The Youth's Voice: Winter Issue, No.1

THE YOUTH'S VOICE GENDER EQUITY

&

SUCCESS Featured Activist

SUBMISSIONS FROM YOUTH ACTIVISTS

Winter Issue 2022

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Featured Womxn

Featured Womxn

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T H E

S T O R M A piece of creative writing. Eliza did when she was 15, about the

BY ELIZA

REID

overwhelming and intense nature of adolescence.

PERKS

For about five months when I was nine I cried every day. Always just before I went to sleep, sometimes during the day as well but always when I was lying in bed with the lights off, totally exposed in the darkness. I had no idea why this was happening to me, the weather had very suddenly, very drastically, changed. One minute everything was fine; it was a sunny, non-rescript morning with a gentle breeze and then bam!

The most destructive hurricane my entire ecosystem had ever faced.

I wasn’t going through anything massively traumatic, except growing up.

I had a fully formed sense of self, an independent identity, and that Freaked.

Me. Out.

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Eliza Reid Perks

This is a storm of the next level.

Those bedtimes I spent wailing, which were bad enough, are now entire evenings sitting on the sofa in a state of near panic.

I love my parents and I’m so grateful to them, we have a brilliant relationship but I have minor fallouts with them almost every single day. I’ll get home after school and dance training and be extremely irritable. I make the most horrible comments without even thinking and then feel instantly guilty, it’s not who I am.

The first full-blown fight I had with my mum was one year ago, on new-years-eve. I can’t even remember what it was about. All I know is that it was on the stairs and we were screaming at each other, completely screaming, every word she shouted seemed to tear away a layer of my flesh, hitting me again and again until she reached my bone.

Eliza Reid Perks

Thankfully it hasn’t been nearly as horrible and that remains one of the worst arguments I’ve ever had. But this is a time that everyone goes through and feelings and experiences that most people face and yet we never talk about them.

Emotions can take over but I try to remind myself to find the eye of the storm, the place in which everything is whirling around you but you are still and grounded, able to see all these emotions and look at them objectively... not immune by any means, but equally not consumed within the mess that is adolescence.

My teen years, so far, have been draining, fun, lonely, messy, and EMOTIONAL but above all they’ve been exciting, everything’s big because it’s all new and it can be daunting but we must remember that this will pass, so cherish that excitement. All the new stuff, I imagine, will get old and boring all too quickly.

M

EMB ER

Everything is big at the moment, overwhelming, allconsuming. And it doesn’t seem like that’s going to change, if anything this feeling or rather infinite, rapidly wavering string of feelings will intensify.

And I’m sure I did the same to her. We were both consumed by this beast, probably with anger that her little girl was slipping away too fast for her to even realise it, until that moment. And me by a wave of something that felt evil. I was possessed. I was terrified that this was an omen for how the year ahead would be.

RE

What I was experiencing was a mini adolescence according to Rudolf Stiener, I’m not sure about the truth behind a lot of his child development theories but this one resonates with me.

It’s the only feeling that’s ever come close to the constantly tempestuous life I lead now, as a 15-year-old girl. Maybe it was just the start of puberty, but I think it was something bigger, a self realisation.

BE KIND TO YOUR

mind

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Artworks

2022

ART

HOPE & CHANGE 06

Gabriela De La Pava

Life Fades: REFUSING VIOLENCE ON WOMAN

Gabriela De La Pava

Violence has often been a historical component in Colombia, and in most of our world, for which many countries can relate to in this piece.

Last year, during social protests in Colombia, the inability to show compassion to others was manifested by our people once again. It is very difficult to make a peaceful call for change in this country. It seemed to have consumed us with hatred and resentment instead of giving us purpose and the ability to see beyond conflict, that behind every political opinion there is a human being, a family, a life. This piece was created one day when Colombia was hurting me because its people were hurting each other. All I was able to see in my surroundings was an insatiable desire to attack and destroy the one that fought for something different. Art was my way of calling for change during those chaotic days. I created a piece that says to me that violence is only making us lose the humanity inside of us, and that every time we pursue that path we are bleeding out symbolically, falling in a path with no return.

Gabriela De la Pava

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2022

ART

HOPE & CHANGE 08

Gabriela De La Pava

AN EDUCA TION WITH THE RIGHT TO LOVE

Gabriela De La Pava

This unconventional work is a drawing that I did about a book I read, and I did it using the book as its own canvas. The book told the story of a boy who falls in love with another boy when he is in school, and he not only has to fight against the abuse of his family in this regard, but is discriminated by the institution he studies in. They tell him at school that he has a disease and they almost take away his right to study. I began to reflect with the book and decided to submitt a piece that symbolizes the need for education to be inclusive. This is just one example, but there are many reasons why young people are discriminated in their educational environment, and if we want education to create free human beings willing to change the world, this is the first thing that must be implemented.

Young people who learn in an institution where they can be themselves as a whole, where they are celebrated for who they are, and where they can love whoever and however they want, are young people whose rights and values ​will allow them to make an impact and live a dignified life. For education to be effective it must take into account that each child is different and the environment is the one who needs to adjust.

We should not all enter the same box.

Gabriela De la Pava

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REIMAGINING EQUITY ACROSS EDUCATION SYSTEMS

TAOFEEKAT ADIGUN

WRITER ADDIE LENTZNER

WRITER ETIM-ETIM BASSEY AKPAN

CONTRIBUTING WRITER EKAWTHAR ARINOLA OMISORE

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

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ARTICLE

YOUTH'S VOICE

POSSIBILITIES FOR CHANGE EXPLORING EDUCATION INEQUITY IN THE USA AND NIGERIA

Introduction What are the problems of equity and access in our

USA

By Addie Lentzner

1. What are the problems with education in your country?

country, and how can we redesign and rethink the

Education in the US is filled with inequities. Teachers, like any

system to function better? What would the

human, hold bias and it is sometimes reflected in their teaching,

education system created by us look like? There are so many possibilities for youth-centered education; let’s explore them together. We want this article to provide a snapshot into education equity between different countries, and a path forward to change.

