The Casual Cynic

The Casual Cynic

Today it's the bright orange t-shirts bearing the legend 'How old will you be in 2050?'. 

Yesterday, it was walking trees. 

Every day there are protests and demonstrations outside and inside the giant hall which is hosting the Climate Change Summit here in Copenhagen.

Those taking part are mainly young.  Chatting with a few, they see the world in black and white, right and wrong, good and bad.  The nuances, realities and the politics sometime escape them.

Some appear at our workspace - hoping they might be able to convince us to cover their cause, capture their moment and broadcast it to a global audience.

It's easy to be cynical about these young people, with their earnest faces and absolute views, but that would be wrong.  They carry a passion - a desire for a better world and a regard for their fellow human being that is raw and touching.  We hear a lot about globalisation.  For them that's not about business, it's about people.

We hear horror stories about feckless, violent youth, of young people not engaged in the political process.  Yet  it is the young who will face the consequences of any decision reached here.  And that many explain why so many care.

Yes it's easy to be cynical - but we should never forget that group of passionate and determined people acting together can change the world.  Because that's the only thing that  ever has.