SpeakLit

What Power Looks Like When You’re Young By Yngeborth Saltos Redefining Power Beyond Voting, Money, or Political Office Being young is confusing. One minute you’re told you’re the future, and the next minute you’re reminded you don’t have “real” power yet. You can’t vote (or maybe you just started). You don’t run companies. You’re not sitting in Congress. So it’s easy to internalize the idea that power belongs to someone else—older, richer, more established. But that definition of power feels incomplete. We’ve been trained to think power only counts when it’s official: a ballot, a law degree, a political title. And yes, those things matter. But power doesn’t suddenly appear at 18. It doesn’t magically download into your brain the day you can vote. It starts earlier. It starts with dreaming. Dreaming is free. It doesn’t require money, status, or permission. It has no race, no gender, no immigration category. You can imagine a better system even if you don’t control it yet. And honestly, ...

  Are Youth Rights Taken Seriously in Times of Crisis? - By Vartika When the world goes into crisis mode, young people are usually told two things: “You’re the future” and “Stay patient.” But crises do not pause our lives—they shape them. Whether it is a pandemic, armed conflict, economic collapse, or climate disaster, young people are not just bystanders. We are students whose schools close, workers who lose entry-level jobs first, activists who are silenced under emergency laws, and citizens whose futures are negotiated without our presence at the table. The question is not whether crises affect youth—they clearly do. The real question is: are youth rights taken seriously when governments declare emergencies? Crises Expand Power — But Shrink Youth Voice During emergencies, governments often activate extraordinary legal powers. Under public health or national security laws, authorities may restrict movement, close institutions, limit protests, or fast-track legislation. While...

  Growing Up in a System You Didn’t Choose - By Raean This is the way the world works. You are born, and then there are rules. They exist before you understand language, before you understand consequence, and before you even understand yourself. They decide how you move, what you can say, what you can become. And that’s the way life works. No one questions it or thinks it’s odd, because what kind of answer can you even get to a question like that? That’s just the way life is. Obedience is treated less like a decision and more like a starting condition. It’s like when you start playing a new video game and you’re immediately stuck with something you don’t like, but you’re forced to continue anyway. C’est la vie, I guess. When you’re younger, you don’t question it—not because you’re incapable of questioning, but because you don’t yet see the edges. The system is invisible in the way air is invisible, but we all know it’s there. You live inside it without noticing its shape. You learn...

The Cost of Silence: What Happens When Young People Stop Speaking Up - By Patricia When the Filipino Youth Fall Silent In my country, adults often say, “Mga bata pa lang naman ‘yan, ano magagawa nila?” (They’re just kids, what can they do?). There was a time when young voices filled the rooms: loud, restless, and impossible to ignore. But today, in many spaces, that sound is fading. Do the youth no longer care? They do. But speaking becomes exhausting when no one listens. Silence does not arrive suddenly; it grows until one day, the voice that once fought to be heard stops trying. Young Filipino students live under constant pressure to succeed, pushing forward even while exhausted by overwhelming academic demands. In the country’s premier state university, the University of the Philippines (UP), only 17,996 out of 135,236 applicants passed the UPCAT: an acceptance rate of roughly 13% across nearly ten campuses. Meanwhile, private universities in the country can cost thousands of dolla...

  Youth as Policy Targets, Not Policy Makers - By Neva Lopez Spoken About, Not Spoken With: The Silencing of Youth Voices In today’s world, young people are constantly talked about—by teachers, parents, politicians, and the media. Adults analyze our behavior, debate our choices, and make decisions that shape our lives, often without asking for our input. This pattern reveals a larger issue: youth are spoken about, but rarely spoken with. Even though society claims to care about the well-being of young people, it continues to treat us as passive subjects rather than active participants in conversations that directly affect us. This disconnect misrepresents our experiences and leads to decisions that fail to address the real needs of youth. Adults often assume they understand teenagers simply by observing us from the outside. They see us using our phones and conclude we are “addicted to screens.” They hear us express stress and label us “dramatic.” They notice changes in our behavior...

