Editorials

SOWETO UPRISING: The Importance of Discussion

13 June 2016

By Oisin

Forty years later, it is still important to commemorate the Soweto uprising. We need to remember both the events themselves and the attitudes that led to them. Although society has thankfully somewhat moved on, it still has far to go: many of the issues that contributed to the Soweto uprising are still present today, most notably racism and police brutality.

We are living in a volatile age. Extreme parties are capitalising on fear to gain a greater following across the globe. We are facing the biggest modern migration crisis to date, but instead of helping people, we demonise them. Inequality is growing at an alarming rate, yet the ones responsible are not held to account. And most obviously relevant to the Soweto uprising, the growing momentum of the #BlackLivesMatter movement shows how racism and police brutality are still a worldwide problem. All of these issues are magnified by ignorance, which is why discussion is crucial to educate people and catalyse change.

Discussion is one of the best ways to combat these issues and continue to improve them. Discussion allows people from different backgrounds to understand each other. Ignorance fuels fear, which in turn fuels hatred; discussion and compassion break this chain. June 16th now serves as a reminder for what can be achieved when people band together. We need to speak out as the Soweto students did, to honour their memory and continue their legacy so that true equality can be achieved by all.

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