Engaging our differences*
     by Omékongo Dibinga
 

     They say that our youth are a lost generation
     That they do not possess the humanity of previous generations
     But if you know like I know and see the hope in their eyes
     If you’ve traveled the world and heard their cries
     You would find that our youth are soldiers for humanity
     From Ryan’s Wells to Craig’s Free Kids
     Our youth have answered the call to engage our differences
     From African advocates of aids like Olivia Natukunda
     To peer educators like Miguel Garcia
     Our youth daily deliver deeds of dignity
     They demonstrate courage in the face of adversity
     They fight for access to day care and universities
     They add hope to our subtracted faith and disparities
     And through their multiple deeds they erase our divisions
     See our youth are on a mission
     To heal a world so callously cut with the knife of indifference
     Punched with the fist of intolerance
     Kicked with the heal of homophobia
     Suffocated with the gas of anti-Semitism
     Shot with the rifle of racism
     Subdued to submission with sexism
     And smacked with the backhand of classism
     But with all these withered wounds our youth thrive
     They heal their hurt, help build homes and save lives
     They feed the famished and wage verbal wars for peace
     With an idealism many of us have lamentably lost
     They make our future brighter by lighting a fire
     Under our complacency
     And so we celebrate Jackie Blitz and Andrew Vanstee
     The late Mattie Stepanek and Selene Biffi
     For reminding us all to never stop fighting for change
     And showing us that peace and justice must always be our one and only aim

     *Poem performed at the CIES 2007 annual conference opening plenary session. 
     Please see www.omekongo.com for more information about the author.