"Ten Years Later: An Examination of the
Current State of Youth Activism"
Adam
Gabriel Yoffie
Introduction
Selected to participate in the Hart Leadership’s
Service Opportunities and Leadership (SOL) Program at Duke University,
I traveled to Cape Town for two months to intern with Gun Free South
Africa. As a rising junior majoring in political science and pursuing
a certificate in documentary studies, I was extremely interested
in working on some form of oral history project related to the topic
of gun control. I spent many years in high school fighting for stricter
gun control in the United States and hoped to meet fellow activists
in Cape Town. Charged with the task of helping the organization
research and develop a new youth initiative, I conducted a series
of oral history interviews with local youth leaders and victims
of gun violence. Although I could identify with their passion for
the subject, I quickly recognized the vast personal differences
between myself and my fellow activists. Intrigued by their work
and eager for others to hear their voices, I decided to turn the
six interviews with Gun Free’s leading youth activists into
a separate oral history project. Supported by Duke Professor and
Director of the Hart Leadership Program Alma Blount and Gun Free
National Advocacy Coordinator Margie Keegan, I was able to dedicate
a significant portion of my time to the project.
Overview
South Africa has a strong history of youth activism. From the formation
of the African National Congress (ANC) Youth League to the 1976
Soweto uprisings, youth leaders played a crucial role in toppling
the apartheid regime and bringing about a fully democratic South
Africa.
During the political transition to democracy, activists encountered
increasingly violent state-sponsored attacks. At the same time,
violence was wielded by certain sections of the democratic movement
on communities to ensure that they remained “ungovernable.”
The death toll rose as negotiations moved closer and closer to finalization.
It took all of the skilled leadership and negotiating skills of
great leaders such as Nelson Mandela to avert a full-fledged civil
war.
The weapons used in the early 1990’s, however, were never
recollected and destroyed. The democratic government made, at best,
a feeble attempt to entice its citizens to hand in their firearms.
Meanwhile, bogged down with issues of reconciliation and the transformation
of the inefficient state infrastructure inherited from apartheid,
the new government was busy trying to ameliorate the impoverished
community. Gun Free South Africa, a non-governmental organization
founded in 1994, is currently developing a new youth initiative
for schools in the Western Cape. Cognizant of the power of peer-to-peer
education, Gun Free has enlisted the help of experienced and passionate
youth advocates eager to spread the organization’s message.
“Ten Years Later: An Examination of the Current State of
Youth Activism,” includes oral history interviews, biographical
information, pictures, and speeches by Gun Free’s six leading
youth activists. From 16-year-old Yandisa to 30-year-old Thembani
(Gun Free’s full-time youth coordinator and the only employee
included in the project), it is clear that the younger generation
is still willing and capable of tackling politics and violence in
the public sphere.
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