Teacher-Student Exchanges on World-Wide Protests and Discontent

I teach a diverse group of 12 and 13 year old 8th graders in Social Studies in Durham, North Carolina. As part of our weekly current events in recent months, we discussed the large protests moving across Latin America. Since I lived and worked in Buenos Aires, Argentina between 2003-2010, I often share stories with them and we reflect on the plight of a large majority of citizens south of the US border and elsewhere.  

As a class, we considered the political and social crisis raging in Venezuela, the violence in Bolivia after disputed presidential elections, and the large protests in Chile over mounting public grievances against the government. Public discontent then boiled over in Columbia. They also looked at the presidential election in Argentina that returned a left-wing party to power amidst another possible economic crisis in that country.

I observed in Argentina and throughout the region that common citizens were fed up with their persistent economic hardship, poverty, and sense of powerlessness to do anything about it. At each new election turn, either left or right-wing political parties, fought for power and control over the country’s resources. As these large protests demonstrated, their governments continue to fail to deliver any major changes to the status quo for many amidst endless instability as corruption scandals proliferate. It is a theme of political leadership largely out of touch with the masses.

My students did not need to hear these insights from me. Powered by the information age, they cultivate their individual perspectives freely. I encourage them as well. Moreover, they have demonstrated not only a fierce independence and moral sense of right and wrong but also concern about injustice, inequality, and the environment. Still, I watch some of them struggle to stay untainted by the pervasive cynicism of adults and the general social climate. They believe largely that the adults are to blame for today’s chaos and that it is appalling for millions of citizens to lack access to food, shelter, and their basic human rights.

As we connected events in Latin America with ongoing protests in Hong Kong and the Middle East, I asked them about our recent studies of the Indian independence movement under Mahatma Gandhi and the battle for racial equality inspired by Martin Luther King Jr and many others. I wondered out loud how we might link the message of these two historical leaders with the global frustration evident on the streets. And for us to consider our solutions.

One male student answered that the people appeared to be voicing their opinions and angry with oppression and inequality. Another chimed in that racism hasn’t gone away while a female student blamed the protests on the greed of the elite. And to answer the question about our solutions. One student said nonviolence because it eventually weakened the aggressor.  Another female student pulled up on her laptop the meaning of the words empathy and compassion. She shared that empathy meant to put ourselves in the place of another and compassion inspired different forms of action to alleviate the suffering of others. Even if we recognize the complexity of governance and distinct national interests, it is these underlying principles that can offer help to advance our goals for progress. If only the governments and their leadership considered their advice. 

As Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. awakened both individual and collective awareness to our common humanity above race, ethnicity, religion, or even culture; these emerging global citizens are also wise beyond their adolescence and have the passion to drive it. They are inspired by how persistence, courage, and even love in the face of significant obstacles in history eventually exposed injustice and advanced social progress.

As citizens in places like Latin America try again to sustain their protests of discontent to achieve change, it is these children that we must consider as they become who they are. We have a responsibility to reform and heal a broken system that will pave the way for them to do away with the oppression and greed that deny so many their natural demands for freedom and security.