Converge 2019: These Young Changemakers Spoke Up On Inequality, Re-imagining Elections And More

Launched in 2014, Converge, the flagship event by Youth Ki Awaaz, has emerged as a platform for young changemakers to break stereotypes and create an impact by sharing powerful stories on issues that matter.

Converge was re-launched on Saturday as a multi-city event, with the inaugural session held in New Delhi. This edition’s theme brought together four individuals who have, and continue to, address different aspects of inequality and talk about instances from their walk of lives.

We took away a number of important lessons from the event, about what needs changing to increase citizen participation to address all forms of inequality. For those who missed it, here are the 6 most important takeaways from the event:

Bilal Zaidi, Co-Founder, OurDemocracy.in

“The role of citizenship only grows in a democracy.”

Bilal is the co-founder of OurDemocracy.in, which describes itself as “India’s first crowdfunding platform compliant with India’s strict political fundraising norms.” He started by talking about the generation gap that is reflected through the kind of discourse we engage with. He then connected this aspect to the political representation India has to offer. Looking at India’s demographic their representation in the parliament is extremely low, he said, adding that, issues that we talk about strongly, and even wrote about on YKA, they aren’t spoken about in the center stage. “The entry point into politics is sealed and difficult to penetrate, and only people belonging to certain families can get through,” Bilal said. He pointed out how when it comes to decision-making, it is dominated by a group of people who have crossed a certain age demographic. Dr.Manmohan Singh was in his 70’s when he became the prime minister, and current PM Narendra Modi has already crossed 40 years since his foray into politics. “What is the problem in our political system which requires an individual to invest so much time and energy, after which you are able to access it?” he asked the audience.

He then spoke about how through the crowdfunding initiative, many young leaders like Jignesh Mevani, who would not have “muscle or money power“, have found a way to gain public support and funding to conduct their campaigns. The crux of his talk was that through an initiative like OurDemocracy, ordinary citizens have a chance to become ‘active citizens’, and “to channelise their support into something more concrete“. Bilal, in ten minutes, emphasised the importance of being an ‘active citizen’ in a democratic setup, and how if enough people come together, we can change the (status quo) discourse.

Lusi, Child Champion – Save The Children

“I am the voice of children in my locality.”

What followed were ten minutes of sheer inspiration as Lusi spoke about how she, as a child from the streets, wants to be a voice for children, and girls from her community, who are just like her. Lusi campaigns for better sanitation facilities, safety measures, infrastructure, and access to healthcare in her slum community in Kolkata’s Tiljala. Adolescent girls in Lusi’s locality not only face the risk of catching an infection because they have to use a common toilet. There is also a lack of privacy and safety, as both men and women use the same toilet.

From addressing gender inequality in her community to talking about it at Britain’s House Of Commons, Lusi worked hard (and played harder!) to break each obstacle that came her way. Having overcome self-doubts, and doubts of others who said “ladki hai toh kya khelegi,” (what will this girl play), Lusi spoke about how she cleared all the selection rounds to prove that girls can play. Lusi concluded by saying that it is not enough to only be aware of the condition of street children. “It isn’t enough that I speak about this,” she said, adding that it is so important that we join her in amplifying this issue.

Divya Jose, Public Policy Officer, International Justice Mission (IJM)

“We live in a culture of impunity.”

Divya works at the International Justice Mission (IJM), a global organisation working to end violence against the poor. Her talk centered around everyday instances of violence, that we might not even call out. Instances that most of us would have faced. The first was a personal anecdote from when she was commuting to college. A man who was touching himself demanded that he sit next to her. Her refusal to let him sit next to her was met with silence from her co-passengers and instead, she was asked to move. “Why was that man so confident in a situation where he was so wrong?” she asked.

The second incident was from a study into dropout rates among girls in a village down South. It showed the way caste and gender dynamics in the form of taunts, to bodily violence, by a group of men from the upper-caste community during their daily commute formed a major reason. Through these two instances, Divya highlighted the “nature of everyday violence, which is so entrenched that it becomes had to call out.” They are hidden in plain sight, encouraged by people who would rather these stay unaddressed. Divya said that change would be possible only when we work with the system.

Rubi, Girls In STEM Program, Feminist Approach to Technology (FAT)

“Bring changes within your community, don’t just talk about change!”

Rubi works with Feminist Approach to Technology’s (FAT) JugaadLabs, in their ‘Girls in STEM program. She is also a member of the board at FAT. Her inspiring talk started with how her interest in working with computers and getting a good salaried job turned into a need to help girls from her community. She narrated how because of JugaadLabs, she used a drill machine for the first time. “I never heard or imagined that a girl can use this. I fixed a whiteboard to the wall by myself!”

“My elder brother had the right to control my freedoms, but I didn’t. He could stay out till late at night but I couldn’t,” she said. She spoke about how interning at FAT gave her, and many others like her, the chance to learn and make decisions for themselves. “We work with girls who experience violence in everyday life…and how they can help other girls in their community.” This didn’t, however, sit well with some people from her community, who threatened those attending the program. “Kuch log karne se change nahi aayega…aapne community mei changes laye” (Change won’t happen because of only some people, you need to bring change in your community also).

The speakers addressed crucial issues like inequality, violence and the importance of sustaining dialogue. One common strand between the speakers was that we, as ‘active’ citizens, need to go beyond just talking about inequalities and all its manifestations. Young leaders like Lusi and Rubi, drawing from their experiences showed how it isn’t enough for them to be speaking about such issues, but it is our collective responsibility to join them in bringing about the change we want to see!

Spread over the next 12 months, gear up for more path-breaking conversations, coming to 12 cities. Watch this space for powerful stories of how young people, from different walks of lives, are stepping up and breaking this culture of silence.