Issue 14

We have a feature on the Irish referendum to repeal the 8th amendment and legalise abortion, talking about the who, what and why of the referendum that saw Ireland slam the repealing into action with a 66% majority.

Then we take a look at the gun control movement in America in the wake of the Parkland shooting where the adults didn’t appear to be doing anything to stop slaughters happening in schoolhouses, so the kids took over and quite literally marched for their lives.

Next, we looked to South Africa, where the student led #FeesMustFall movement saw the youth stand up against proposed increases in University fees and took a wider stance against the lack of transformation in the country since apartheid.

Finally, we looked at the very new and serious youthquake in Nicaragua, where a national revolt against their president, the liberator-turned-dictator Daniel Ortéga has rumbled for two months, seen government forces shooting people in the streets and, at the time of writing, remains unresolved. Students started and continue to lead this youthquake that is risking their lives, in order to make a change for the greater good of themselves and their futures.

So, there you have it, youthquakes uncovered. It’s not all roses in the garden when the youth start to quake and there’s some meaty content in this, our most political issue, yet. But this is real life not some rom-com script. So, quake they shall, and quake they must, because if the youth are going to inherit the future, they might as well make it a future worth living in.

Nora Costigan