The following are questions asked by me to my global and local peers. I would also like to encourage you to think and answer these questions.
How do you exercise 'Civic Participation' in your daily life?
Sanchi from India:
"We can surely relate and exercise Civic Participation on a daily basis, as even a small act we do for the community can create a ripple effect and make a bigger change. Some daily acts like teaching the uneducated or needy children, or even distributing some food or essentials to the needy etc."
Nicky Dyah from Indonesia:
"It doesn't always have to be something big, a simple act like helping for Independence day or another event is great too. ;)"
Priyanka from India:
Civic participation encompasses a wide range of formal and informal activities. I exercise 'civic participation' in my daily life by voting, volunteering, participating in group activities, and community gardening. By volunteering being in different groups benefits not only my physical but mental health. It also helps the community and society as a whole which provides them with emotional support and also a sense of pride among its members.
Dheeraj from India:
I try to hold myself and people around me to the standards that we often have consensus on. For example, if I feel that spitting on the road is disgusting and this is something that concerns the larger public, it is a hard no.
2. Are young people better at implementing and exercising Civic Participation than adults?
Anaissa from the United Arab Emirates:
"I think younger people would participate better because of the ever-changing knowledge and ideation that happens through evolution, there is a higher tendency of younger people to be better than the generation before them because they learn from previous mistakes, or they have better ideas/ creations/ solutions to problems that weren't solved!"
Nicky Dyah from Indonesia:
"Yes of course, why not? Nowadays young people can be everything he/she want. Age doesn't guarantee skill either. Who knows if the younger one is better than the older one? We never know. ;) "
Swastik from India says:
It depends on the situations. Adults have more experience in almost every aspect of life, but sometimes youngsters have a different approach to things and bring a lot of new stuff to the table. So it's really very dependent on the situation
Priyanka from India:
Civic participation varies by generation and education. Today’s young adults may be less likely to participate in civic activities, because they may not have access to information on how to get involved or they may not know how they can make a difference. According to me adults are more better at implementing and exercising civic participation .
Individuals with higher education levels may have more opportunities for civic engagement, as college students have opportunities to get involved in community affairs through fraternities, sororities, or other student organizations.
Therefore there are a lot of measures taken to help young adults to participate in civic amenities so there participation can be increased in later life .
Dheeraj from India:
Not really, I don't think it is completely because of the difference in age. I think it is more about perception, and yes there is a stronger correlation between the average youth and the acceptance of social behavioural standards.
3. What would you do if there was no such thing as Civic Participation?
Tanya from India:
"I would encourage everyone. To belong to civic groups and expand participants social networks, which would make everyone more aware of opportunities to be physically active in their community. Engaging in meaningful activities can also help individuals develop a sense of purpose, which may promote civic participation."
Dheeraj from India:
The world would be an even worse place than it already is. I would try to advocate for it, and hope that others join the cause too.
4. How would or has Civic Participation challenged you?
Nicky Dyah from Indonesia:
It challenged me on a social aspect, because I am not an extrovert and it is completely out of my comfort zone. But now I am learning slowly and steadily,
Swastik from India:
It hasn't really challenged me but rather helped me improve my people skills, and how I need to prove or put my point forward in a group of not very like-minded individuals
Dheeraj from India:
It has challenged me in a lot of ways. I make the distinction between a safe space and a brave space. A safe space is a place of comfort and safety, whereas a brave space is a place of safety often with uncomfortable feelings and a window for learning. I think civic participation happens the most in a brave space, and I feel that I have become more aware of the larger issues that concern public well-being. This in turn has educated me and often made me take a stance if not always.
Those are all the questions I had and I would like to thank all the people mentioned above to have taken the time to patiently answer all my queries. What I learnt from asking all these questions and reading these wonderful answers is that everyone has a different opinion and it is okay to disagree. In fact there were multiple times I respectfully disagreed with so many of them, and to their credit, they all accepted my opinion. I even related to some of them when they said how challenging it can be to step out of your comfort zone. Now let me answer a question you may have had- How did I get in touch with all these people? Generation Global. Yes, if you went through my first post you know all about Generation Global. I think this forum post truly expresses the diversity Generation Global has. No, I am not just talking about the different nationalities, but the various perspectives. And believe it or not it doesn't end here. Next check my posts for an even more detailed reflection on the video conference on Civic Participation.
