TEDx
TEDx presents “Why This Time is Different” by Ashil Jhaveri
“The most powerful way to influence how politicians vote is by voting yourself. But Congress’s inability to pass effective legislation of any kind has led to a decrease in voting; why vote if it doesn’t matter. This means politicians are voted in by only the extremes and thus sets us in a vicious circle: voters don’t vote which creates further political polarization which creates even more apathy. So the key question is how to break this cycle. This time is different because of the charge led by the youth. Throughout history, the driving force behind most of the radical governmental policy changes has been young people. With the recent rejuvenation among millennials and other youth regarding politics, I believe we will see an increase in turnout this election. Finally, I will conclude the talk with what still needs to be done: more diverse youth running for office, adults not discounting the potential of teens and young adults, and an empowerment among youth that their opinions matter and that their actions can affect change. Ashil Jhaveri is a senior at Watchung Hills who has been involved in many social justice, political, and debate initiatives. He participates in Model UN, JSA Debate, and Mock Trial. He is also President of Student Government. Ashil has worked on political campaigns where his responsibilities included phone banking, canvassing, and interning. This year, he helped organize the National School Walkout at WHRHS, and along with other students, he lobbied our state/federal politicians to change the gun laws in the U.S.”
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