A growing mismatch continues to exist between the rightful education deserved by young people and the existing

meaning there are many inequalities among racial lines. Meanwhile, some students who live in poverty have little access to food and resources outside of the school day and struggle to care for their families and provide money while also pursuing an education. There are stark inequalities in America, including racial and economic inequalities, and it’s time we address them.

2. The type of inequities encountered by learners.

education system. Schools all over the world continue to

While most students have access to technology, food, and textbooks,

adopt and practice the outdated factory model framework,

some students have much more than others and COVID-19 has

designed a century ago. The institution system creates a

exacerbated existing inequalities. The school-to-prison pipeline, for

context in which students contend with overloaded

example, mostly targets students of color and students with

curriculum studies. From a bell-ringing 45 minutes class

disabilities, pushing students into the incarceration system at an early

period to another, separated and fragmented lessons ten

age.

times per day, listening to lectures, passively working alone, memorizing facts, regurgitating facts learned during an assessment, and rewarding academic achievement. The educational system continues to utilize a size fits -- teaching and learning approach that prepares students for exams and reinforces rote-memorization of curriculum studies, disparities, divisions, inequity, competition, and huge disadvantages for students with special needs.

3. Possibilities for change.

It’s time we build an education system that cares for the whole students while working against inequities such as the wealth gap and racism. It’s time that our education system teaches students the truth about racism and injustice so that they can grow up to solve the problems. There are so many possibilities for what can change if we choose to take this path.

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ARTICLE

YOUTH'S VOICE

Nigeria

By Etim-Etim Bassey Akpan.

1. What are the problems with education in your country?

Nigeria

By Kawthar Arinola Omisore.

1. What are the problems with education in your country?

Year in and year out, the country allocates billions of naira

The problem of the education system in Nigeria is

on projects, programs, and schemes aimed at improving the

multifaceted and rigid, lacking an all-around development

educational sector with little result to show for it. Empty

of the recipient. The old conventional system makes it

classroom blocks are erected with no sufficient learning aid

difficult to adapt to modern changes that help to

and tools to facilitate learning. The School system is

adequately prepare and equip the recipients with the

regarded as a "Scam" because hard work has been replaced

needed skills to thrive in the 21st century.

with money, good grades can be paid for, and the majority of graduates are unable to gain jobs after school.

2. The type of inequities encountered by learners.

Background inequity is a major inequity encountered by

2. The type of inequities encountered by learners.

learners. Most learners, particularly those from

The inequities encountered by learners, particularly in low-

underserved communities, are being left behind. There

income communities include a lack of basic tools needed to

are contrasting realities; some children lack access to

facilitate learning. Students in these communities learn

education, playing away every single moment, while other

under poor conditions, with most not having chairs to sit

children are being groomed and have access to education.

on, desks to write on, and books to write with. The number

At the tertiary level, lack of access to digital tools, and

of teachers and learner ratio in a school doesn't equate to

the high cost of data have exacerbated the digital divide

150 pupils that could be taught by a teacher.

and decreased access to online learning.

3. Possibilities for change.

3. Possibilities for change.

The various possibilities for change and building equity in

Effective collaboration, sincere commitment, and greater

our educational sector can only be made possible when

investment among all stakeholders - Government,

educational plans are sustainable, corruption practices are

parents, teachers, NGOs are highly essential to seeing the

curbed, and more funds are directed into the sector to

needed change. Consistent enlightenment on the

increase access to quality education.

importance of education, and ways in achieving the educational system, are vital for progress.

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ARTICLE

YOUTH'S VOICE

5 WAYS TO REIMAGINE EQUITY ACROSS EDUCATION SYSTEMS

As we navigate the new normal in the post-COVID-19 era,

Equity and Social Justice: While equity and justice

there is a need to consider re-modifying education in the light

are only achievable in a utopian society, there are

of emerging opportunities and challenges. Re-imagining

ways to enhance equity in an increasing world of

education through the perspective of curriculum studies,

Inequality. We need to ensure that students are

student-centered pedagogy learning, inclusion, equity, and

taught a curriculum that includes learning about

restorative justice are highly pertinent for change.

social justice and equity in society. We need to also ensure that all schools have an equal playing field;

Curriculum; Given the rapid changes in the world of work,

all students have access to technology, enough food

accommodating changes in the curriculum needs to be

to eat, and support from teachers. These things

developed with respect to evolving, and dynamic context

should be the norm in schools. If we want an

framework and delivery of instruction that capitalizes on the

equitable and just society, it starts in our schools.

strengths of both synchronous and asynchronous learning.

Curriculum focus must be on individual learners’ holistic

Diversity and Inclusion: Across the world,

development rather than focusing exclusively on academic

students feel excluded from their education. From a

achievements. Seamless project-based learning, real-life

young age, social stratification leads to students

brainstorming tasks, collaborative space, and fun learning are

feeling left out or disregarded by their peers or even

vital additions to curriculum planning.

their teachers. We need to change this: we need to

Students can take the lead in co-designing the curriculum.

provide equity training for all teachers and prioritize social skills and inclusion being taught

Pedagogy for learner-centered learning: Instruction for

from a young age. We also need to address

learning must be student-centric, authentic, and provide

systemic inequities, racial bias, and gender

comprehensive access to all learning areas. New forms of

stereotypes. For example, Black students and

pedagogy should focus on student-initiated explorations of

Students of Color in the US are more likely to be

game-changing solutions to significant problems, reinforcing

suspended than White students. For our schools to

the abilities of students to discover and develop their passions

truly value inclusion, we need to put in place

and potential. Teachers need to understand how to teach anti-

policies that will transform the system, such as

racist, and advancing gender equality pedagogy. Teachers also

anti-bias training and accountability measures.

need to be trained in restorative justice. Instead of harsh

Inclusion is vital in schools, and it’s time we begin

punitive measures, students should be treated with kindness

the work of radical inclusion in education that truly

and understanding in a transformative

leaves no one behind and caters to all learners of

the way that lessens the effects of the school-to-prison pipeline.

various backgrounds and characteristics such as gender, disability, or ethnicity.

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YOUTH'S VOICE

Technology While technology has been instrumental in opening up access to education beyond classrooms and widening the scope of online education, it has also highlighted disparities and the digital divide.

