Spotlight on the young and indignant movement

October 15^th saw over 1,500 demonstrations in 82 countries across the world by people who support the Occupy Wall Street or the Indignatos (Indignant) movement. The demonstrators were mainly young people who are protesting against global economic inequalities and what they call the corrosive power of major banks and the financial sector.

But what is the significance of this rapidly growing protest movement? Is it a new ideology and what moral message is it trying to convey? Susy Hodges spoke to Father Sean Healy, Director of Social Justice in Ireland, who believes this protest movement has shone the spotlight on the deepening inequalities in our modern society, especially in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis: He says: “There’s a growing polarisation between the haves and the have-nots” …. and there’s a growing recognition that the basic model (on which) our Western society is based is actually very flawed and "we need a new model that is fairer.”

Michael O’Bourne is Director of the Las Casas Institute in Oxford, England sponsored by the Dominican Order that studies ethics and social justice issues. He told Susy that governments must seek to address the protesters’ grievances or the situation risks exploding: “It’s a very explosive environment where young people are questioning the fundamentals of our system.......... and it would be extremely dangerous to marginalise young people by not offering them a participative role in society.”

Listen to the entire report by Susy Hodges: