HUMAN beings are different from each other. This is a seemingly benign fact that influences most of the interactions we have every day. However, this singular fact has caused conflict, wars and a plethora of social issues ever since the beginning of human existence. For many years, our world has worked to ‘correct’ this fact. By encouraging people to fit into a specific mould, it attempted to eradicate the differences which seemed to cause so many problems. After understanding that this approach only breeds more discomfort and problems, we have finally come to a very important realisation – the issue is not the differences in people but the failure to accommodate and accept them.

Only a century ago, the majority of the world’s population was prevented from enjoying some of the most fundamental rights. Many of us could not vote, many of us could not receive a quality education, and many of us could not even live freely. The most appalling aspect of these issues is the fact that they were seen as an acceptable and normal part of life for the people who experienced them. These problems were not seen as affecting human beings as a whole but rather only a small part of it. Those who had the power to bring immediate change were not a part of this group and, hence, did not understand the urgency of change.

The most important advantage of being part of this young generation is that we are recipients of the fruits of several successful battles. Many of the small pleasures that we enjoy in our daily lives would have taken the form of lengthy struggles and suffering in the past. The very fact that we can freely discuss matters of rights or prejudice is a testament to the effort that was placed into creating a better life for us. Our rights are no longer a topic of debate because our ancestors fought for them to be protected. Our paths are no longer difficult because our ancestors paved the way for us. Our opportunities are no longer limited because our ancestors opened a multitude of doors for us.

As we look back at our past, we can undisputedly point out periods of human cruelty that have influenced our current identity as the human race. Now that there is a comfortable buffer of time between the present and the past, we are free to ask ourselves, how could we have justified and allowed certain events to occur when they were so blatantly brutal? Yet, we cannot look at the present world and say with honest certainty that the very occurrences of the past that we condemn today are not still taking place. Perhaps they are hidden or surviving at a smaller scale, but we are not at liberty to believe that the darkest parts of the past do not still exist.

We are often taught that the only way to prevent history from repeating itself is to learn to remember our past. Thus, even though we are young and not responsible for the tragedies of the past, we are still tasked with the heavy burden of remembering the failures and errors of the past. In truth, there is no use in remembering the past if we are not also paying attention to the things that are happening in the present. In simpler words, we quite clearly remember that people have suffered in the past, and we recognise the factors that caused this suffering. Yet, people are still suffering today, oftentimes in the same manner that those in the past did, and we, as young people, are either indifferent or ignorant of these occurrences.

There was suffering in the past because people lacked connection and could thus not understand what it felt like to live in another person’s shoes. Today, it is easier for us to connect with each other and understand what life can be for different people. There is simply no reason for people to continue to struggle and suffer. Our race, gender, religion and many other differences are the pieces of our collective identity that make us human beings. The battles of the past will never end as long as even a single person is still being discriminated against for their identity. This world is our home. It is our responsibility, as young people, to ensure that it feels like a home to everyone who lives in it.