With all the changes we’re seeing, with all the fighting, mass shootings, divergent political views, and major corporations in lawsuits over negligence, pollution, fraud and corruption, the world has seemed a dismal place for a while. And we wonder: how will we ever get out of this mess?
Can I offer a glimmer of hope and optimism?
2018 was the year in which young activists really began to speak up in a way that was heard. In a way that was appreciated by many. In a way that allowed for idealism while offering some tangible ideas. There are a number of articles that list the “top 20” and it was refreshing to read them. Here are some young people who were especially compelling that I found and wanted to share with you:
- Emma Gonzalez and the other students at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School, ages 17-19, in Parkland, FL, who started their activism following the February 14th shooting at their school. They organized, got active and created the “March for our Lives” in Washington, DC, a month later. Emma’s stance is: “Fight for your lives before it’s someone else’s job.” In addition to their position on gun legislation, they are also active in getting young people registered to vote.
- Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, 17, from Colorado is a vocal activist for climate reform and the youth director/founder at “Earth Guardians”. He has spoken at the United Nations, where his speech went viral, and currently has a case against the United States claiming that his generation cannot be guaranteed a clean environment. He believes that the government is not doing enough about climate change. He says that from a young age he was aware of his role in helping to protect our planet, influenced by his indigenous heritage and travels through Mexico.
- Mari Copeny, 11, is from Flint, Michigan, and has been nicknamed “Little Miss Flint”. She advocates for clean water in their town and all over the country. She also has a project for collecting backpack school supplies for children in Flint, called “Pack your Back”, and another called “Dear Flint Kids” which encourages people to write letters to the children of Flint.
- Melati and Isabel Wijsen are sisters in Bali who, at the ages of 10 and 12, started a company in 2013 called “Bye Bye Plastic Bags”. Since then, they have petitioned, organized and achieved real change by first getting the Bali Airport to ban plastic bags, then the islands of Bali in 2016, and expect the entire country of Indonesia to ban them by 2021.
- Bana Alabed, a Syrian refugee, now living in a Turkish refugee camp with her family, has written a book about her experiences of living in war-torn Aleppo in 2017, when she was just 8 years old. During the difficult conditions, she took to Twitter to relay the devastation, hunger, and airstrikes. Her book is called “Dear World: A Syrian Girl’s Story of War and Plea for Peace”. It was released in October, 2018.
All these children are convinced that “all it takes is one idea and the right mix of determination and willpower to effect change at the local level.” Quote from the Complex, Dec. 22, 2018.
You may want to check out these articles yourself; they are really inspiring and uplifting! Here are the links to some of them: Global Citizen website, and articles in The Guardian, Mashable, The Nation, and The Complex.
Why these children are different
These young activists, coming into their own now and always younger than 32 years old, are the generation born after Human Design was created. According to Human Design, any child born after January 8, 1987 comes into existence already living their life’s purpose. That may sound weird but…
This is in direct contrast to anyone born before 1987. Anyone born prior to 1987 (33 and older) comes into the world relatively clueless, has their bumps and stumbles along the way, learns their lessons up to around age 50 and then starts acting with more wisdom and consciousness and is ready to share their life lessons with those around them. Sounds pretty normal, rith?
This is one of the reasons so many of us have a reckoning of sorts around 50 years old (in conjunction with our Chiron return) and begin to look at the world differently, make changes in our lives, and generally start to do the things we want to do while helping others in new ways. Whether you call it a mid-life crisis, transition period, empty-nest syndrome or post-divorce move for career, relationship or location, it happens to many people and has been going on for many generations.
Today, the younger generation (0-32) is here to live out their life’s purpose from birth and many mothers I speak with are reporting that by the time they are in school, their children already have a sense of what they will do with their lives. You’ve probably noticed on social media the child prodigies, scholars, artists of all sorts, and technical geniuses that abound – all under the age of 18. They know what they want, and they find ways to get it done. Parents are amazed and awed by their resourcefulness, wisdom, willfulness, persistence and determination.
Many parents are supportive; others are wondering what’s “different” about their child? If you’re a parent or grandparent, please be supportive of their dreams and aspirations. These children are a lot closer to achieving their dreams than we ever were! And while they may take a while to figure things out, they are in fact here to save us from the worst dilemmas we face, and may actually be able to change the world in a very positive way!
