Gen Z How a Generation Defined a Pandemic
do you remember the last time
someone paid you a genuine wholly
disinterested compliment
perhaps someone liked your outfit or
your hair
or even praised your radiant smile
picture that time put yourself back
in the exact place at that exact moment
how did it make you feel probably really
good right
and warm inside well i’d hope so
now that feeling
that is a sense of recognition and
belonging
we get from just existing in and being
part
of a community it is those actions
especially the small effortless ones
that make us feel confident and
empowered
in our common space so i’m going to talk
about
that feeling that strong sense of
community
that is important in our everyday lives
but going further than that i’m going to
ask
whether you are active members in your
communities
making an impact and cultivating the
world
that we will face tomorrow and beyond
because especially for us gen z
wouldn’t you want to take the power into
your own hands
to shape the spaces we are going to
inhabit
i think we would all agree that a strong
sense of community
is a vital aspect of modern life
and an essential component in human
flourishing
not in the sense that we are forced to
live with and around other people
but that human interaction is an
integral even
primal aspect of our existence
and for the most part we are far better
off
for it studying philosophy and theology
has made me quite attuned to this
whether it be considering the
inextricable connection
of religious experiences in community as
proposed by durkheim
or the centrality of community in
society
seen in the polis as articulated by
aristotle
in his politics he writes one citizen
differs from another but the salvation
of the community is the common business
of them all
in both aristotle and durkheim arguably
two of the greatest
and most influential thinkers of their
times
community is the central philosophical
and sociological tenet
clearly then it is something which is
deeply rooted in our intellectual
traditions
and more fundamentally our human nature
personally i really don’t know if i
would have made it through the
physically
and emotionally draining events of this
year if it had not been for those
around me even in a virtual sense
we have all been through some really
tough moments
in these last few months and that has
particularly affected those in my
generation
coronavirus and the imposed lockdowns
have made us feel collectively estranged
helpless and a bit disorientated
a recent uk-based survey by the mental
health foundation
shows that young people are almost three
times more likely
to experience loneliness since lockdown
beyond the global pandemic the black
lives matter movement
has reminded us that human life is a
right
that some of us are still having to
demand
even in the year 2020 whilst the end
sales movement in nigeria
shows that just humane treatment
is still being denied to those from
certain communities
we don’t usually mention community in
our day-to-day lives
even though we are constantly partaking
in it
but for most the recent removal of this
tangible sense of belonging
has revealed how important it is in
making us feel
safe and rooted and purposeful
although it is hard to see there is hope
among the events that have occurred over
these last few months
that being the revelation of how
vivifying
rejuvenating and even in some cases
redemptive
this sense of community can actually be
despite ostensible indications to the
country
we hold the power to shape how our
community looks
and by transforming meetings and
gatherings online
we can find and have found
ways to engage and be around others
without that physical aspect
whilst physical intimacy might have been
lacking during lockdown
emotional and intellectual intimacy
was there in abundance
and so with this i see my two favorite
african proverbs collide
it takes a village to raise a child and
sticks in a bundle
are unbreakable
i was always told the first one was
growing up especially by my mum
it reminded me that my development was
only aided by those around me
helping to build me up perhaps that’s
why i care so deeply about this topic
the second one i’ve grown fond of more
recently
it’s a bittersweet reminder of our
vulnerability alone
but collective strength together
it even reminds me of the impetus of us
as a generation
like the sticks we are bundled together
by passion
and care for important causes and we are
unbreakable
in what we do likewise
the biblical phrase from ecclesiastes a
three-fold chord is not
easily broken conveys exactly the same
powerful humanistic message
we’ve established the importance of
community
and how it is both integral and
essential to our lives
but we need to ask ourselves whether we
are active agents in our community
why should i even care about this you
may ask and i can only agree with
aristotle
in saying that the salvation of our
community is the common business
of us all as the english metaphysical
poet john dunn said
i am involved in mankind
consider the compliment example i
brought up at the start of this talk
that shows us how very small seemingly
trivial actions
can have a meaningful impact on others
i don’t know about you but when i get
paid compliments it totally brightens up
my day
making me much nicer to those around me
ultimately though i become more aware
