the youth of this world are watching you destroy
our lives before they have begun. We are losing our fu
tures, our sanity and our lives, all because you want
more money and more power.
Everyone I know has depression or anxiety or worse.
Almost none of us can deal with these illnesses because
we can’t afford the treatment, and our society has such
a stigma against talking about mental health that most
of us can’t even recognize the symptoms. I watch my
friends turn to substance abuse to deal with their problems, and engage in risky
behavior because they don’t care about living past 25. This is our reality, and it’s
your fault.
If you are in a position of power, you need to
aim to make the world a better place for every
one living here, not just yourself and your do
nors. That means fewer guns, less plastic,
more therapy, more education. Stop invest
ing in nonrenewable resources and po
lice institutions and private prisons, and
start investing in health care and educa
tion. Stop allowing violence to persist
and being shocked when the youth
are softer and gentler than you. Stop
utilizing the abusive and manipula
tive systems that were created for
you. Instead, help people of color,
women, LGBT+ people, young peo
ple, disabled and differently abled
people, and immigrants obtain an
education, food, clean water, safe
housing, jobs, health care and politi
cal power.
If you really want to change the
way we live our lives, ask us what
problems we face and how we think we
should solve them, and maybe listen
this time. We need positive change, and
if you don’t make it happen, we will. We
would much rather do it together.
González, 20, is a Parkland survivor and
gun-violence-prevention advocate
MOHAMED MOHAMUD
Rethink laws on
refugeesTODAY, THE NUMBER
OF PEOPLE DISPLACED
AROUND THE WORLD IS
70 MILLION AND RISING.
BUT THE SYSTEMS WE HAVE
IN PLACE TO DEAL WITH THE
CRISIS AREN’T WORKING.
WE MUST REFORM
REFUGEE POLICIES TO HELP
PEOPLE ON THE GROUND.
WE NEED TO MOVE AWAY
FROM TRYING TO IMPROVE
REFUGEE CAMPS TO TRYING
TO CLOSE THEM. WE NEED
LEGAL STRUCTURES TO
GIVE BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS
TO REFUGEES: WORK
PERMITS, FREEDOM OF
MOVEMENT AND PATHWAYS
TO CITIZENSHIP FOR THOSE
OF US BORN IN CAMPS.
WE NEED A PATH OUT OF
THE INDEFINITE MISERY
OF STATELESSNESS
THAT RECOGNIZES OUR
HUMANITY. FOR THIS, WE
ASK YOUR HELP.
Mohamud, 29, is a Somalian refugee and
a 2019 Davos co-chairEMMA GONZÁLEZ
Stopsacrificing
our
futuresAs the new decade begins, TIME asked young activists
to write open letters to their elders expressing their
vision of a world where young people can survive and
thrive. From gun violence to refugee rights, gender
equality to climate change, their letters are a snapshot
of what matters not just to the authors but to everyone
coming of age in an era of global turmoil.