  Why Legal Literacy Should Be Taught in Schools A Young Argument for Making Law and Civic Education Part of Early Education Written by Kithiapech Panhnha Introduction In a world ruled by laws and policies, young people are expected to navigate complex legal systems long before they are fully able to interpret and understand them. From understanding personal rights and responsibilities to signing agreements physically and digitally in this modern age, youth are increasingly required to make decisions that carry legal consequences and outcomes. However, most academic curricula choose not to prioritize legal literacy and instead focus on traditional academic subjects, leaving young students underprepared for real-world participation. This article aims to examine the significance of incorporating legal literacy into early education by exploring its impact, challenges, and the valuable skills it cultivates. The Growing Need for Legal Literacy Among Youth Legal literacy refers to the un...

Youth, Protest, and the Law: Where Is the Line? By Jeammie T. Chakulya Young people are tired of being told to wait their turn. Around the world, youth are stepping into the streets not because it is fashionable, but because silence has stopped working. When systems feel slow, unequal, or unresponsive, protest becomes more than a right; it becomes a language of survival. Yet the moment young voices grow louder, the law often steps in with restrictions, permits, and warnings. This creates a tension many young people understand deeply: are we being protected by the law, or controlled by it? The right to protest is widely recognized under international human rights standards. Documents supported by the United Nations emphasize freedom of expression and peaceful assembly as essential pillars of any functioning society. In theory, this means young people have the right to gather, speak, and challenge authority without fear. In practice, however, protest laws often come with conditions: ...

When Education Becomes a Privilege Instead of a Right - By Jasmin According to the first and second paragraphs of Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the United Nations: “Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.” “Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.” In theory, education is a free, fundamental human right, and everyone is entitled to it. But what does it look like in the real world, beyond the...

  Young People VS. The Law By Desi Ward Since the beginning of time, society has often described youth as ignorant beings who should be seen and not heard. However, as time progresses, culture evolves, and people learn, it becomes clear that children and young people are the foundation of a successful society. The youth are the generation that carries forward the ambitions of their parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents. These ambitions may range from building a successful enterprise to becoming a household name. Today, I believe these ambitions increasingly concern the legal systems of the world and the fight for equality. Young people engage in these struggles through political movements, participation in law-related extracurricular activities, and voicing their opinions on social media to raise awareness. For the purposes of this discussion, I define youth as the period between childhood and maturity, specifically ages 10 to 24. Scientifically, the brain fully develo...

  The Influence of Non-State Actors in World Politics: How NGOs, Multinational Corporations, and the Media Affect Global Decisions By Nur Khairina Zahirah Binti Haji Muhd Eddy Khairi In world politics, power is no longer held exclusively by states. Due to globalisation and advances in communication, non-state actors now play an increasingly important role in influencing global decisions. Non-state actors include non-governmental organisations (NGOs), multinational corporations (MNCs), and the media, all of which affect international politics in different ways. The most significant non-state actors are: Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) Multinational corporations (MNCs) The media 1. NGOs (Non-Governmental Organisations) NGOs are organisations that operate independently from governments and often focus on human rights, the environment, health, and poverty. They influence global decisions by: Lobbying governments and international organisations Raising aware...

Globalisation and Its Impact on International Relations How Economic and Cultural Interdependence Shapes State Relationships By Abdul Wahab 1. Introduction Globalisation refers to the growing interconnectedness of states through trade, communication, technology, and cultural exchange. Advances in transportation and digital networks have reduced physical and political barriers, allowing goods, capital, ideas, and people to move across borders more easily than ever before. As a result, international relations have shifted from largely independent national systems to a deeply interdependent global structure. States no longer operate in isolation; instead, they interact within a shared economic and cultural environment that influences diplomacy, cooperation, and conflict management. 2. Economic Interdependence in International Relations 2.1 Meaning of Economic Interdependence Economic interdependence occurs when countries rely on one another for resources, markets, investment, and pr...

Humanitarian Intervention and State Sovereignty When, if ever, should countries intervene in another state’s affairs? By Lloyd Shin What is Humanitarian Intervention and State Sovereignty? Humanitarian intervention occurs when nations move troops or resources across borders to halt mass abuses such as genocide, forced displacement, or crimes against humanity. When governments act without invitation, ethical arguments often support their choice, tied closely to the concept of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), accepted at UN forums. In contrast, state sovereignty—the authority a nation holds over its land and internal matters—is a core principle of global relations. Outside entry into sovereign areas usually violates this principle, except in cases of extreme civilian harm. Moral duty can sometimes outweigh non-interference, especially when atrocities unfold unchecked. This raises a central debate: when human rights are at stake, may national authority be overridden? Impacts of Human...