of and involved in my surroundings
we can go further than compliments
though
for me the most impactful scheme i’ve
been privileged to be a part of
is called leaders of tomorrow it’s a
small
grassroots mental scheme for teenagers
based in peckham south london
it encourages us black students from
lower income backgrounds
to raise our academic level of
achievement and fulfill our potential
whatever that might be
when i was there the weekly sessions had
a vocabulary slot
the rationale being to broaden our grasp
and love of the english language so that
we could articulate our thoughts better
we went on regular trips to museums art
galleries and theaters
in order to expand our cultural and
artistic horizons
beyond the confines of se15
and we were wholly encouraged to try our
best
at everything we did
the volunteers that helped us came every
tuesday
they came with their energy care and
enthusiasm
and they helped us become better
versions of ourselves
now if it wasn’t for them turning up
every week
rain or shine and nurturing our
potential
i wouldn’t know half of the historical
facts
or references to literature that i do
now i wouldn’t have been
inspired by the creative industries and
the arts
from watching a myriad of performances
in the west end
i wouldn’t now be studying at oxford
university where the mentors encouraged
me to apply
because of my academic potential but
most
importantly i would not be confident
enough
to believe in my own ideas and
self-worth
and be able to stand here today talking
to you
from a ted stage
but this newfound confidence buttressed
by the sense of community
i had from the volunteers who always
came back
week in week out has incredibly
shaped my life and will continue to do
so
the train ride they took to mentor us
every week was the difference in my life
story
really think about that whatever you
decide to do
even if it is seemingly small can have
an
extraordinary impact on those in your
community
so what will you choose to do to help
others around you
and if you are already being active how
far is it
as aristotle puts for the salvation
of your community
for me i’m now involved in the blackhead
students network
a group of current and previous young
blackhead boys and girls in the uk
as a vice chair of the network we
encourage black students from our
communities
to expand their mindset develop their
leadership
and become the change makers of tomorrow
hearing stories of our members gaining
successful offers for work internships
we’ve helped them apply to or excelling
in interviews we help them practice for
is a truly fulfilling feeling
when i advise them on personal
statements written for university
applications
which mainly takes less than an hour out
of my day
i often forget that their implementation
of my feedback
could be the difference in their
university acceptances
that small change completely
alters their life journey
but this isn’t about just me
this is about gen z and our impact
because what is most humbling about the
network is seeing our members becoming
active agents in their own communities
some have created schemes to help those
in need locally or abroad
others use online activism to push their
peers
humanitarian awareness further and
others use creative outlets
to engage the community whether that be
through podcasting or blogging
the network is thriving with change
makers
but as a generation we can
and must push harder
writing from the university of
california jonathan london
posits why have the realizations that
youth and community development are
inextricably linked
that youth are essential partners in
community building
and that community building can provide
developmental opportunities for youth
not been enough to make linking the two
common practices
in other words even if we have come to
learn that young people
gen z are the key for a thriving
community
where is the implementation
is it because we think we are too young
too impressionable too
helpless well i hope not because we can
add value no matter our age
and as i hope i have shown you it
doesn’t need to be a big thing
to make such a monumental impact on
someone’s life
or community group as a whole as the
saying
goes a small stone cast can make the
biggest ripple
so you don’t have to run a marathon
create a charity
or save the planet be realistic
and make it work for you
because when all is said and done only
we know what the problems are on the
ground for us
so really only we can use our voices
to meaningfully attempt to fix it
and if we all do this we can make a
groundbreaking change
after all sticks in a bundle are
unbreakable
so i ask you listeners gen z or
otherwise
what will be the steps you will take
to be an active agent in your community
because imagine how great your actions
no matter how small
can affect change
as you know i have a love of african
proverbs so
i’ll leave you with this last one it’s
the philosophical
south african concept of ubuntu
a concept of togetherness and shared
humanity so the next time you paid a
compliment
or even give one remember
remember how good it feels to be part of
a thriving community
remember how our effortless actions can
create so many positive reactions
remember that if we strive together
to be the change makers of tomorrow we
can gradually push
for the salvation of all our communities
[Applause]