Chilean Youth Participation: A Century of Activism Beyond the Penguin Revolution

An exhibition titled "A Century of Youth Voices: From Scouts, Glassmakers, and Penguins" reveals that youth participation in Chilean public life is not a recent phenomenon, as often believed, but a continuous presence for over a century. The exhibition, a collaboration between Fundación Momento Ciudadano and several prominent Chilean museums and universities, challenges the notion that the 2020 Penguin Revolution marked the beginning of youth engagement. It highlights earlier instances, such as a 1925 strike by child workers at the Fábrica Nacional de Vidrios, who, some as young as eleven, presented demands for better wages and an end to mistreatment to the Intendencia. In the same year, the Boy Scouts of Chile was recognized as a National Institution, with thousands of members actively involved in civic, environmental, and volunteer work. The exhibition argues that youth engagement has historically taken diverse forms, extending far beyond what is commonly perceived. It aims to foster historical empathy, encouraging an understanding of past actions within their contemporary context, and historical responsibility, recognizing young people as historical actors accountable for their actions and their consequences. The organizers emphasize that citizen education should not be solely about preparing youth for future participation, but about acknowledging and supporting their ongoing engagement. The core message is that children and young people have always been part of shaping history, and society must learn to accompany, value, and even disagree with their participation, rather than ignoring or fearing it.