Good Hope Seminary High School held its third inclusivity summit on Saturday, July 27.
Pupils from several schools including neighbours Cape Town High School and Gardens Commercial High School as well as Kensington High School and the Leap Science and Maths School in Langa attended the summit.
The inclusivity summit, held every term, tackles pertinent issues affecting the young people such as race, sexual orientation, gender, mass hyper-masculinity, albinism, and spatial injustices within the city.
At this term’s summit, the young minds explored practical ways in which they can make their voices heard, with an emphasis on the urgent need for viable action for sustainable change.
Jordan Pieters, 21, facilitated the summit with the assistance of Vika Nikelo, Rushin Galant, and Chante Groenewald.
Ms Pieters said young people find themselves in a country that is falling apart in different aspects.
She said the older generation is too tired and overworked to create change.
Ms Pieters encouraged pupils to be initiators of change and let their voices be strong, while telling their own stories.
The pupils were given exercises where they learnt skills that are needed to rebuild harmonious communities that accept everyone for who they are.
They touched on the issues that are affecting their communities where crime, gangsterism and sanitation problems topped the list.
Some pupils said they are so used to these problems that they now felt hopeless.
Ms Pieters said it’s time young people realised that no one else is coming to help them – not the politicians, not old activists and not even their parents. “Once again, history is repeating itself and the younger generation, like the youth of 1976, needs to take the first step and initiate change,” she said.
Ms Pieters said these platforms are important because children are observant and they have opinions on their surroundings.
Luvuyo Nzunga from Kensington High School said he is an advocate for change and finds the summits very beneficial for young people because they get to learn new things. “We are diverse and we come from different backgrounds with different religions and you come here with the knowledge that you have and you get to acquire new knowledge. We get to talk to people and find healing and learn new ways of coping with the challenges that we’re facing,” he said.