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Youth: Agents of Change
Given the issues we face today, almost everybody wants to make a change; everybody wants to be that change. However, the only thing constant in this world is change. It is only particular parts of society that refuses to accept that.
Peace shall reign
Marking International Poetry Day (21 March 2020), a group of young poets and Voices of Youth contributors write about the power of peace. Their poems are a cry to end violence against children, and a message of support to the children and youth affected by conflict. Salman is a 21 year old writer, a poet and a motivational speaker from Nigeria, who frequently writes on Voices Of Youth about Culture and Human Rights. You can read his content here. The world is placed for peace and grounds for unity. For people to leave even without kisses but not a piece of a calamity. Now a lot has changed in...
Valentine's day should be for all
Some see Valentine's day as a day for couples. I see it as a day to celebrate with any one you care about. It should not be for a particular gender or age It is not all about roses and chocolates #Val a child Spread love and make people happy show love to people, children or adults Valentine should be for everyone. What impact have you made?
Changes
Of closed doors, and tears streaming down my face. When the heart was torn, and my mind was in dismay. Little did I know, that it was all about finding grace. And learning to accept, come what may. Understanding requires time, while accepting requires patience. The future is unseen, no road maps or navigation. Gathering strength through prayers in silence. As we find our way, like the stars in a constellation. Through the highs and lows, we learn to grow. A roller coaster ride, in this life that we know. We stumble and fall, as we reap what we sow. We pick ourselves up, that much to ourselves...
Childhood Cancer, a battle of gold
February 15th is commemorated as the international day of fight against childhood Cancer. Declaration that was made in Luxembourg in 2001 and created by the international organization of childhood Cancer, as an objective to raise awareness about the importance of the challenges children and their families face, as well as to promote the importance that all children anywhere in the world have access to accure diagnosis and treatment in time. The golden tie is used as a symbol of courage and strength of gold in the face of this disease, being his un wavering, inspiring and valuable strength. It...
Deathly healthcare
Global Diplomacy in the 21st Century: Game On?
Why does global diplomacy seem to be dwindling right now, at a time when we need it the most? This was the question posed by the Harvard Social Impact Project to high school delegates participating in the 2020 Harvard Model UN Conference. Over 3000 students from all over the world came to discuss world issues and submit their innovative responses to this challenging prompt. Winners are often the only ones who have their projects showcased, but who said we have to go with traditional norms? Here's my project, an essay, which I'm proud to share with the global community of young people. The gist...
To the people with the guns
Marking International Poetry Day (21 March 2020), a group of young poets and Voices of Youth contributors write about the power of peace. Their poems are a cry to end violence against children, and a message of support to the children and youth affected by conflict. Kamogelo is a 17 year old from South Africa with a passion to learn from, inspire and educate anyone who gives her the chance to. She frequently blogs about women’s rights, education and equality on Voices Of Youth. You can read her content here. I dream a dream of playgrounds and lemonade I dream a dream of nights with clear skies...
CV Hunters
What would you say at your own funeral?
It's the opposite approach to life - the most unintuitive, eccentric, or perhaps grim way. It's a practice I'd say you should at least try once, maybe several times if you're up for the challenge. But remember, the goal of this exercise isn't to take a stroll in your journal and have a nice little chit-chat with your ego. It's to dig deep into your roots, and ask yourself: how do I want to die? Or rather, how do I want to be remembered and what do I want to be forgotten by everyone, and swiftly wiped out of history as I draw my last breath? It's a way to find yourself. Discover your goals and...
SHE
When I was a kid I had many friends. Boys and girls. We lived in the same neighbourhood. There was nothing I loved more than playing outside with them. But unless there were other girls with us too, I could not go outside with only the boys. Back then I did not understand how wrong that was. People would say that it was some rule that protected my "reputation", whatever that meant. I really hoped someday something would change. To this day, I think the mistreat of women has not gone away, it has only changed shape. We sometimes fail to comprehend the incredible creation that is women. We are...
Coronavirus does not justify racism or xenophobia
As of early March, there are close to 90,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in almost 60 different countries. Most of these cases (almost 80,000) are in China. Because of this, and the fact that the infection started in China, Covid-19 fears are being used to fuel Sinophobia and anti-Asian racism at large, as well as xenophobia. This is detrimental for so many reasons; racism is always detrimental. There have been reported cases, particularly in North America, Europe and Asia, of people making racist jokes related to Chinese people and the Coronavirus, putting Asians in quarantine solely on the...
Women's Diversity
I'm in love with diversity. I'm in love with how diversity relate to humanity. I'm in love with how diversity was born from genuinity. I'm in love with how diversity create a unity. I'm in love with the dazzling diversity of all the women in this world Dark skin. Eighteen. Blue eyes. Cries. Thick eyebrow. On sorrow. Long haired. Frightened. Writer. Fighter. No matter, Your skin tone, your eye colour, your profession, your circumtances. You're beautiful in diversity. You're georgeous. You're an epiphany. To all the woman in this world. Who are crying. Who are laughing. Who are pleasant. Who are...
The comfort of being uncomfortable
The world wants us to leave it better than we found it, it wants us to be the change, by speaking up and being the first domino. For a line of dominos to fall, one domino has to fall first, which leaves no choice for the others but to fall. For me, being a domino means doing the hardest things, especially when they are needed with the hope that others will follow soon. But let’s put the light on a very important topic, which is fear. Some will say “We are fearless!”, but none of them is unfraid of the consequences of their fall, and few of them are truly willing to be the next domino. Fear has...
Silent Sea
I sit by the Silent Sea as the day drowns in the dusk I sit on the land of you and me with a tornado of grief among all of us I listen to the Silent Sea as she begins to weep I listen the mothers' cry with heads on their sons' bare wounded chest I see the Silent Sea as she is turning red at the shore I see my brothers being buried and their corpses bathed in blood I touch the Silent Sea as I feel anger and screams in her silence I touch the war marks on my arm no more giving me pride but only grief I am a victor in the war but a loser here of course the human in me is not letting me breathe...
Small actions matter! How to change the world one step at a time
Harassment
Sexual harassment or harassment in general is a big issue in today’s world. There are many different types of ways people can be harassed. It can be something as simple as looking ata person up and down, catcalling, or something more serious and dangerous like being kidnapped and sexually abused. There are many other ways people can be harassed which are too many to name, and the fact is that there really shouldn't be that many ways. Many people blame victims instead of blaming the attacker, which is always wrong and there should be no excuses for people who attack others in this way...
The Importance of Indigenous and Cultural Memory in Post-conflict Colombia
Following the signing of the Colombian Peace Agreement in 2016, the deep impact of the armed conflict on Colombian society has become more evident. This conflict has touched, in particular, the communities which have lived in the territories that have been disputed historically. Indigenous communities have been one of the most affected not only in a physical, economic and social level, but also in terms of their cultural identity. Memory has been a fundamental tool for the construction of historical processes and, as we know, this is not only an individual process, it also has a collective...
Safer Internet Day 2020: Online kindness matters too
People rarely understand the importance that words have. I was only 14 years old the first time I experienced cyber bullying. After being bullied at school for a few years the girls in my class started this rumour that I had talked about them behind their backs, of course what they needed was a reason not to look guilty in front of others. And so they confronted me. And I tried explaining myself but they were clearly not looking for an explanation. When I got home they had opened Facebook group chats where they would continue talking mean things about me even though I would beg them to stop...