The Wave of Generation Z Protests

 

The world is witnessing protests across continents by Gen-Z. Kenya, Morocco, Madagascar, Serbia, Italy, Nepal, Peru, and Bangladesh are just a few countries confronting demonstrations. The biggest concentration of the demonstrations are focused Southeast Asia. While each of these protests happen under different circumstances a common theme appears. Economic inequality is the central focus. Frustrations only mount under conditions of censorship and autocratic governance. Generation Z is not getting the benefits it was promised by these governments. Vexed at the use of police violence, this has caused many to lose faith in the political system. This seems to be the case with the Philippines and Indonesia. The concentration of protests in one region almost seems similar to the Arab Spring. A series of regime changes are not revolutions. The color revolutions in the 2000s were more or less foreign interference in parts of Europe and Asia. It would be erroneous to call this a beginning of a world revolution. The Gen-Z protests across continents are not connected to one another. The movements lack centralization and do not have major leaders. The amorphous model is useful in particular circumstances. The limitation is that changing conditions in a country requires more organization. Another obstacle is that most do not attain political consciousness. Older generations are not concerned about the youth or what happens in the future. They are not going to change their positions, because they were raised in the current system. Others refuse to acknowledge flaws in government or economic policy and direct their ire at activists. If the world economy declines further and governments become more corrupt protests will spread. Discord and struggles of the youth must be taken seriously if there is to be functioning nation-states.