Tapera Kapuya was until recently the coordinator of the South Africa office of the National Constitutional Assembly, a civic movement campaigning for a new constitution in Zimbabwe. He also served as the Africa regional secretary for the International Union of Students, an umbrella organization representing 125 national student unions. In 2001, Kapuya was elected general secretary of the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU). Because of his political activism through ZINASU, he was detained and tortured. In 2002, he was also barred from continuing his education in the country. He lived in exile in South Africa for a number of years, working closely with Zimbabwe’s civil society activists. Today, he is pursuing his higher education in Australia.

 

A few years ago as a student leader and youth activist, I fell victim to some of the most horrendous acts that can be inflicted on a human being by other fellow human beings.  I was abducted in the middle of the night from my room at the University of Zimbabwe.  For the next two weeks I was subjected to all manners of torture – from electric shocking, beatings under the soles of my feet and on my head, to having my hands chained on to the roof of a jail cell whilst my feet were dipped in acidic water.  No one was informed of my fate – which only came to light after my release – drugged and dumped at the edge of the Harare.  Months after this, I was thrown down from the third floor of a student hostel at the same university – and by agents of the state.  I found myself being banned from university and in exile at 21: isolated from family, friends, and with a shattered prospect for the future.  The state having achieved what it wanted: setting me and what other activists had gone through as an example to deter other students and young people from speaking out or organizing against the injustice that had and continues to engulf my country.  

 

My story is true for many other courageous young people who are battling against autocratic rule.  From Venezuela to Burma, Belarus to Egypt, Iran, Kenya, and the so many other parts of the world – young people are taking an active interest in the democratic fate of their countries – often in the face of brute force and repression. Shunning violence, young democracy activists are managing to develop creative ways to organize and mobilize.  Examples of youth efforts in the fight for democracy are well convincing.  In Zimbabwe, young people have been at the forefront of all major civic and political campaigns of the broader democracy movement.  Recently in Iran, the world witnessed the strength and energy of young people standing up against what was seen as a stolen election.  In Venezuela, the role of young people has been convincing – standing up against the continued shutting down of media spaces, attempts to manipulate the constitution… And in Serbia, only a decade ago, young people rose to lead one of the most successful campaigns for democracy…  

 

But for this positive picture to endure, the international democracy movement and those who love the cause of freedom should play an active role in supporting and enhancing the work of youth movements.  Often youth movements are operating without adequate resources, without active linkages with civic society and mentorship, and without recognition.  This undermines the many potentialities which could result, should support be provided.  Youth movements have to be, and should be, granted the same support and focus as mainstream civil society groups.

 

We have also witnessed that ignoring the urgency to harness youth activism often leaves them at the mercy of manipulation by anti-democratic and radical forces.  In my home country, Zimbabwe, we witnessed the regime recruiting over 300,000 young people into an extra-state para-militia. The same youth would be responsible for most of the atrocities, which have come to characterize Zimbabwean politics and life in the past 10 years: rape, torture, murder… of opponents.  In other countries, we are also seeing a surge in disaffected young people joining terrorist networks… This can be limited, if not avoided, if effort is to be put into developing a culture of promoting youth participation – so that they can participate in political process in a positive way. 

 

The need for strengthening youth movements is not only an issue for those countries under authoritarian rule.  It is also an issue for established democracies.  The tide of instability in most retreating democracies is often driven by disaffected youth who, because of failure to be accommodated in democratic participation, become an easy target for often anti-democracy radicalism.

 

The international democracy community, such as this one (the World Movement for Democracy), has to seriously think of how it can link with, support, and provide solidarity to the many emerging youth voices.  Such linkages will ensure that there is an effective transfer of knowledge, experience, and values transfer – so that each new generation builds on the last, instead of reinventing the wheel…  It guarantees that the ideals of freedom and democracy are carried forward and the prospects for the future are secured.  In this way, we will be certain that the future is not lost!