{"id":27064,"date":"2022-08-16T11:10:27","date_gmt":"2022-08-16T11:10:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/neveragainrwanda.org\/?p=27064"},"modified":"2022-08-17T12:35:33","modified_gmt":"2022-08-17T12:35:33","slug":"reflections-on-the-challenges-of-intergenerational-solidarity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neveragainrwanda.org\/reflections-on-the-challenges-of-intergenerational-solidarity\/","title":{"rendered":"#IYD2022: Reflections on the challenges of intergenerational solidarity"},"content":{"rendered":"

All generations – young and old, want one thing in common – a better future, without necessarily compromising the present.<\/p>\n

This was the one aspect that loomed large during the 2022 International Youth Day conference hosted by Never Again Rwanda (NAR) in Kigali, through the support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. The conference attracted over 100 participants, representing the young and older generations from various districts across the country. The two parties reflected on the divergent cultural norms, attitudes, and taboos between them that seem to cause contention. What was evidently obvious was the desire for both generations to explore strategies to foster a healthy and sustainable intergenerational solidarity.<\/p>\n

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, intergenerational solidarity was put under severe strain. The youth were faced by job losses, income squeezes, heavy dependency by the older generation and vulnerable members of their families, mental health issues and interruption in their school programming. The older generation was more prone to the COVID-19 virus and susceptible to death by it. Such a context has the potential to create and exacerbate Intergenerational tensions that are not only unique to crises. In-home and community settings, the old blame the young for not respecting them enough and the young criticize the old for not understanding them or giving them a chance to voice their ideas.<\/p>\n

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In a play titled \u201cUrunana Rw\u2019Abato N\u2019abakuru Turukomereho\u201d loosely translated as \u201cLet us support the network of the young and old\u201d performed by the youth troupe, Urumuri Talent Center, did an outstanding job in re-enacting the collective strain and tension between the young and the old. The play portrayed the old generation\u2019s contempt for the youth\u2019s sense of entitlement, and abandonment of moral values. The play, on the other hand, also painted a picture of the younger generation lamenting that the older generation denies them the freedom and opportunity to pursue and realize their dreams. These are the divergent views that the conference recognized, reflected upon, and drew suggestions that would allow both the old and young generations to work together to build the world they enjoy.<\/p>\n

The conference explored diverse modes of dialogue to allow for a participatory and balanced conversation, such as keynote speeches, panel discussions, play performances, group exercises and plenary sessions. On the panel that consisted of youth, parents and CSO representatives, several issues surfaced. All ages have often been jilted by the past generation; in any time period, the older generation has always felt anxious about the erosion of the foundation of culture and values. The youth representative on the panel urged parents to find time to interact with their young children even in the hustle and bustle of life. The parent representative cautioned the youth on the negative use of social media such as social comparisons that are extremely harmful. The youth were encouraged to be active and pro-active in the existing community governance and citizen participation spaces such as Umuganda and Intekoz’Abaturage in a bid to learn and contribute to solving societal challenges<\/p>\n

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Several action points emerged from the conference, hinged on the need to make sacrifices for the greater good.<\/p>\n