The Clash of Generations

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THE CLASH OF GENERATIONS
BALANCING GENERATIONAL CLAIMS

The clash between generations is inherent in character of mankind as seen from the famous saying of George Orwell “Each generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it.” The differences arise due to difference in age, experience, and priorities leading to tension. Every generation has a role to play in deciding the allocation of resources. The resources allocated by old generations for next generation is with an aim to build cohesion. However, the cohesion is at risk because the politics and decision making is in the hands of a few people.
In this essay, we will try to analyze the root causes behind intergenerational tensions, how to build cohesion between generations, how politics can tackle these problems and is democracy the most promising way to create a balance.
Historical perspective
In early times, mankind was divided by races but as the Nations drew their boundaries, formal societies emerged comprising either of a common culture or cosmopolitan in nature. It is at this stage that differences amongst sections of the society emerged and came to be discussed about. As early as on 10 December 1948, the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights declaring “All human beings are borne free and equal in dignity and rights.” This document was a key in cementing the position of human rights in international law in the aftermath of World War II. It claimed that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedom set forth in this declaration without distinction of any kind. Everyone is struggling for better quality of life yet the huge numbers of people across the majority...

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...ocracies mature, the tenure of governments should be reduced to 3 years instead of 5/4 years at present. It will no doubt increase expenditure on elections but will make people aware of their rights and importance of indulgence in political activities. Non government organisations of different strata of society have to pursue their agenda and inculcate the spirit of internal democracy in such small informal set ups. These practices will make the public aware and concerned about politics. Thus, the enlightened citizens will strengthen the democracy and help evolve policies to bridge interests among generations. The medium fertility scenario of UN predicts the world population to be 11.8 billion by 2150 with demographic transition. The sooner the politics and the democratic functioning understood by all, the better it will be for the evolving generations and humanity.

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