Educational innovations need to be accessible to learners to promote equality. The range of tools and technologies that meet specific needs, contexts,s and varied dynamics for learners to choose from should be prioritized to enhance learning and inclusion. Online access, data usage, flexible platform, and digital connectivity need to be put into consideration for educational technology.

Conclusion While the COVID era has exacerbated inequities and the digital divide in Education across the world, it has also provided an avenue to reimagine traditional structures and practices. It has presented the ample opportunity to ask pertinent questions on what model worked in the past, what is currently working in the present, and what would work better in the future. Now, It's time to rethink the way in which educational systems is organized; how the education system could be transformed to spaces that simply support students in expressing their creativity, curiosity, and collaborative spirit; redesign education around equity, principles of authentic learning, educator expertise, inclusion, remodified curriculum, access to technology, and student-centric pedagogy instruction.

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ARTICLE

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BEFORE YOU READ:

Content Warning over next poem The following submission contains material that might be triggering for some audiences and strong content on domestic violence.

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EW N ET A R A M A S K SES ITI VE

WEAR A

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POEMS

BATHED IN RED

By Adrija Jana THE AIRPORTS CLOSED

HER MORNING BEGAN WITH A KICK TO THE

THE SCHOOLS CLOSED

RIB

THE SHOPS CLOSED DOWN

THAT SENT HER SPRAWLING TO THE FLOOR

THE DOOR CLOSED

ALL DAY LONG HE KICKED, PUNCHED AND PINCHED HER WHENEVER HE SAW HER

TICK TICK TICK THE CLOCK INCHED CLOSER TO SIX A GONG SOUNDED UPON HER HEART "HE WILL BE BACK SOON!" SOME PANDEMIC HAD STARTED, SHE'D HEARD SOME COVID VIRUS GOING AROUND FOR WHICH EVERYTHING HAD CLOSED DOWN

"SHOULD I RUN OFF TO MY PARENTS?" BUT THEN WHAT WOULD BECOME OF HER LITTLE GIRL? WHO WOULD PROTECT HER, FIGHT FOR HER EDUCATION? SHE REMEMBER A YOUNG LADY ON THE STAGE CHARMING, PASSIONATE "IF YOUR PARTNER TREATS YOU BADLY,"

AND EVERYONE WOULD BE STAYING HOME

SHE HAD SAID

FROM THE NEXT DAY ONWARDS SHE HAD

"GO FIND A LAWYER."

EVEN HEARD SOME PEOPLE REJOICING "MORE FAMILY TIME!" BUT SHE JUST QUIETLY CLUTCHED HER

A LAWYER- BUT WHERE DO YOU FIND THESE PEOPLE? ONLY HER HUSBAND HAD A PHONE, AND

LITTLE GIRL

SHE COULD TOUCH IT ONLY ONCE A WEEK

AND SAT IN A CORNER OF THE SOFA

FIVE MINUTES- TO TALK TO HER PARENTS,

HER HEART FROZEN WITH FEAR.

IN HIS PRESENCE A SECOND EXTRA, AND THE ROD WOULD

THE LOCK TURNED AND THE DOOR OPENED THE SOUND OF HEAVY FOOTSTEPS AND THE STENCH OF ALCOHOL SHE QUICKLY SENT

COME DOWN ON HER BACK AND WHY WOULD THE LAWYER HELP HER, IF HE COULD GIVE HIM NO MONEY?

HER DAUGHTER UP TO HER ROOM AND ROSE TO GREET HIM

HE BECAME MORE IRRITABLE

FLYING BACK ON THE COUCH HER FACE

NO END TO THE LOCKDOWN

SMARTING AND WAIST HURTING FROM

NO END TO HER TORTURE

LAST NIGHT'S INJURIES THIS TIME IT WAS "HOW DARE YOU SIT ON MY SIDE OF THE SOFA?" QUIETLY SHE STOOD UP, AND

ONE DAY HER LITTLE GIRL DECIDED TO DOWNLOAD A GAME ON PAPA'S PHONE

WENT TO PREPARE HIS DINNER

LIKE SO MANY OF HER FRIENDS HAD DONE

ONLY ONE THOUGHT ON HER MIND

THAT DAY HE BROKE THE GIRL'S WRIST

"HOW WILL OUR LIFE BE LIKE FROM TOMORROW?"

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DAYS ROLLED INTO WEEKS

A STRONG PUNCH TO THE JAW SENT HER

AND GAVE NOT A SINGLE CENT FOR MEDICINE

Adrija Jana

SHE FOUGHT AND FOUGHT FOR HER YOUNG DAUGHTER ALL FELL ON DEAF EARS THAT AFTERNOON THE NEIGHBOURS SAW A BLOOD RED HANDPRINT ON THEIR BEDROOM WINDOW SHE KNEW IN HER HEART IT WAS TIME TO END THIS TORTURE

THAT NIGHT FLAMES ENGULFED THE HOUSEHOLD BUT THERE WAS NOT A SINGLE SCREAM ONLY SMOKE AND ASH AND THE YELLOWISH RED FLAMES THAT FIRE COULDN'T BE PUT OUT

COME NEXT MORNING THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT NO REMAINS NOT A SINGLE BIT OF THEIR EXISTENCE NO SIGN OF THE ONE WHO TORTURED NO SIGN OF THE ONES WHO WERE TORTURED NO LEGACY OF THE YEARS OF TORTURE EXCEPT THE SCREAMS THAT STILL SILENTLY RENT THE AIR IT HAD ALL BURNT DOWN TO THE GROUND.

