Student Activism: How Students Raise Their Voice During Political Unrest

Over these past 2 years, political turmoil in Georgia has catalyzed our youth to become more energized than ever to participate in daily protests to oppose governmental corruption, falsified elections, and to raise awareness about wrongfully convicted activists or journalists. Many of our GZAAT students ( notable among them are our 12th graders: Natalia Abuladze, Zviad Tsetskhladze, Ninia Kadagidze, and many more…)  and faculty have taken part in these demonstrations, whether it be by constant involvement in these protests or by constantly sharing information about recent political news on their social media platforms. In particular, this article aimed to find out how the students mentioned above, Zviad Tsetskhladze and Natalia Abuladze, view these protests, what motivates them to continue fighting for change, and their messages to other students who are deeply affected by recent news. 

To start, our journalist asked Zviad how he got into politics, what motivated him to be more politically aware from such a young age, and which specific moment particularly inspired him. He explained that: “What motivated me was probably from my childhood-I was very invested in my country’s history, and the more I learned about it, I slowly came to contemporary stories about what's happening today. Personally, I have known many people who have been affected by specific political agendas. I have slowly formed my agenda through action and interaction with politics. After the protests against the so-called "Russian law” began, I started to get more heavily involved because I thought it was a duty and a responsibility for me as a citizen, even at an early age.” For Natalia, she was motivated and started to involve herself in protests as she felt that her country was under threat. She took it as her personal duty to protect it, as our country has generally always been under the influence of others, whether it was Russia or, even before that, Iran or Turkiye. But the most definitive part for her was definitely, as we call it, Gavrilov’s night (გავრილოვის ღამე), as it was one of her first serious protests, which she partook in when she was about 9-10 years old. It was a day that marked for her just how much of a threat Russia was, and still is to Georgia; not only for her, but this night was probably an eye-opening experience for most of us, the youth, who witnessed it at such a young age. 

Although many students at schools and universities are at the forefront of political change, some adults often feel as though we’re particularly influenced or are too naive to form a solid political stance. Both of our respondents highlight that this naivety can exist, especially at our age; yet at the same time, it allows us to educate ourselves better in this field and build an awareness of the circumstances around us from an earlier age, rather than to do all of this in adulthood, which could also be formed by propaganda or false news. The earlier you start recognizing the biases of the media around you, the better you identify such patterns later on. Zvaid said: “We are learning at an institution that's supposed to be teaching us how to challenge ourselves. The only way we won't be naive is to ask as many questions as we can about things we don't understand. Secondly, when you lose a debate or hear something that is so perfectly put together, even if it is something you disagree with, it must give you stimulus to go back, go over it, break it down, and understand it.” Natalia also added that although students are prone to being shaped by certain ideologies, anyone can become a victim. Older people ( not necessarily grandfathers or grandmothers, but the generation of our parents) have been affected by it. It is not valid to only mention that the younger generation is suffering from some form of indoctrination when everyone is prone to that. A part of the older generation is afraid of war and violence, as they have seen it unfold in our country before, which explains why they are more hesitant than the youth, and more likely to be influenced by people saying that these protests or opposition will be a provocation for war, and that it is better to stay submissive under corrupt rule. 

On a final note from our schoolmates, they want to emphasize that student activism or even just the bare minimum of participation and dedication to protecting Georgia's democracy makes a difference in our society and our livelihood as a whole. As Zviad explained: “Your voice is the only tool you have to make a difference in this world. Maybe in medieval times it was your strength as well, but today, our voice is what matters.” And for those who are slowly losing optimism or confidence that the situation will never get better, Natalia’s message was: “Never stop fighting, and never lose hope, because it is a driving force that every Georgian citizen has within themselves. This country has struggled in a way that many countries have not, and that's also something to be proud of, because some people do not even have that part of history; they do not understand the price of freedom, because they've always lived in an independent country. I want to tell all students, all scared people, the ones who have given in to hopelessness: there is always hope for anything, and for that matter, I believe that it can never be lost."

Written By Ano Kvaratskhelia

Edited By Elene Mosiashvili

(The cover image for the article was taken last year, where our students and teachers assembled together and protested)