Blog Action Day: October 16

#Inequality http://blogactionday.org/

Being a blog on youth volunteering one would think inequality is an unlikely topic to post about. Though it is not as prominent as inequality found in other areas, there is inequality in volunteering. Young people often face problems with finding an organization that will take them as a volunteer. Organizations have numerous reasons for doing so; the work is unsafe or difficult, they’ve had past experience using youth and do not want to use them again, or they simply have never used youth before and do not know how to handle them. Though these are all legitimate explanations, the main reason behind all others is that the organizations do not understand the potential of young people today.

Teenagers today are much more capable and responsible than is widely believed. It is understandable that organizations may not want to use youth volunteers. The media often gives young people a bad reputation, based only on what a few individuals have done in the past. A change needs to be made in society in this aspect.

Again, though these are all legitimate reasons, it does not give anyone the right to keep young people from volunteering. Volunteering is all about helping other people. All people have the right to help one another. If a young person wishes to volunteer they should not be denied this right. How is a teenager supposed to learn basic life skills if they cannot help other people through volunteering? Is it right that they should not graduate because they could not get service hours? Though this is inequality in a minor form, it is inequality none the less.

I say again, all people have the right, and the privilege, to help one another. Why should the young be denied?