June 21, 2013
Let’s begin with the winter of 2011: Uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Bahrein, Syria, Morocco and Jordan; in the spring of 2011 uprisings in Greece, Spain, Israel and Italy; summer 2011 saw the UK engulfed in rioters; in the autumn of 2011 uprisings in the USA, Germany, Canada, France; spring of 2012 saw the uprising in Québec, which led to the government’s downfall; in the spring of 2013 uprisings are occurring in Turkey and Brazil.
This is neither a coincidence nor is it the result of a globalized, social media saavy world. It is because the protesters’ grievances at the core of these rebellions are the same regardless of their origin. In short, they share a similar profile which is:
- mid-thirties and younger
- well educated
- limited perspectives
- poor
- aware of their value
- unacknowledged
The last two points are the core reasons why so many rebellions and revolutions are taking place. These people were trained and raised to perceive themselves as leaders, as people of value in a world that is theirs to own. They studied, traveled, did internships, many of which were unpaid or offered minimal compensation. They were told that if they worked hard, they would achieve success. They are used to having their voices heard and being acknowledged. Most of all, they have a clear understanding of their importance and will not settle for anything less. This is where the Gen Y is different from the Gen X: They are not cynical, disillusioned and passive. They are angry, frustrated and ambitious and act on these feelings.
This is a new situation for decision makers around the world. They are not used to being challenged and rebuffed, nor having their authority perceived as illegitimate or lacking credibility. Their reaction is therefore to revert to what used to work, whether it’s massive use of riot police or “giving in” to menial requests, without acknowledging that the real issues are much larger. This is why the uprisings always begin with the smallest of things.
The brutal arrest of an individual asking for food; the beating of a civilian for unspecified reasons; the destruction of a park to expand a train station or build a mall; massive increases in tuition fees; the uncontrolled increase of rents; or the increase in public transport prices. These are but the triggers for much deeper issues like mass unemployment, poverty, dwindling opportunities, lack of respect and the increasing gap between the realities of those in power and those they govern.
The fact that governments were forced to backtrack and resign due to these uprisings, even two to three years later, is proof of the resiliency of the Y generation and that they will not let things go back to how they were. Because this generation is always ready to fight – literally. Many governments are now on their toes, and those that are not or refuse to acknowledge the new reality are sowing the seeds of their demise.
This decade has been all about confronting the established order and fighting for new opportunities, that the old ways must change, with a new generation that is willing and able to take control. This is a different type of security, one that cannot be sustained with weapons or repression, but with intelligence, inclusion and innovation. Only those that understand this new security paradigm will succeed and politically survive.