Panelist Lou Dubose gives a thumbs up to a Robert Dreyfuss comment during a Conference on World Affairs panel in Macky Auditorium Thursday. (CU Independent/Phil McMichael)
The crowd of listeners at the Youth: Revolution, Resistance and Rebellion Conference on World Affairs panel may now have the spark they need to initiate change, thanks to the suggestions made by the panels speakers.
The speakers shared their personal experiences with activism and political demonstration on Thursday, as well as their ideas on resistance in youth.
Panel speaker Eric Selbin, an educator and theorist of revolution, began the lecture with what he said he considers the fundamental flaw in todays idea of revolution: a lack of attention to the movements that are currently happening in society.
When we commonly think about revolutions, we think about the big events like the American or Russian revolution far more than we tend to recognize or think about the many revolutionary situations in our own culture, Selbin said.
Selbin offered examples such as the small multi-ethnic Green Corn Rebellion in Oklahoma in 1917 where the poor farming public rose up against the military.
He said every society has its own revolutionary aspects and recognizing these efforts is the key to making them more powerful.
Panelist and social anthropologist Janine Wedeldiscussed her experiences at the University of Warsaw in the 1980s and her observances on peoples deep connection to their cause.
The role of the narratives and stories during revolution are greatly important to the public, Wedel said. They have an ingrained sense of living that history.
Wedel said she was disappointed at the lack of young female presence during much of the demonstrating she observed.
The third panelist to share her thoughts was Margot Adler, a correspondent for National Public Radio, who spoke of how her household growing up did nothing but encourage her to resist what she saw as injustice.
My father said, When you dont have your soup, what do you do? You turn the whole world upside down until youre in front of your soup, Adler said.
She said she was arrested three months into her first year at college and from there only continued to be an activist.
She said failure can provide for young people a push in gaining the spirit of an activist.
Without letting people fail or experiment you wont give them the sense of rebellion we need to inculcate into them, Adler said.
Barbara Ibrahim, a sociologist and the final panelspeaker, focused on the role of women under the age of 25 in Egypt and how their patriarchal culture prevents any role in activism on their part.
What we have is a culture of exclusion, Ibrahim said. From the family, community, political and state level; at all levels.
She said even though youth today may feel as if there are no true causes for them to embrace, everyone has their own form of rebellious expression.
Every generation of people rebels in their own way, Ibrahim said.
As students began to question the speakers, the concerns they expressed mainly focused on what youth in the United States could do to become more empowered.
Sharoia Taylor, a 22 year-old senior ethnic studies major ,asked the panelists how U.S. youth could focus on resisting oppression they may be experiencing when their lives are so affected by assimilation issues.
How can urban youth here in the U.S. and in Colorado, those who cant rebel or resist because they are focused on college, assimilation and other issues (resist oppression)? Taylor asked.
Ibrahim said todays youth should remain persistent.
People and youth today shouldnt underestimate their abilities, Ibrahim said. Push on, its going to get easier.
Adler said her generation saw proof of the ability to make an impact during the Civil Rights Movement.
We saw victory by seeing the Civil Rights Movement succeed, Adler said. We saw its possible to change the world.
Elias Cornejo-Warner, a 22-year-old senior MCD biology major, said he chose to attend the panel because the issues it addressed were relevant and because he considers himself an activist. He said, however, he was disappointed with the lack of attention paid to U.S. youth by the panelists.
I honestly wish that first and foremost the panel had addressed more issues in the United States and brought it to a U.S. context, Cornejo-Warner said.
Denver resident Robert Kruch, 62, said hes been attending the CWA for 25 years, but wishes students could have more of a core role in the conference.
This would be more effective if it was more focused on the issues, and that there was more diversity so that you actually had a youth voice, instead of just giving them feedback from the audience, Kruch said.
He said having more students attend the conference in general could make a difference in the overall experience for those who attend.
Most of the people here are retired, you know, why arent there more students here? Kruch said. To have more young people involved would be more stimulating to us old farts.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Sarah Simmons at Sarah.e.simmons@colorado.edu.
