Children must be co-creators of their own lives and the world they are a part of

In the recently concluded Our World Academy, the children focused on the UN's 17 world goals and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Each workshop consisted of legs, philosophical dialogue, action-oriented actions, and collaboration with relevant professionals. Thus, the children were allowed to welcome their perspectives and solutions to local and global challenges.

Instead of challenges such as climate change being something daunting, children need to look at how to go along to challenges and changes, to do and create something concrete that creates value - for themselves, the local community and the world. - Cecilie Tang-Brock. 

Philosophical dialogues 

At Our World Academy, the children had dialogues about the selected world goals: Quality education, Responsible consumption and production, Industry, innovation and infrastructure, Reduced inequalities, Affordable and clean energy, Peace, Justice, and strong institutions.

At the first workshop, the children, for example, had a dialogue under the theme of quality education, the fourth sustainable development goal. The children's dialogue was about being knowledgeable and wise, and about what instinct and learning are. The children drew a model of their idea on how to obtain knowledge and wisdom.

When you do a thing often enough it becomes an instinct.

You are knowledgeable when you become more and more familiar with something and when you do a thing and understand it. 

4 Advice on Philosophical Dialogues 

1. Choose open themes 

1. Ask interested 

1. Make sure that everyone gets time 

1. Go Behind and Beside the Children, when it comes to determining dialogues towards 

Create a space where children feel that they can be engaged and present. It is a course where children can understand themselves and realize their potential as the creative world citizens, they already are, and where they manage their preconditions for contributing as creative world citizens in the future. 

Games 

At Our World Academy, the children are also a part of choosing and developing new games. One game that all children love is the game where they have to put two words together, such as cheese and sofa, which can turn into a "cheesesofa". Subsequently, they must then describe the meaning of the compound word. The children should give the most possible explanations on what the compound word could mean. 

Actions 

At the end of Our World Academy, the children are encouraged to make action-oriented actions. 

Ridhima Rastogi, 13 years old, organized a toy swap marked in February 2020, where children were encouraged to swap their toys. 

I want participants to walk away and feel that they have contributed positively to the community, Ridhima Rastogi wrote in the invitation. 

The Toy Swap was an opportunity for children to learn about sharing, recycling, recycling, and reducing consumption. Ridhima urged the other children to donate toys for children in need through the organization Save the Children. 

Raft and Sustainable Development Goals 

The book Raft and Sustainable Development Goals is a collection of the children's reflections and dialogues that took place in Our World Academy. 

The author Jim Højbjerg created the book together with the children and has also recorded the audiobook version. The audiobook is available in our Toolbox.