On air:Is it up to young people to change the world?
| 17:37 UK time, Wednesday, 16 June 2010
Today is Youth Day in South Africa, a day that honours all the young people who lost their lives in the fight against apartheid and .
It's a day that many see as a and whereas others remember the struggle against what was essentially racist legislation:
"Natives [blacks] must be taught from an early age that equality with Europeans [whites] is not for them."You can read more about the why the protests began
As young people in South Africa prepare to celebrate the day a movement began to change their lives, the Soweto newspaper editorial says both young and old have forgotten the sacrifice made over 30 years before:
Booze, bashes and other unmentionables characterise how both young and old celebrate this day. We are in danger of forgetting our history. We do not guard our gains and victories. We let our memories scatter in the wind.Is it fair to say younger generations forget the sacrifices the older generations have made? feels the courage of the students should be honoured.
But these students from Soweto spoke to the 91Èȱ¬'s World Today this morning and said they can't live up to the ideals of those who fought against oppression:
I think most of us realise they fought so hard for us to be where we are today, we are trying to embody how they want us to live but it is difficult for us to embody how they wanted us to live, I can't imagine not having this life.
Should young people today be responsible for overcoming oppression and fighting for justice? Is it fair to give them this kind of responsibility? And how much should those that have overcome oppression be remembered once they have achieved their aims?
WHYS will be at the tonight with people who took part in the marches and helped children who had been injured to safety.
If there are any questions you'd like to put to the guests, please post them below.
