to create a graphic, a song, or an article on the issue, do what resonates with you.
If you don’t know where to start, look up hashtags and be inspired by what other activists are doing; you might even want to share what you find with your followers to start creating awareness. Another way to create change is to sign petitions, as we have seen many circulating around recently. A simple 2-minute signature can culminate up to become thousands of signatures united to build a better future. A simpler way than signing is to just tune into the news every day and read an informative, factual article on a related issue. Recognizing the issues and making the conscious effort to learn shows determination and passion for a better tomorrow.
An example of a community leader is a non-profit, non-partisan group called Future Majority, who was an influential group during last year’s election. Acknowledged by CBC as a group “of young Canadians working to encourage youth to vote,” the Future Majority prominently discusses how the youth population has the power to change political issues but as in the words of a Future Majority representative, feels that “we’re (the youth) being intentionally left out of the conversation.” They created resources to help the usage of our voices and continue to advocate for such values even today.
For York students, like myself, we have resources such as the virtual town hall, where students, staff and faculty can ask questions concerning academic, research and professional work. A professional panel, including President Rhonda Lenton, will be answering questions on Zoom this Wednesday, June 24, from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. This resource allows for students to potentially attain the answers to questions they have about a variety of today’s issues, providing a space to both acquire information, gain perspective, and be challenged.
Article Sources:
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/community-leader
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/youth-vote-federal-election-1.5287011