Adrija Jana

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POEMS

PRESSED FOR TIME

By Adrija Jana

MOMMA I'M PRESSED FOR TIME I KNOW YOU WANTED ME TO HAVE LONG HAIR BUT THE DUST OF THE STREETS THAT WE MARCH ALONG BUT THE DUST OF THE STREETS WE

MOMMA I'M PRESSED FOR TIME I KNOW YOU WANTED ME TO BE SURROUNDED

BY FLOWERS AND GENTLE FABRIC BUT THE RUMBLING OF THE HUNGER AND THE ROAR OF THE GUN BUT THE ROAR OF THE GUN AND THE

MARCH ON ALL NIGHT LONG

RUMBLING OF HUNGER

WON'T ALLOW IT

WON'T ALLOW IT

MOMMA I'M PRESSED FOR TIME

MOMMA I'M PRESSED FOR TIME

I KNOW YOU WANTED ME TO HAVE SOFT HANDS BUT THE HARSH PRESSURE ON THE WEAK IN OUR SOCIETY THE PRESSURE HARSH ON THE WEAK IN

I KNOW YOU WANTED ME TO LIVE IN A MANSION BUT THE PILES OF DEAD IN THE UNDERGROUND PRISON AND THE POISON OF DARKNESS OF NO EDUCATION BUT THE POISON

OUR SOCIETY

OF DARKNESS OF NO EDUCATION AND THE

WON'T ALLOW IT

PILES OF DEAD IN THE UNDERGROUND PRISON WON'T ALLOW IT

MOMMA I'M PRESSED FOR TIME I KNOW YOU WANTED ME TO HAVE A QUIET VOICE BUT THE MUFFLED CRIES AND THE BURNT OUT LIVES BUT THE BURNT OUT LIVES AND THE MUFFLED CRIES WON'T ALLOW IT

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MOMMA I'M PRESSED FOR TIME I KNOW YOU WANTED ME TO SETTLE DOWN BUT THE HOMELESS OUT THERE ON THE STREET AND THE ONES WITH SCARS OF TORTURE REPEAT BUT THE ONES WITH SCARS OF TORTURE REPEAT AND THE HOMELESS OUT THERE ON THE STREET WON'T ALLOW IT

Adrija Jana

MOMMA I'M PRESSED FOR TIME I KNOW YOU WANTED ME TO BE A PRINCESS BUT THE GREED THE JEALOUSLY THE CRUELTY THE DECEIT BUT THE DECEIT THE CRUELTY THE JEALOUSY THE GREED HAS THRUST THE SWORD INTO MY HAND.

SO YOU HAVE TO PEEL AWAY A PART OF YOURSELF THE PART THAT WISHES I WAS SOMEONE ELSE YOUR DAUGHTER WAS BORN TO BE A WARRIOR.

Adrija Jana

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HA MAI GALAT HU

SHARE YOUR STORY

KUMKUM CHAUHAN

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Kumkum Chauhan

HA MAI GALAT HU, PER MAI TUM NAHI AREE HA MAI GALAT HU, PER MAI TUM NAHI JO APNE SABDO

IF YOU THINK, I DON'T HAVE MANNERS, LET ME TELL YOU MY VALUES ARE MY BIGGEST BANNERS.

KO US DALDAL KE NEECHE DABOOCH DO. HA MAI GALAT HU, AREE HA MAI GALAT HU, PER MAI TUM NAHI JO APNE SABDO SE KAHO KI TUM CHUP HI ACHE LAGTE HO.

IF YOU THINK, I CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT YOU, THEN LET ME TELL YOU, YOUR SPEECH IS NOT IN MY TO DO.

HA MAI GALAT HU, PER MAI TUM NAHI JO APNE SAPNO SE MUH MOD LU. HA MAI AJJ KEHTI HU, KI MAI GALAT

I AM A STUDENT AND IF YOU THINK I CAN'T, LET ME MAKE YOU BELIEVE THAT I CAN. IF YOU THINK, I AM NOT BEAUTIFUL.

HU.

LET ME TELL YOU, MY INNER BEAUTY IS

AREE PUCHOGE NAHI KI KAUN HU MAI.

MORE DURABLE.

LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF!!

IF YOU THINK, I AM STUPID. LET ME TELL YOU, I AM NOT YOUR PUPPET.

I AM SOMEBODY THAT, NO CAN BE.

AGAR FIR BHI LAGTA HAI MAI GALAT HU,

I AM ME,

TO SAHI HO TUM,

NOT A BUNCH OF TREE

PER MAI ALAG HU,

THAT YOU CUT FOR YOUR NEED.

KYUKI MAI GALAT HU.

JUST TO FILL YOUR HOUSE WITH THAT UGLY GREED.

AUR HA GALAT HONA BHI SAHI HAI, KYUKI MAI TUM NHI HU.

I AM A PROUD WOMEN, WITH A SHE.

THIS POEM IS FOR ALL THE GIRLS WHO STAY UP FOR NIGHT

I AM A GIRL AND IF YOU THINK

THIS IS FOR YOU, WHO IS WILLING TO FIGHT.

I CAN'T, LET ME TELL YOU I CAN .

NEVER THINK YOU ARE AN UNWANTED

IF YOU THINK I CAN'T SPEAK, LET ME

VEGETABLE THAT SHRINKS. YOU ARE AS BOLD,

TELL YOU, I CAN ROAR LIKE A LION.

AS A PEN'S INK.

IF YOU THINK MY MORALITY DOESN'T

STAY STRONG AND STAY THE WAY YOU ARE.

EXIST, LET ME TELL YOU, I AM CALLED A

BECAUSE YOU ARE THE WHOLE SOLAR SYSTEM NOT ONLY THE STAR.

FEMINIST. YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE TO THE SUNS I AM A HUMAN AND IF YOU THINK I CAN'T, LET ME SHOW YOU I CAN.

AND YOU CAN ONLY STOP ALL THE WRONG THAT HAPPENS.

Kumkum Chauhan

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Womxn Advancing In 22

Gender Equity Education

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ARTICLE

Introduction Abdullah Öcalan, founder of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), identifies women as the first colony who needed to be enslaved for all subsequent enslavements to become possible. As per Öcalan’s analysis, this enslavement has been and is being perpetuated on three levels: 1) ideological slavery (i.e. women have to be viewed and view themselves - as inferior), 2) the use of force (i.e. physical and sexual violence), 3) seizing women’s economic power (i.e. devaluing reproductive labor, notably by making it separate from productive labor). Through this lens, we realize that the liberation of women is a deeply revolutionary act as the subjection of women is one of the pillars upon which capitalism rests.

Interestingly, and as Maria Mies – German sociologist & feminist points out “In the seventies ‘women’s liberation’, ‘freedom from exploitation and oppression, from sexism and violence’, ‘fighting capitalist patriarchy’ were the key concepts and goals of the new feminist movement. This movement drew its inspiration and strength from its rejection of the whole system of dominance, not from a struggle for equal rights with men within this system.” (Mies, 1999). However, the feminist agenda narrowed to become the right of women to be treated as equals to men, a development that came from a small portion of women globally: white women from the “Global North.”

