We, the Team Heron won the Local, Regional and National Rotary Young Environmentalist competition with the Cambridge Climate Change Action Plan Project: Heron Habitat Helpers
Heron Team – King’s College School - Thomas, Nico, Orlaith & Morgan
Do you want to know more about our project? Go to my post: The Cambridge Climate Change Action Plan Project: Heron Habitat Helpers
I am a Nigerian West-African, originally from Delta State in Nigeria, and lived in Lagos State my entire life.
Whenever I travel or encounter someone from a different country than mine, I usually get asked about where I’m from.
The honest answer to this, and indeed the answer I give, is “I am from Nigeria.” This answer results in varying follow-up statements and questions, such as:
“Do you speak African?” - There is no such language.
“I thought you were African.” - Yes, I have been asked this. Dear people, Nigeria is in Africa.
“What is it like in Africa?” - I can only speak to my experience in Nigeria, not to everyday life in the rest of my continent. And even in Nigeria, it varies from state to state. Just like life in New York and life in Maryland are by no means the same.
“You don’t have an African accent.” - What?
These questions and/or statements irritate me because they do not seek to understand my identity.
A lack of research and general disinterest has made such statements commonplace.
The same people understand the difference between America and Canada, England and France, Puerto Rico and Colombia.
I fail to understand why it becomes a challenge to understand the concepts of countries and continents the further one gets from the Western world.
Australia is one of a kind. Africa is not both a country and a continent.
It should be a simple concept. Except that for some reason, it isn’t.
For those that need to see this, to all the people who have made continental generalizations:
Yes, I am African. But it does not end there.
I remember, a few years ago, when Black Panther came out. All my friends watched it, and everybody was giving enthusiastic reviews about how good it was. I did not watch it myself. But I found it interesting that this one movie enthralled the whole world. I suspected it was because it showed a black superhero, a non-villainous black character that many people of colour could see themselves in. Representation is good, but the important thing is that it is a positive representation.
My parents watched it. Just as I expected, they were not big fans of it. Being African (Nigerian, to be exact!), they were slightly ticked off by cultural inaccuracies shown in the ‘African melting pot’ that is Wakanda. Names from completely different African cultures were being used. The ‘universal African accent’ (which neither they nor I have ever heard a single African speak in) had them rolling their eyes a bit. However, they did acknowledge that it was a start in our journey to an accurate representation of people of colour. Not the end, but a beginning.
I think it’s essential that people see themselves in the media. Something as small as seeing somebody that looks like them in an ad gives people, especially kids, a jolt of happiness, especially when they live in a community that is not represented enough, or accurately, by media.
I know how it feels to see a black character on a show I enjoy. Or, by extension, to see other POC. Seeing someone Latinx, Asian, or from the MENA region in media makes me happy because it shows that the world is coming to a place where it accepts people that are different from them. And that means:
“The more we get together, the happier we’ll be…”[1]
[1] Quote from a folk song not associated with a particular artist.
Hello, I am Bella Morrisseau Whiskeyjack, I am 11 years old, and I am in grade 6. I hope everyone is staying safe and remember to follow the WHO guidelines regarding COVID-19.
This blog is about SDG 5 Gender Equality.
Has anyone told you that you couldn't play with a baby doll, or unicorn, other toys that are classified as girl toys because you are a boy, or if someone told you that you couldn't play with a baseball, and glove, or other toys that are classified as boy toys if you were a girl? Well, if you have, don't listen. These toys are made for everyone. People call things girl stuff, boy stuff, or girl colours, and boy colours. The names are just how people classify things.
Let's start by talking about boys. Little boys who play with baby dolls and unicorns grow up to be sweet and caring fathers. Boys who play with toys usually played with by girls make them more creative with their imaginations, plus they help boys get along better with girls at a young age and as they grow older.
Now girls who enjoy playing video games and sports grow up to be more independent and gain more confidence. For example, Amelia Earhart was the first lady pilot, and she was comfortable with being a woman, but she wanted to try new things, not guys' things, but new things, so she trained to become a pilot. Girls who play with things that boys usually play allow them to do more athletic work outside than men are typically required to do.
It doesn't matter if you are a boy or a girl. We are all human, you should respect other people's gender, and you should also respect yours.
I am Bella Morrisseau Whiskeyjack. I live in Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada and I am 10 years old. I want to tell you about education before and after COVID-19 on reserves in Western Canada.
