Our Future: How Kids are Taking Action

From climate action to cyberbullying, from gun violence to animal protection, these young activists have brought about real change. These young people from across the globe are raising awareness about what issues matter to them most. Jaelun Parkerson from Texas kneels with his football teammates during the National Anthem to protest racial injustice; Canadian Autumn Peltier spoke in front of the United Nations to raise awareness about water pollution; and Melati Wijsen from Bali started working at twelve-years-old to convince his government to ban plastic bags. From oil pipelines to cyber bullying, from gun violence to animal protection, they won’t let their youth stop them from being heard (Source).

Author(s): Janet Wilson

Janet’s purpose in life is to tell the true stories of amazing kids. Inspired by the philosophy of Gandhi, “To reach Peace we must begin with the children”, she began both writing and illustrating a series of books about the power of one to motivate and empower readers to make a positive difference. One Peace: True Stories of Young Activists was followed by; Our Earth: How Kids Are Saving the Planet, Our Rights: How kids are Changing the World, and Our Hearts: How Kids are Making a Difference, and Our Future: How Kids are Taking Action. These books combine her passions for portraiture and non-fiction that is inspiring, inter-generational, culturally inclusive, and international in scope, addressing important global issues of non-violence, environment, and social justice. While she was researching stories of young child-rights activists, she learned about Shannen Koostachin, who had been nominated for the International Children’s Peace Prize. I was shocked that such systemic injustice was happening in my own country. Although she had never published a novel before, she was inspired by the actions of the children of Attawapiskat to tell this story and help raise awareness for other Canadians (Source).

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