Despite this loss of the larger vision for feminism, or perhaps because of it, other feminist groups emerged who made the case that women’s liberation is in fact deeply anti-capitalist and is a necessary precondition for any fundamental system change to take place.

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Zineb Mouhyi In this paper, I will explore the questions: What are the different kinds of feminism that argue that the liberation of women is a prerequisite to our collective liberation? And what are the different ways that they make this argument? I will by giving a brief overview of the different branches of feminism that make a similar argument regarding the importance of women’s liberation but arrive at the same conclusion from different perspectives. This is meant to be a brief overview and certainly does not do justice to the complexity and diversity of feminist perspectives (a summary can be found in Table 1: Mapping Different Feminist Approaches.)

Before starting the answer these broader questions, I would like to briefly define some of the key terms used in this paper, notably feminism and collective liberation. Feminism here refers to the very broad umbrella under which many women’s movements sit. Feminist movements pursue widely different goals but what they have in common is their centering of women and women’s issues. Feminism is thus the umbrella term for the many ways of conceiving of and defending women’s rights. As for the term “collective liberation,” it refers to freedom from all oppression and systems of violence. A liberated society would be one where people have sovereignty over their being and the means that allow them to reproduce themselves. It would be a society free of coercion and exploitation.

Zineb Mouhyi

ARTICLE Feminism for Collective Liberation The capture of the feminist agenda by white women from the Global North meant that traditional feminism stopped representing the needs and aspirations of most women on the planet. As a result, several different branches of feminism appeared which reclaimed the role of feminism in challenging not just patriarchal oppression, but capitalism and imperialism.

They assert that the trifecta of patriarchy, capitalism, and imperialism is mutually reinforcing with patriarchy as the top of the triangle upon which the other two systems rely for existence. Among those movements, we find Radical Black Feminism, Ecofeminism, and Decolonial Feminism, among others. I will address very briefly how each of them arrive at the same conclusion that feminism is a prerequisite to our collective liberation.

For Radical Black Feminists, “If Black women were free, it would mean that everyone else would have to be free since our freedom would necessitate the destruction of all the systems of oppression” (Combahee River Collective, CRC, 1997). They believe that for this vision to become possible, the destruction of capitalism is necessary, as is stated in the CRC statement: “We realize that the liberation of all oppressed peoples necessitates the destruction of the political-economic systems of capitalism and imperialism as well as patriarchy” (CRC, 1997).

For Ecofeminists, the liberation of women is in fact the liberation of life in all its forms as the domination of men over nature parallels the domination of men over women. The ecofeminist theory draws a strong link between patriarchal oppression and the destruction of Nature. For some ecofeminists (notably Maria Mies and Vandana Shiva), the path towards women’s liberation is the creation of an alternative economic system that values the reproduction of life above all else.

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For Decolonial Feminists, the liberation of women is a prerequisite to our collective liberation because patriarchy and imperialism are deeply intertwined. Therefore, undermining the racial patriarchy is a way to decolonize our communities and our liberation movements. Moreover, there is a rejection of feminist individualism in favor of collective approaches. There is also a strong recognition that colonization has led to deeply harmful changes in the treatment of women by their own communities, a harm that must be undone if women and men who are suffering in the hands of an exploitative colonial economic system are to be able to come together and challenge their conditions.

Overall, these three branches of feminism are not so different from one another as they coalesce in their belief in the centrality of the role that women’s liberation must play in the creation of world that is free of oppression.

Feminism for Collective Liberation I understand first-hand the liberatory role that feminism must play in our lives in this time of transition. Through my personal experience, I found out that embracing feminism had nothing to do with having the same rights as men. Instead, embracing feminism meant embracing the parts of me that society doesn’t value, in other words, embracing the feminine parts of me. I have since found out that contrarily to what I was meant to believe, far from being sources of weakness, my feminine qualities were my sources of strength. Love, care, and connection are not just “feminine qualities,” they are the basis of life and in age an marked by separation, they are the forces that have the power to make us whole again.

May we all embrace the liberatory power of feminism! Our future might just depend on it.

#Womxn

Zineb Mouhyi

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Mapping Different Feminist Approaches

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Zineb Mouhyi

Make a change 27

HOW CAN STUDENTS TRANSFORM THEIR LEARNING EXPERIENCES AND EDUCATION? Co-authors: Zineb Mouhyi & Estefanía Cardona Forero

For the majority of high-school students worldwide, going to school feels punishing. Survey after survey shows that students feel overwhelmingly negative about school, calling it a tiring, stressful, and boring environment. To cope with this, each student has their own strategy, from disengaging to disrupting to singularly focusing on getting good grades.

It is essential that students recognize that “education” and “schooling” are two very different things. Schooling is the institutionalization of our education but far from the only place where we learn and get educated. In John Dewey’s words, "Education is a social process. Education is growth.

Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself."

This means that although students might be stuck in a school they do not like, their education is still theirs. While it is essential that education systems transform, students worldwide should not wait for that transformation to happen for them to take charge of their learning and education. As Mark Twain would say, we should not let our schooling interfere with our education.

In this article, the team at YouthxYouth - a global community of youth activists and adult allies dedicated to the reimagination and transformation of education for collective liberation - wants to share with you 8 practical ways students can reclaim and transform their learning & education.

We hope you share it with students you know who might benefit from it!

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1. Recognize that your education system is not designed to serve you - The main function of education systems is to supply the economy with the next generation of workers, NOT to serve people or planet.

