messed with the generation”wrong

Written by Laetitia de Belgique

During the early years of childhood, our parents and family members instilled in us an understanding of the world’s rights and wrongs. As time passed, we have come to learn the sacred rules of society; from not making eye-contact in the tube to not breaking the law, our lives quickly become walled in by regulations - legal, social, and more. Don’t get me wrong, many-a-times these are necessary, and we learn to follow each as we find our place in the world. But at what point do we need to begin questioning these for the sake of change?

I was recently reminded of the power of rebellion when attending a talk about the future of Myanmar, where activists spoke on the struggle of Myanmar’s youth to break the boundaries imposed upon them by the militarist regime. “You messed with the wrong generation” sounded through the lecture hall as one of the speakers expressed the hopes of the country’s youth to re-establish the nation they once knew. Like colouring outside the lines as a child, it might be time to follow Myanmar’s youth in seeking to achieve the change we want future generations to enjoy.