Gen Z leading global protest against governments
Young people across the globe are taking to the streets in protest against their governments. From Madagascar, to Peru, to Indonesia, Generation Z is rising to express their growing discontent with their leaders. Gen Z consists of people born roughly between 1996 and 2010. They share a common perception of a world of increasing inequality, corruption, nepotism, corporate greed, and a bleak outlook regarding career prospects. This week in Madagascar, a group of protesters dubbed "Gen Z Madagascar" helped oust the country's president. Young Indonesians took part in deadly demonstrations over lawmakers' pay. In Morocco, people marched to call for better healthcare and education.
The protesters have two things in common. One is a growing exasperation about the state of the world; the other is the use of a flag from a Japanese manga called "One Piece". The flag depicts a skull with a straw hat and crossed bones. In the manga, a group of pirates fly the flag and fight against oppressive governments and injustice. In real life, the flag has appeared on banners and social media, and seen in graffiti worldwide. Al Jazeera reported that in protests in Nepal, the flag was painted on murals, hung from vehicles, and was displayed in place of national flags. It added: "It is used partly in satire, partly as a statement: rejecting the status quo, calling out what protesters see as failures of governance."
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Chat
Talk about these words from the article.
young people / protest / Generation Z / discontent / inequality / nepotism / greed / things in common / exasperation /
flag / skull / injustice / mural / graffiti / status quo
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Discussion
1) Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
2) What do you think of when you hear the word 'Gen Z'?
3) What do you think about what you read?
4) What do you think of Generation Z?
5) What do you think about your generation?
6) What things would make you take to the streets?
7) What do you think of Japanese manga?
8) How happy or unhappy are you with the world today?
9) What single change would you like to see in the world?
10) What questions would you like to ask governments about protests?