Once you realize that, it becomes easier to…

2. Reject the narrow focus that your school puts on you - Through schools, we are taught to ruthlessly compete with one another to be “successful” instead of being taught to care about our wellbeing, the wellbeing of others, or the wellbeing of our planet. Instead of unconsciously complying with what school wants you to be, you can…

3. Reflect on what you’d like the goals of your education to be What does being education mean to you? What would you like your learning and education to help you achieve? Who would like to become and how will your learning serve that? Once you know WHY you want to learn, it is time to…

4. Define your own learning questions to focus on what you would like to learn - A learning question frames your goals, challenges or curiosities as a site for active exploration and meaningful enquiry. It is more about provoking a process of learning than about finding an answer. For you to engage actively in this learning process, you need to…

5. Cultivate your love of learning and your ability to learn and focus - Often, by being forced to learn in schools, we start unconsciously thinking learning is annoying, challenging, or boring. To become a lifelong learner, you need to cultivate your love of learning, notably by paying attention to what gives you joy. What do you “naturally” love learning about? Being an effective learner is also something that we learn! So learn about learning and…

6. Recognize that you can learn from all the experiences you go through - By adopting a learner’s mindset, you start seeing everything that surrounds you as something you might learn from.

You start living into your questions and seeing glimpses of answers in your own experiences. You can multiply your opportunities for meaningful learning when you…

Zineb Mouhyi

WHAT DO THESE 8-STEPS LOOK LIKE IN PRACTICE? Hear directly from Estefanía, an 18 year-old student in Colombia and youth education activist, who shares her story of reclaiming her education while in school: I never quite understood the difference between being a number and being a student, from both of them we demand perfection. Perfect grades, perfect attitude, and perfect facade. After recognizing what was demanded of me by my school, I realized I either had to give up my humanity or disappoint everyone around me. I choose neither; I create my path, even my own reality. In class, I sit ready to open my mind to a world full of possibilities, from the sciences to the humanities. I was told never to give my opinion so instead I observe and look for questions. The “why” has become my friend as I seek to fulfill my curiosity by pondering on the hardest of questions. I ponder and question not to get an answer but to learn from my experiences, including my failures as I am convinced I can get better even at failing.

I was once asked to describe my perfect school, and the only thing I could come up with was that there isn’t one. There is no perfect school for me but I am a learner and I love learning. So what do I seek to grow as a learner and how do I want my education to support my personal growth? It doesn’t necessarily have to come from a school, as knowledge doesn’t have to come from a class. From books to mentors we alway learn, life is the best teacher of them all.

Knowledge is the key to it all, and the change lies within letting the

7. Join or create supportive learning communities - We learn better when we learn from and with people who are aligned with us. For instance, in YouthxYouth we create intergenerational peer-learning communities for young people to explore their personal learning questions in a supportive environment. Together, we can…

8. Advocate for changes in your school and education system - The changes we want in our schools won’t happen without students creating the change they want to see.

youth cherish every single lesson, inside and outside the classroom.

Estefania Cardona

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INFINITE POSSIBILITIES

WHAT IS LIFE? The unexpected Journey

LIFE IS PART OF ALL OF US HUMANS

EXPLORE YOUR DREAMS

WRITTEN BY ESTEFANIA CARDONA Time describes our journey. How long will we perceive it will be? Or, even if we actually get to cherish it? It is like a song that you can’t quite describe, with its ups and downs. It is like catching breath after a long run. It is to know that through it all, sometimes pain is the best teacher, and the most important part is to get the most out of the day after day. The thing is that each day we get twenty-four hours, it may seem like a very long time, although sometimes it is never enough. In a day everything can change, if we let it, as I have always said all of us have what it takes to fulfill our destiny of greatness, still, it does not mean that we are all ready. To be human is to be all of the best, like having fun, smiling, and helping other people, and sometimes it is to be completely the opposite like to be sad, angry, or maybe even stubborn. Let our journey be from twenty to eighty years, time can never seem to be enough, but that is actually the beauty of it. You see, the best way to get out of bed is to have a purpose, to live. The one that is about falling in love with every day, to fail and to then succeed, to be the best version of oneself. It is hard, don’t get me wrong, it is hard and it will always be challenging, however, I guess I wouldn’t really have it

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any other way.

Estefania Cardona

Sometimes it only takes to see the little details to know how valuable it all is, to see a smile, to look at the sky and see the shapes of the clouds, or even to achieve something small like tying your own shoes, and to see everything through as a child sheds a tear. It is about being at peace with your past, as you know that you would not be the person that you are if all of the hard times had not happened in the first place. Sometimes, we just have to be grateful that at the end of the day we have the gift of a new night, and that maybe, just maybe we might take a breath of a new dawn, a tomorrow with a new chess game. It is as well to be at peace with your future, to let things happen as they should, and to have dreams, goals, and expectations beyond imagination. To try your very best, when everyone else thinks it is impossible, and to always go that extra mile. It is also to believe, to see the world from a child's eyes, one that doesn’t see the world for what it is, but for what it could be.

We all live in this beautiful place called Earth, where all we see is unique, and in its most unexpected ways we find the secrets for being truly happy. No one figures it out right away, and that is okay, because it may take us from one second to a hundred years to actually know what is in front of us.

The world is always changing, it is true, but maybe we should just change with it. Be more integral, accept our differences and embrace them, be moonshot thinkers, and protect what is slipping from our hands. It just takes us to accept ourselves, to love who we are, and to give that love back to whoever needs it the most. I will fight for what I believe in, as all I want is to live in a world where it is enough to smile without any reason. Life is all that we are but never realize, it is part of us for a while, and it is up to us to take as much advantage from it as possible. Life is to be aware that you exist, you breathe, you love, you smile, you give back, and to be all that you wish to be.

That is the journey I call life, it is truly a leap of faith.

