Empowering South African youth: The importance of engaging in social justice

Liam Gillesen

Although my journey with social justice began in primary school under the labels of “outreach” and “charity drives”, I only came to understand its depth at university. While charity and community outreach fall under the umbrella of social justice, the concept is much more expansive at its core. It is about finding sustainable ways to ensure all people have equal rights and access to basic resources. Social justice is far more personal than charity. It involves putting yourself in the shoes of those whose rights you are fighting for - feeling what others feel and being personally invested in their stories. To mark Youth Day on 16 June, this piece explores the following key question: “Why should young people in South Africa be social justice campions?”.

Struggling nation

It can only really be answered by asking a crucial preliminary question: “How much do you love South Africa?”. We are struggling as a nation because of a lack of social justice. With a failing State, the heavy burden of achieving it rests on ordinary people and businesses. Social justice is challenging, and it requires people who just get stuck in without complaining or shrugging it off as “not my problem”. If you're quick to blame the government yet unwilling to sacrifice your resources and time, then not only is social justice not for you - but dare I say that you’re living in the wrong country. Being involved in social justice can also be mind-boggling because it is not, at its core, a radical idea. It is simply saying that everyone should get the bare minimum - food, housing, education, economic opportunities, etc. - to get a fair shot at life. The hurdles social justice leaders must overcome and the battles they must fight to convince those in power to grant people what they are entitled to are frustrating, disappointing and emotionally draining.

However, as I will show, engaging in social justice can be immensely fulfilling. I am mindful that everyone has their own journey with social justice because of the people they have interacted with and the specific causes they have chosen to champion. Therefore, I will reflect on why the youth should get involved in social justice by drawing on my own experience rather than focusing on its objective benefits.

Societal divisions

First, social justice breaks down societal divisions and contextualises ubuntu. South Africans are divided because after apartheid there was no true social reconciliation project. While our diversity is a strength in many respects, people are often wrapped up in their worldviews and lack the empathy to see the world through different eyes. Because social justice involves meeting people where they are and being intimately involved in their story, you learn to value people. You stop seeing people through the labels that society puts on them and start seeing them as people who deserve to be treated as people. Many of my preconceived ideas about people who are different from me were shattered once I got involved in social justice because I was able to really hear their stories, and cry and laugh with them. In this way, I became a part of their lives. This has helped me fall in love with the commonality of humanity. Social justice helps you realise that we all have the same dreams, hopes and fears.

Fixing South Africa

South Africa needs to be fixed through respectful, multi-partisan dialogue shaped by ubuntu. This can only really be achieved by getting involved in social justice projects. Second, social justice gives you a new perceptive on life. For me, this new perspective meant realising and understanding the truly big issues rather than focusing on my small self-centred problems. I come from a place of immense privilege where, for a long time, I lived in a bubble. I always believed I understood the struggles of most people in the country through news reports, public talks and debates. In reality, I had no understanding of their struggles. This change of perspective, coupled with a newfound empathy, helped me find my true purpose: to live for the success of others. I put my own selfish “me-centric” goals aside and focused on pursuing social justice and helping others. Perspective is key because it helps us to shift our focus from our own problems and ambitions - which we often exaggerate - to what truly matters. I have often asked myself after a tough day when a test went badly or my new social justice project failed: “Why am I so focused on this? There are people with much bigger problems. Pick your head up and try again tomorrow.”

The transformation

Indeed, the transformation has been spiritual as I have been able to see God through His people - and because of that, make sense of my walk with the Lord, which often felt confusing. Social justice has also changed my view on leadership and given me newfound confidence in South Africa. Very often, we are confronted with endless news cycles of political fighting and leaders who fail. This reinforces the narrative that our country is doomed. However, working with various communities has made me realise that the upper echelons of leadership aren’t the ones who are going to move this country forward. Instead, it is the ordinary citizen, who raises money for their communities, tries to solve problems, and wakes up every day with a vision to fix South Africa, who leads this nation. South Africans have a lot of passion, ingenuity and creativity that no amount of corruption can spoil. As a young leader, this has made me question the value of positional leadership which too often isolates leaders from communities and distorts the reason they started doing what they did in the first place. I have often been disappointed to meet famous individuals who once led their communities, only to find how they have lost touch with their roots due to their fame and position.

Servant leadership 

For the youth, getting involved in social justice is essential because it fosters a community-driven servant leadership style - crucial in a country where our problems can only be solved by people helping each other. Therefore, instead of enrolling in a new leadership course, young people should consider doing some community service or launching a social justice project. By doing so, they will learn a lot more about leadership. To conclude, the fight for social justice is not only a fight for the underprivileged; it is also the responsibility of those with privilege to use it to uplift those whom society has forgotten. In the past, my privilege allowed me to remain in my bubble, held back by my own comforts and former biases. I have learned that life is richer outside your bubble - and too short to only live for yourself. Granted, it may be uncomfortable at first, but it will be worthwhile in the end. The only way to fix South Africa is by fostering social justice collectively. We will go a long way toward solving our problems if we focus on others rather than on pure self-fulfillment and profit-making. Today is a good day to start changing the world.

*Gillesen is enrolled in a combined Bachelor of Accounting and Bachelor of Laws degree programme at Stellenbosch University (SU). He is also a Social Justice Ambassador for the Centre for Social Justice at SU.

Weekend Argus