Words by Ashlee Carter
I feel as though we’ve all felt it at one point in our lives; something has bothered us or frustrated us and we don’t quite know the right way to go about it.
I see it in the young people I work with every day. I see young people unsure of how or where to find jobs, young people questioning themselves, young people just unsure about the feeling in their gut that somethings not quite right. And no longer will I stand for this.
Youth Empowerment is this term we throw around a lot but what does it actually mean? Let’s break it down…
Youth: a period between childhood and adult age
Empowerment: authority or power given to someone to do something, or the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s rights.
I repeat, The process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s rights.
Young people, or youth, becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s rights.
Now that statement, that definition is something I endeavour each day to see.
So why not?
Why not now, when young people are bothered and frustrated with the world that they live in? Why not, when young people have the absolute right to be empowered to achieve everything that they desire? Why, when young people choose to share their voice that it does not reach our government. We will no longer stand to have our voice dampened by anyone. We stand to speak, shout and ask some damn good questions.
So I encourage you, let’s raise our heads and lift our voices. Let us become stronger and more confident. Let us reach the true definition of empowered. Let’s ask, why not?
NB: The author did not supply an image for this piece, we chose a humdinger ourselves.