Estefania Cardona

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Cold Hand ANGSHULA ANONDI KHAN

I SAW RED BLOOMING AT TREETOPS THE OTHER DAY. THE CLEAR BLUE SKY, BLOODRED FLOWERS SITTING SO BEAUTIFULLY THERE WITH THE DRIED TREE BRANCHES, REMINDED ME OF MANY OF OUR CONVERSATIONS. MAINLY THE ONES WHERE YOU WANTED TO DIE. I WAS NEVER UNFAMILIAR WITH THE FEELING, THE LONGING FEELING FOR DEATH. BUT IT FEELS LIKE THE FEELING HAS BECOME THE ONLY THING I’M CAPABLE OF HAVING. I FELL IN LOVE SOME DAYS AGO. IT DIDN’T FEEL LIKE ANYTHING I THOUGHT IT WOULD FEEL LIKE. THERE WEREN’T ANY FIREWORKS HAPPENING IN THE BACKGROUND. IT WAS JUST ME AND MY LONELINESS REALIZING I MAY BECOME A BIT LESS LONELY. BUT I GUESS I WILL NEVER BE LESS LONELY BECAUSE IT’S NOT LIKE YOU CAN COME BACK. BUT DON’T WORRY FATHER, I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE PROMISE. I HAVE NOT REPLACED YOU, AND THE TRUTH IS I CAN NEVER REPLACE YOU. NO MATTER HOW MUCH I TRY, NO ONE CAN BE YOU. WHY WERE YOU, YOU? WHAT MADE YOU SO UNIQUELY YOU? IF YOU WERE GOING TO LEAVE ANYWAY, WHY DID YOU LOVE ME SO MUCH? WHY DID YOU MAKE ME LOVE YOU SO MUCH? LEAVES FELL ON THE GROUND AND IT’S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME THE FLOWERS WILL START FALLING TOO. THE PATH WILL BE FILLED WITH REDS AND PURPLES, AS YOU LOVED. THE BEAUTY OF IT IN OUR EYES ALWAYS MADE UP FOR THE SCORCHING HEAT. I WON’T BE THERE FOR IT THIS YEAR TO SEE THE SERENE ATMOSPHERE. BUT I’LL ASK SOMEONE TO PAINT ME THE PICTURES. BUT I DOUBT I WILL NEED IT. ALL I NEED TO DO IS CLOSE MY EYES AND I CAN PICTURE US HOLDING HANDS WHILE WALKING THERE. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THAT I’M A CHILD AGAIN. I WISH I WAS A CHILD AGAIN. THEN I’D GET MORE TIME WITH YOU MAYBE.

I CRIED A BIT YESTERDAY. I SMOKED A BIT YESTERDAY. I GOT A LITTLE LOST YESTERDAY. BUT THEN I FOUND MYSELF AGAIN. ALL I HAD TO REMEMBER WAS THAT I AM YOUR DAUGHTER. THE APPLE OF YOUR EYES. YOUR PRIDE AND JOY. BUT YOU DON’T EVEN EXIST ANYMORE. DOES THAT MEAN I’M STILL YOUR PRIDE AND JOY? JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT HERE ANYMORE, DOES IT MEAN YOU STILL LOVE ME? IS THAT REALLY POSSIBLE?

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IN LOVING MEMORY

Angshula Anondi Khan

I SMOKED A BIT, DRANK A BIT, ACTED LIKE A BIT OF A SLUT. ARE YOU STILL PROUD OF ME FATHER? I DOUBT. IT’S BETTER TO DISAPPOINT YOU, THEN I KNOW IF YOU STAYED YOU WOULDN’T HAVE SAID NICE THINGS. THEN YOU LEAVING HURTS A LITTLE LESS. IT STILL DOESN’T. I’M STILL BAD AT LYING AND YOU’RE STILL GONE. MY LEFT HAND HAS BEEN COLDER THAN THE USUAL. CAN YOU COME BACK FOR JUST A COUPLE OF SECONDS AND HOLD MY HAND ONE LAST TIME? IT’S FUTILE TO ASK THESE QUESTIONS WHEN I ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWERS. IT’S ALWAYS A NO, AND YOU CAN’T EVEN HEAR ME. I WONDER, DO I WRITE TO YOU FOR PITY? FOR SOME SCRAPES OF AFFECTION? MAYBE A BIT OF LOVE? I DOUBT. NOTHING WILL COMPARE TO YOUR HUG. I CAN’T FEEL IT ANYMORE THOUGH. EVEN THE LINGERING FEELING OF IT FADED AWAY. I FELL IN LOVE IN A COLD WINTER. IT FELT LIKE BEING WRAPPED WITH THE WARMEST, THE COZIEST BLANKETS. BUT MY LEFT HAND STILL FELT COLD. I WISH I COULD BURN THE SENSATION OFF. WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME HERE? COULDN’T I HAVE FOLLOWED YOU?

Angshula Anondi Khan

IN LOVING MEMORY

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ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES SHINE, GO FORTH

When I began my undergraduate studies I had no idea what I was getting myself into in 2016. I applied to the University of Benin to study Chemical Engineering and everything went swimmingly until I got enrolled to study Education Chemistry, which was diametrically opposed to my intended field of study. I was devastated, and I recall spending the next year attempting unsuccessfully to change my line of study. I decided to thrive and earn a good grade in Chemistry Education; yet, my journey was not easy. I recall praying to God for assistance in resolving the matter.

I began volunteering and contributing my skills and time to help make a difference in my community during my second year of university. My friends and I founded Church on the Street ng with the sole purpose of feeding and educating children in Nigeria, as well as proclaiming the gospel to them.

I am eternally grateful to this organization for assisting me in launching my career in the social impact sector. We wanted to visit an orphanage in Benin city and had hoped to raise about 50,000 Naira, or about $100, to help put smiles on these children's faces. However, because it was a small project and we assumed it would be a one-off, we ended up raising about 72,000 nairas. What began as a small project has grown into a full-fledged organization that has raised over $5000 to help feed hungry families, and pay tuition fees for indigent children, We are currently established in over seven states across Nigeria, and on June 16th, we will celebrate our fourth anniversary.

You'd think everything went smoothly, but in my third year of university, my CGPA dropped and I received some C's and D's in my results, which I couldn't understand because I remembered working harder the previous year and my promise to graduate from the university began to stutter. I recall withdrawing from people and blaming myself for it; I also cried most of the time. I resolved to improve my circumstances; it's either I continue to moan or I work harder, adopt a new strategy, and pull myself back up.

My new approach was to spend my weekends attending university conferences in order to network with other young people and develop lasting relationships, as well as to acquire new skills and apply God's word to my life. "I can do all things through Christ who empowers me," I recall saying. At the slightest hint of negativity, I brushed it aside; I was getting excited about graduating from university in 2020.

