Direct Democracy and Youth Liberation

Why is direct democracy important for youth liberation?

I personally believe that direct democracy is important for youth liberation. I talked with someone today at the #GoodTrouble protest in Seattle, who was a great fan of democracy. They briefly mentioned direct democracy, which is what inspired this post. I support the notion that kids should have a tangible say in how they are governed. I have written and talked about giving kids the right to vote on policies and their principal and school staff. I believe that the principle of direct democracy should extend to any pro-youth organization that serves youth.

In my childhood, I visited one of my home countries and witnessed firsthand how foreign aid was stolen from the youth by the very organizations tasked with distributing that aid. I watched with my own eyes corrupt government officials wear fancy suits and drive fancy western cars, while the kids they were tasked with helping died slow deaths from disease and hunger. These experiences, along with many other incidents I witnessed of youth being exploited, made me understand that instead of looking at the living conditions inside the legal cages that youth live in, we need to be looking at the bars. In almost every situation I have seen, the solution is to democratize organizations that serve youth, and abolish laws that keep youth legally helpless. Democracy needs to be present for money to work its magic.

Organizations that deliver resources to youth must be reformed, so that resources for youth reach them at a high rate. Democratic reform means that dollars go further, that they are effective in solving the source of kids problems instead of simply treating the symptoms.

Back then, I was uninformed about youth liberation and democracy, and so had no socially conscious voice with which to propose solutions to the corruption that exploited and oppressed my African little brothers and sisters. But now I am informed, and I’ll be damned if I don’t speak out against the legal and political cage that has oppressed my African little brothers and sisters for so long.

Youth live in a legal cage that prevents them from getting the help they need. Everywhere people have their hands out for money to save the children, and somehow the people who deliver aid always get the first (and sometimes the biggest) cut of the money. Superintendents draw massive salaries while kids go hungry at school. Administrators and board members draw paychecks while some kids go to school with a single set of clothes for the entire year. Org leaders and local authorities find ways to make their lives cushy while the lives of the kids they serve remain poor and difficult.

The solution is direct democracy. Kids who are served by aid organizations, whether they be hospitals, schools, or churches, need to have a tangible vote in how aid is distributed. They need to be the electorate voting on how aid is distributed. Yes, I am calling for voting in churches. Does that seem ridiculous when pastors and priests waste the money that is donated by the congregation to help the needy? Yes I am calling for kids to vote on school policies. Does that seem ridiculous when millions and billions are pumped into schools only to find out that the kids there are malnourished, apathetic, and afraid of being punished for pursuing their educational interests? Yes, I am calling for voting in hospitals. Does it seem ridiculous when hospitals raise many dollars for kids to get treatment and then many kids still go untreated or have their medical needs unmet? Yes, I am calling for kids to vote on legislation. Is it ridiculous for kids to push for their due as citizens, workers, taxpayers, and human beings?

The correct metrics for organizations that help kids are “how many kids have I helped?” and “of the kids that I have helped, how many had their problems solved?” Asking “how much money have I spent,” is not an effective way to measure how much you’ve helped. In many cases, autocracy makes sure that the more money you spend, the worse the problems of kids get. Such as when foreign aid money is used by dictators to prolong their regimes and oppress the people they no longer depend on for money. Or when organizations created to solve problems end up existing solely to profit off child abuse and kids’ problems, rather than creating the solution. In an age where everyone has their hand out to save the kids, direct democracy is the means by which we can break down the cage that prevents kids from getting what they need in the first place. Direct democracy can ensure that aid gets distributed properly, whether schools do their jobs properly, whether hospitals do their jobs properly, whether churches actually help the needy, and so on.

Breaking down the cage by removing the rules that keep kids dependent and needy is just as important as funneling money to provide better conditions. By giving kids direct access to community resources and a tangible say in how they are distributed, we lift up the kids of the future. Thank you for reading and stay tuned for more writing on youth rights!