Voices of the Future: Stories from Around the World
A Celebratory Anthology of Global Youth Voices for a Sustainable Future
Voices of the Future: Stories from Around the World is a compelling anthology featuring eight beautifully written stories that explore children’s rights and the urgent global challenges of sustainable development. Authored by child writers aged 8 to 12 from diverse regions, including Canada, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, South Africa, Taiwan, Uruguay, and the United Arab Emirates, this collection is a testament to the power of young voices to inspire change and imagination on a global scale.
Produced in collaboration with UNESCO’s Voices of Future Generations (VoFG) initiative, the book reflects he program’s core mission: to empower children worldwide to become advocates for justice, equity, and sustainability through storytelling. Each tale offers a heartfelt and thoughtful reflection on issues such as environmental protection, gender equality, education, cultural diversity, and peace.
Accompanied by vibrant, full-colour illustrations from four talented international artists, Jhonny Núñez, Giovana Medeiros, Marco Guadalupi, and Mona Meslier Menaua, this anthology captures the spirit, dreams, and concerns of children living in an interconnected and rapidly changing world.
Whether read at home, in classrooms, or within youth programs, Voices of the Future is an enriching and eye-opening book that invites young readers to engage with the lives of children in other countries while sparking important conversations about our collective future.
A perfect resource for parents, educators, and anyone seeking to foster empathy, curiosity, and global citizenship in the next generation.
The children's stories are imaginative, empowering and inspiring. They focus on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Sustainable Development Goals and present likeable characters who go on problem-solving adventures to fix the problems faced in each region. The book features a foreword by Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO.
'... and together, the children could build a better future.'
REVIEWS
““We loved the positive messages being sent out in each of these stories and the fact that the book is empowering children. This is a book that I think will be loved by children of all ages (reading these aloud to younger children will help them to understand the messages from an early age).” ”
Travel across the globe, exploring children’s rights and sustainable world development with Voices of the Future! You can download free teaching notes to use alongside the anthology here:
Travel across the globe, exploring children’s rights and sustainable world development with Voices of the Future! You can download free teaching notes to use alongside the anthology here:
The activities in this pack include exploration of the text as well as questions stimulating discussion on quality education, climate change, poverty, community, gender inequality and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Ideal for use in PSHE, geography, literacy and tutor time, with wider links across the curriculum.