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We recall wrapping up my second teaching practice program, during which I spent six weeks teaching students in a secondary school in Nigeria, which was required for graduation when the Covid-19 pandemic struck. The university was shut down, and we were placed on complete lockdown. I expected to stay at home for two weeks but ended up staying for over nine months. Throughout the pandemic, I was heavily involved in my professional development and was applying to some life-changing programs. Everything was going swimmingly until I began receiving rejection letters. In some circumstances, I never received a response. It was excruciating at the moment.

My friend Erioluwa forwarded me an opportunity for finalyear student teachers. He requested that I submit an application and share it with my network of friends. It said that they will choose only twenty candidates. I applied a day before the deadline and had no idea I would be accepted. That single step changed the course of my life! Never doubt yourself. I felt inadequate as a result of the rejection letters, yet I am more than enough!

I received four weeks of training and also competed in a pitch grant competition. We were tasked with developing solutions to educational difficulties in impoverished communities, and I came in second place. Following this, In 2021, I was nominated to serve as a host for a gathering of education activists called the Youth by Youth Global Learning Festival Event. It brought together educators from over 40 countries, and together we fundamentally redesigned the future of education. Often, rejection is just a redirection. I am grateful for being rejected from those programs and grateful that I took a chance on myself and applied to the Life-Changing Teachers in Training Program. This was the start of my youth x youth journey. I participated as one of the hosts, for the global action circles where I facilitated 7+ Sessions on Educational Technology and Global Action themes with Participants from 3 Continents across the world.

I also volunteered to be a member of the core team preparing the global learning festival's 2022 edition, where I ended up co-leading the event's media team and responsible for developing the global learning festival's visual and written content, which garnered registrations from over 80 nations and also being featured on the magazine's first-ever launch. I am currently the media team lead for youth x youth and it has been an amazing experience so far.

Success Yole Areeveso

Featured Activist

I am now working on my Global Action Circle project, which is a podcast that will feature stories of young people around the world who are challenging the status quo.

I'm glad I didn't give up; I continued going forward regardless of the obstacles life threw my way. I graduated from the University of Benin last year as one of the class's top ten students. I realized along the line that I don't think I would go back to get a degree in engineering. I am forever grateful to my family and friends for the kind of support I received all these years.

I feel empowered when I work with youth x youth and pursue my interests. I'd like to conclude with this quote by Sarah Jakes Roberts. "Because the world is so interconnected, your vacant spot allows someone else to leave her spot unfilled as well; by subduing your giant, you give others a reason to do the same."

Dear youth x youth activists, Shine brightly, for you are limitless!

Thank you.

Success Yole Areeveso Social Entrepreneur Media Lead/Creative Storyteller Youthxyouth.

Success Yole Areeveso

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THE YOUTH’S VOICE SEEKS TO EMPOWER YOUTH by

creating a liberated safe space to communicate ideas and spark a revolution to transform education

systems globally. This publication is the embodiment

of the innovation and creativity we need to reimagine the world we want to live in and embrace education as it should be for the 21st century.

Womxn are unstoppable. They are courageous, they are strong, and they are resilient. As womxn, growing up we had to understand that we needed to protect ourselves, from all those beliefs that are telling us that we aren’t enough. Truth is that it made us brighter, smarter, decisive, and maybe a little bit competitive. In reality, the number one thing that would finally fix the gender gap in the working environment is to use knowledge to understand that we can get further if we work together. It is to see that we all have our strengths and weaknesses, it is to finally break the cycle we have been keeping for thousands of years.

Womxn are more than capable, they are persistent and they are wise, it is the reason that we should have the same opportunities as everyone else. To not be afraid of the darkness, and what others think. I know that the way that we are to resolve this is through education, ever since we are kids. It is to teach children to work together, to see womxn in a different way that is not even been taught today. It is to respect her. If we are to do this with the implementation of different programs around the globe, it will mean that mentality will last forever, it will be passed down, and in the near-future gender gap might not even exist anymore. It is to see and learn that we are as capable of more if we are only given one chance. It might be a longer process, but I am sure that it will create a difference, huge difference not only in the business sector but in all of them. We are going to be more integral as humanity, not separate, and not individual.

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PURPOSE

THE BIRTH OF THE YOUTH'S VOICE

The Beginning

ESTEFANIA CARDONA

Have you ever been in love? I have. Let me describe it to you.

It always starts with a page, not blank, but filled with possibilities. It craves greatness within the thousand lives you can give life if you only open the first page. It is to laugh with characters, with experiences, with knowledge. That smell, oh that smell, like fresh roses. It is new, it is exciting, it is to dream. You never quite know what is going to happen, with time, with chapters, with the pages, you will always get to have that memory. That feeling, it’s inexplicable, it can only be experienced. I’ve lost count of how many lives, how many quests, how many adventures, and stories I got to be part of.

I’ve learned about the past, what is the present, and what can become the future. I know those pages have shaped me into the person I am today, they have helped me with self-growth, they will help me with my career in the future, and they have helped me to open my mind. I was once told that if you want to change the world, to make it a better place, you first have to imagine it.

Open your mind. I have a collection of thoughts, words, of statements, all within my reach, perfectly fit together, and conserved for eternity. I’ve fallen in love with reading and what it means when you do. Infinite and never-ending.

Leaders are readers, it is what Jim Kwik taught me. When I started my work at Youth x Youth (non-profit) I was scared, I had never done anything extraordinary with my life because I was afraid of the consequences. I started as an activist who knew that education systems are shattered globally, we are treated as copies, our opinions don’t matter, we are told that we are numbers and that those numbers define us. As part of being host of the Global Action Circle of Community and Development, I created an initiative. The Youth’s Voice. It is a global magazine that invites the youth to share their stories on education, to take action, and promote their initiative of how they want their education to be shaped, even how to co-create with each other. I opened the possibility for hundreds of kids, teenagers, and even young adults to finally speak after years of silence. Through art, stories, poems, photography, articles, and so much more. Reading gave me the initiative to understand that most of the time when we are afraid of something, we read about it. Creating this magazine will be living proof that if others are sharing, anyone as well can. It is to feel connected with people all around the globe It is to empower the youth, and for them to finally be heard. Sometimes it only takes one person to make the change that needs to be seen in the world. I am in love with reading, and it brought me The Youth’s Voice.

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THE

YOUTH'S

VOICE

WINTER ISSUE

BE

THE

CHANGE