Voices of the Future

by Irina Bokova

  As the Time Team arrived, they were greeted with cheers of great joy and happiness. The children and the animals became international heroes. Together, they all began to celebrate their lives, promising to work even harder to protect each other into the future. Capitan thanked everyone, especially his friends the crabs, and all the people and the animals who had helped. They agreed that every contribution, big or small, makes a difference towards the future we want.

  What are Children’s Rights?

  We are children. Of all ages, genders and cultures. We all have rights.

  Rights are things every child has. ALL children have the same rights, no matter who they are, what religion or ethnicity they are, whatever their abilities, whatever their language, wherever they live, whether they are rich or poor… we all have the same rights.

  The United Nations – a very important organisation founded in 1945 – works around the world. One of the treaties of the United Nations is called the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This Convention is very important. It has 54 articles (or sections) that cover all aspects of children’s lives and it explains what we should expect, and how leaders and other adults must work to make sure we can enjoy all of our rights. Almost every country in the world has agreed to these rights, and to uphold them in law. That’s over 190 nations!

  First and foremost we have the right to be alive! We have the right to a name and identity, a right to be included, to be safe with access to food, clothing and shelter. We have the right to play and to rest. We have the right to an opinion! We have the right to a voice through talking, writing and drawing. We can say how we want to see the world, and adults should take our views seriously.

  No right is more important than any other. Our right to play and the right to freedom of expression are no more or less important than the right to be safe from violence or the right to an education.

  Can you imagine what it would be like if you couldn’t do these things? Imagine if you couldn’t go to school, or receive education in another way. Can you think of how that might affect the rest of your life? Richer countries have a responsibility to support poorer countries to educate the children there, to ensure that everyone has opportunities.

  Imagine if you weren’t allowed to play, or rest, or to spend time with the people who care for you. Some children around the world are forced into work, but this is against our rights. We have the right not to do unsafe or inappropriate work, because we are children.

  Children with different abilities have the same rights, but it also states in the Convention that they have the right to be treated with dignity, and to be able to be included in play and other activities that are so important. Maybe you have different abilities, or your friends do. Let’s make sure that everyone is included!

  There are many rights that we have, and they are a useful tool in thinking about how we would like the world to treat all children, everywhere. Particularly it is vital to think about the right children all over the world should have to a voice in decision-making that concerns all of our futures. Together children can change the world for the better.

  What are Sustainable Development Goals?

  The Sustainable Development Goals were decided in 2015.

  They are a way to work towards the future we wish to see, for ourselves and for all children and future generations around the world. The plan is to achieve each goal by 2030, but if we work really hard, with adults’ help, perhaps we can reach them sooner.

  The SDGs were informed by what the United Nations Secretary-General at the time, Ban Ki-moon, said: ‘We don’t have plan B because there is no planet B.’

  There are 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which gives us lots to focus on!

  GOALS TO DO WITH MAKING LIFE BETTER FOR ALL PEOPLE

  GOAL NUMBER 1 is for No Poverty. We could end extreme poverty by 2030 if we commit to all of the Global Goals. The target is to eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere. This is currently measured as people living on less than $1.25 a day, which is a very, very small amount.

  Nelson Mandela, president of South Africa 1994–1999, said: ‘In this new century, millions of people in the world’s poorest countries remain imprisoned, enslaved, and in chains. They are trapped in the prison of poverty. It is time to set them free.’

  GOAL NUMBER 2 is for No Hunger. Governments have committed to ending hunger, and to ensuring access by all people to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round. This is especially the case for poor people and people in vulnerable situations, including children.

  Franklin D. Roosevelt, president of the USA 1933–1945, said: ‘The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.’

  When children have too little food, they are not just at risk of illness, but they probably cannot go to school, or properly concentrate if they are in school. It’s important for everyone to have enough healthy food.

  GOAL NUMBER 3 is for Good Health. Everybody deserves good health. By 2030, the aim is end preventable deaths of newborn babies and children under five years of age. We also want to end epidemics of diseases such as malaria, promote mental health and well-being, and ensure that everyone, no matter who or where they are, has access to good healthcare.

  What would you do if you couldn’t see a doctor?

  GOAL NUMBER 4 is for Quality Education. Let’s ensure that everyone has inclusive, quality education throughout their life. This is especially the case for girls, who in many countries often don’t get to go to school. Over 50 million children in the world still do not have an education.

  Malala Yousafzai said: ‘In some parts of the world, students are going to school every day. It’s their normal life. But in other parts of the world, we are starving for education... it’s like a precious gift. It’s like a diamond…’

  Malala Yousafzai is a big champion for girls’ education, and the youngest-ever Nobel Prize Laureate. Isn’t that awesome? She has used her rights, and fought very hard when at times she struggled against adults to access her rights. Now she speaks out widely to let all children, especially girls, know that they can be educated and do wonderful things.

  GOAL NUMBER 5 is for Gender Equality. There are lots of places around the world where women and girls aren’t treated fairly. The aim is to end all forms of discrimination against womenand girls everywhere. Girls and women are essential to building strong and better-educated communities, but are too often affected by some of the harshest aspects of poverty. One in three girls and women experience gender-based violence in their lives. This shouldn’t happen at all! Girls and women shouldn’t be victims; instead they should share leadership roles alongside boys and men.

  GOAL NUMBER 6 is for Clean Water and Sanitation. Many people do not have access to clean and safe drinking water, and this situation causes disease and sometimes death. Water is often contaminated with sewage or pollution, making it very dangerous to drink. But lots of people have no choice. Children also sometimes have to walk for miles to collect water, which means they cannot go to school.

  Imagine not being able to attend school, because you have to walk miles to fetch water. Or imagine having access to water, but knowing that if you drink it, that it could make you very sick. Imagine not having clean toilets to use.