Kids and teachers knew about Coronavirus, but the kids made jokes about it, but they stopped once it got serious. Kids stopped making jokes and started talking about how people around the world were getting very sick and died from it.
Online school was difficult for me at first, but I got the hang of it after a few days of schoolwork. My classmates and I got very bored doing online school; there really wasn't anywhere to go. On some reserves, schools were shut down entirely; there was no online school. This was due to limited access to their community, which includes Internet and computer availability.
I believe that those children deserved the education that they were supposed to get. When schools reopen, those kids have to restart that school year. Online school wasn't all bad; at least some kids got an education to move on to the next year, but I think we all should have gotten that education. Let's give a huge thanks to the other schools that gave us an education and all the workers worldwide to keep us all safe.
As I write this from the comfort of my favourite sofa, I think to myself how much the world has changed.
In this pandemic, many aspects of our lives have been turned upside down. Between social distancing, curfews and mandatory mask-wearing, the world has gone through many changes as we navigate the virus. Activism and advocacy have also changed, a change that has affected the way I support my causes.
Things have been different. Instead of making plans to attend events and advocate my causes in person, as I had planned to this year, I’ve found myself attending online seminars and showing my support through the power of the written word.
One such event was the Virtual 2020 Girl Up Leadership Summit I attended in early July. There were many electrifying speakers that inspired me to keep advocating for Gender Equality. I have found it easier to find online events about the SDGs especially dear to my heart in this pandemic, a fact that makes me think maybe this year’s unexpected turn of events has brought some good changes after all.
Before the pandemic, it was harder for me to find ways I could help and support the people and causes I cared about. Events were sometimes too far away, or the notice to attend was too short. But then COVID-19 came along and I realized what a powerful tool the internet is.
Though 2020 has been a year of change—for advocacy and activism and other things besides, not all the change has been negative. I’ve been tossed out of my comfort zone and have tried new things.
And for that, I’m grateful.
Anisa.
Hi everyone,
I hope you are doing well. I thought I could share something with you while we are all at home, and please feel free to write down a comment and let me know something about you too.
Last December (2020) I received an invitation from the Institute of European and American Studies, Academia Sinica to give a presentation for environmental protection actions and my books 'A path to Life' and "The Sound of Silence' at the International Conference on Critical Food Studies. I was very excited because Academia Sinica is the most preeminent academic institution of Taiwan, and I would have a chance to meet the scholars researching the sciences and humanities from many countries.
I chaired the 'Artistic Voices' panel and talked about how I believe that all animals and humans can exist in the same bio-community, and I reflect that in my books. The scholars and environmental writers were also very interested in the activities that VoFG held in past years. I shared what usually takes place the day of the events, I also joined and discussed environmental issues with them.
I believe that members of the young generations can be powerful little ambassadors and agents of change in local communities. While we conserve and protect the natural habitat of wildlife species, we enrich our planet. Thus, we not only speak out on behalf of animals in the forest but also to empower children to advocate for future generations. When people ignore their environment, we put at stake more than endangered species. Where there is no discussion about animal welfare or environmental protection, there is no respect for life. I hope my stories can help people see that every life on earth should based on equality.
Bella Morrisseau has been awaded is the youngest Woman of Vision yet.
The Global News Woman of Vision program, hosted by Lesley MacDonald, has shared the inspirational stories of more than 288 extraordinary women in and around Edmonton since 1995.
The 25th Annual Global News Woman of Vision Celebration Event will be held on Wednesday, April 8, 2020 with an expected audience of over 900 people. The event is the highlight of the Woman of Vision program, as it pays tribute to the inspirational women featured on Global News over the previous year. Bursaries and scholarships are also awarded to aspiring young women students to help them realize their vision. This emotional, spirit-lifting event is enhanced by the sharing of inspiration from the Women of Vision themselves.
To purchase tickets to this year’s event, click here.
About Global News Woman of Vision television series:
The Global News Woman of Vision program celebrates the accomplishments of outstanding Edmonton area women. These are stories that inspire and are written and produced by Lesley MacDonald. This popular program includes 12 Woman of Vision stories each year. Bursaries and scholarships are also awarded to help young women realize their vision.
To know more click here.
© 2025 The Voices of Future Generations Children’s Initiative (VoFG CI) is a charitable initiative of the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL), a registered non-profit organization
