Children can make the difference

Today it is the international youth day. On this day, the United Nations would like to draw attention to young people around the world who make a positive contribution to changes in society. She also wants to make the rest of the world aware of the challenges and problems that young people are currently facing.

Young people are increasingly becoming an important factor that is or must be taken into account. When so many children take to the streets, it certainly has an impact. Regardless of whether they do this of their own accord or because they are put forward to influence public opinion.

A few recent examples: in February and March, thousands of children participated en masse in the Climate March, joining an international movement started by Greta Turnberg, a 16-year-old girl from Sweden. On July 3, there was a children's march against the arrival of a biomass power plant in Diemen, in which hundreds of children (and their parents) participated, organized by primary school students in IJburg. There was one last week international climate conference in Switzerland where 450 young people from 37 countries exchanged experiences on organizing climate marches and discussed their future actions and strategy. We are not yet used to children as a serious power factor. Young people who stand up for a stricter climate policy are criticized and dismissed as pawns of the climate movement. It's even being talked about child abuse. Just as if children and young people cannot have an opinion of their own. They are not always listened to.

A new development is the role that children play or can play in influencing their parents' political choices. Parents are really interested in what their children think about something. From research in America It appears that fathers and conservative parents can change their opinions the most and daughters influence their parents' opinions more strongly than sons. Good examples of this are grandparents who vote in the Netherlands and Africa with the interests of grandchildren in mind. Or the Russians who indicated last weekend that they owe it to their children to continue demonstrating to prevent their children from ending up in the same situation as themselves.

The interests of children and young people must come first. The world must be habitable for them, be and remain livable. We do not have to go as far as Prince Harry suggested: reduce the number of children in order to prevent overpopulation and climate pressure. But let's all make decisions aimed at improving the future of our children. And then let's immediately ensure that children can just be children. They will have to deal with major human problems throughout their lives.