  GOAL NUMBER 8 is for Good Jobs and Economic Growth. This means that all people (although not young children) should have inclusive, full and productive work. If we achieve this goal, people will not be working in unsafe environments, and also child labour will no longer happen.

  Lots of children around the world still have to work very hard in dangerous conditions. For example, some children are forced to make the clothes that we wear. That’s not fair, and it is against our rights as children.

  GOAL NUMBER 9 is for Innovation and Infrastructure. To end extreme poverty, we need innovative ideas, and good governments who will fund global development from every part of the communit
y to empower people out of poverty.

  Children are full of ideas! Can you think of ideas to help your government to ensure that communities all over the world can come out of poverty?

  GOAL NUMBER 10 is for Reduced Inequalities. This goal was set to empower all people, regardless of their age, gender, disability, race, ethnicity, religion or any other status. Everyone should have equal opportunities. It feels awful when we aren’t treated equally to other people.

  GOAL NUMBER 11 is for Sustainable Cities and Communities. This goal is to ensure that everyone, everywhere, has access to safe and affordable housing. In particular consideration must be given to children who are growing up in very poor housing situations, such as slums.

  Imagine if you didn’t have a safe place to live. There are still a lot of children around the world living in slum environments, or even in tents in refugee camps because they have been forced out of their own countries due to war.

  GOAL NUMBER 16 is for Peace and Justice. Everybody in the world has the right to justice and the right to live in a peaceful and inclusive society. This goal aims to end exploitation and violence, and to promote the law at all levels, allowing equal access to justice for everyone.

  We shouldn’t ignore any of the injustices happening in this world. We can all do something to help. We can start just by talking about them, and sharing what we have learnt.

  Robert F. Kennedy, a politician in the USA in the 1960s, said: ‘Every time we turn our heads the other way when we see the law flouted, when we tolerate what we know to be wrong, when we close our eyes and ears to the corrupt because we are too busy or too frightened, when we fail to speak up and speak out, we strike a blow against freedom and decency and justice.’

  GOALS TO DO WITH ACTION FOR THE CLIMATE AND THE SAFETY OF THE EARTH

  This is the only planet we have to live on! It is very important to protect it in every way we can.

  GOAL NUMBER 7 is for Clean Energy. Everyone should have access to clean, non-polluting energy which is especially important for protecting the planet.

  GOAL NUMBER 12 is for Responsible Consumption. We should aim to halve global food waste. We should also focus on recycling whenever we can. We can reduce the amount of waste we produce by reusing things, and recycling what we cannot use again.

  Can you think of ways you could reduce the waste you produce? Do you recycle? Perhaps you could think of more things you could reuse or recycle, to help towards a better planet for future generations.

  GOAL NUMBER 13 says that we should ‘Protect the Planet with Climate Action’. Urgent action is needed to combat climate change and the terrible impact this could have on people’s lives. Lots of climate-related hazards and natural disasters are becoming more common – for example tsunamis, which destroy and devastate whole communities. We can help by learning about climate change and what we can do about it. We can also spread the word, and encourage others to take the steps they can to reduce the risk of this happening. A healthy planet will take care of all future generations. All of us, now and in the future, can take care of the planet. It is our duty.

  Leonardo di Caprio, the American actor, said: ‘Clean air and water, and a livable climate are inalienable human rights. And solving this crisis is not a question of politics. It is our moral obligation.’

  GOAL NUMBER 14 is for Life Below Water. We should conserve the oceans, by preventing marine pollution. We should also protect delicate ecosystems in the oceans.

  GOAL NUMBER 15 is for Life on Land. Just as with the oceans, we must be careful to protect forests, ecosystems, biodiversity and all life on land – it’s really important for human life too!

  Wangari Maathi, a Kenyan politician and environmental activist, said: ‘We owe it to ourselves and to the next generation to conserve the environment so that we can bequeath our children a sustainable world that benefits all.’

  Protecting the Earth promotes life for all of us living on it. Improving the environment gives people the opportunity to survive and thrive in a world free of poverty.

  The final goal, GOAL NUMBER 17, is that we have Partnership for all of the Goals. We need to all come together and work with each other on these goals. Let’s learn about the goals, share them with our friends and family, and come together to work towards making the world a really great place for ourselves and future generations.

  Voices of Future Generations

  The Voices of Future Generations initiative on Children’s Rights and Sustainable Development works to empower children all around the world. The children involved work hard to access their rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and most importantly to make sure other kids know their rights too. It’s a rapidly growing movement to make sure that all children’s voices are heard.

  The project helps children to advance the right to education and literacy globally through the Voices of Future Generations Children’s Book Series, based on the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Sustainable Development Goals and authored by children aged between 8 and 12, for children aged 6 and above. These stories, gathered from a global call for child authors, are imaginative, inspiring and empowering to children all over the world. The likeable characters in the stories go on problem-solving adventures, expeditions and missions aimed at fixing specific regional problems they face in relation to their rights and sustainable development.

  Through the Voices of Future Generations Intergenerational Dialogue Programme, children are able to enter into effective communication with experts and global leaders who are working towards positive change in the fields of children’s rights and sustainable development. Dialogue is facilitated through intergenerational events such as children’s summits, learning circles and interactive mentoring events that take place in key cities around the world. These allow children to engage effectively with world leaders and exchange ideas and solutions to issues that affect current and future generations.

  We hope you enjoyed reading the stories in this anthology, as we celebrate children and what they can do to create a better future for themselves and generations to come.

  We hope you find it inspiring, and perhaps you could be a future child author, writing about the ideas you have about how best to tackle some of the issues the world faces.

  Voices of Future Generations: www.vofg.org

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  First published in Great Britain 2018

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