| | | | | | | | The VoFG Gazette Summer Edition! | | | | Curated by Young Voices of Arabia | | | | | | | |
A digital artwork portraying Dubai’s evolution, with the Museum of the Future envisioned as a portal to a prosperous and fully developed Dubai and UAE. - Mohammed Hamdan Siddiqui | Design Lead | | | |
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From the Asst. Editor's Desk
Saira Thomas Assistant Editor
| | Dearest Readers, With full hearts and immense pride, we present to you the VOFG Gazette’s summer special edition, tailored exclusively by our team for you. This issue is a true reflection of automotive visionary Henry Ford’s famous quote: “Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, working together is success.” It is a collaboration of young minds working in harmony to create something meaningful. As a group of VOFG Child Authors who have stepped up to the roles of editors, columnists, reporters and designers, we feel empowered to use our voices and skills to promote sustainability through words and art. Our Goodwill Ambassador, HH Sheikha Hissa Bint Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has inspired us and given us the courage to believe that young people are not just leaders of tomorrow, but powerful changemakers of today. From the very first edition, the Gazette has shown what young people can achieve when given space, trust and purpose. What makes this edition extra special is that we created it more independently, armed with the invaluable mentorship and training we received from Ms. Shama. Though her constant support and guidance are deeply missed, we remain truly grateful for the foundation she laid, which has given us the confidence to spread our wings. For our 21-member team, this summer has been a celebration of collaboration filled with brainstorming sessions, team meetings, tight deadlines and, of course, so much creativity. Even amidst travel plans and packed schedules, every member brought their unique talents forward with passion and commitment. It is an absolute honour to be part of such a dynamic and inspiring team. We are very grateful to Ms. Jenny for her continuous efforts in taking the Gazette to greater heights. Heartfelt thanks to our Editor-in-Chief, Mir, for his calm and steady leadership. Huge appreciation to our incredible Team Heads for their seamless coordination, which ensured timely updates and submissions, as well as their valuable input during the content selection process. A special shoutout goes to Hamdan, our Design Lead, whose dedication made this issue impactful and visually striking. As you scroll through, you will discover a rich variety of content, ranging from stories and poems, and reports and book recommendations, to puzzles and comic strips. Dear curious minds, we hope these pages inspire you, make you reflect and remind you that the future is shaped by the voices we raise today. Happy reading! Saira Thomas
| | | | The SDGs of this edition! | | | | | | | | | | SDGs of the Month A Summer of Innovation and Unity
Mir Faraz Editor-In-Chief | |
The Sustainable Development Goals are a set of 17 global objectives established by the United Nations to address the world’s most pressing challenges. They provide a shared vision for creating a fairer, greener, and more sustainable future for everyone. At Voices of Future Generations, Arabia, we are committed to raising awareness about these goals and inspiring young people to take meaningful action in their communities.
For this Summer Edition of the VoFG Gazette, we have 2 new goals of focus, corresponding with the ‘Goals of the Month’ officially delegated by the United Nations. These are SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. Read on to explore these vital goals and their role in shaping a sustainable future.
SDG 9 emphasizes building resilient infrastructure, promoting sustainable industrialisation, and fostering innovation. It highlights the need for technological progress, affordable and sustainable infrastructure, and access to innovation for all, particularly in developing regions. These advancements are critical to creating strong economies and improving quality of life worldwide. In this edition, our talented Editorial Board members have explored the transformative power of innovation, sharing creative ideas and reflections on how young people can champion technological progress for a better tomorrow.
SDG 17 focuses on strengthening partnerships to achieve all other goals. Collaboration across countries, sectors, and communities is at the heart of this goal, as global challenges demand unified solutions. From resource-sharing to knowledge exchange, SDG 17 emphasises that no one can achieve sustainability alone. In this issue, the team dives deep into why partnerships matter, offering thoughtful perspectives on how teamwork and solidarity can accelerate progress toward a brighter, more inclusive future.
We sincerely hope that this Summer Edition of the Gazette provides you with valuable insights on SDGs 9 and 17. After reading, we hope you feel empowered to spark conversations and build meaningful connections to promote the SDGs in your own circles!
Enjoy!
Mir Faraz Editor-in-Chief
| | | | | | | | This edition's a bit different... | | | | | | Welcome to the Summer Edition of the VoFG Gazette!
With students on their well-deserved summer break, this issue highlights the voices and creativity of our Gazette Team. The content is divided into four sections: Media, Editing, Research, and Design — each showcasing the unique contributions of our talented members.
We hope you enjoy this special edition and stay tuned for more exciting issues ahead!
- Mohammed Hamdan Siddiqui | Design Lead | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | In Conversation With Ms Jennifer Malton | |
by Inaya Danish
SDG 17 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, is, in many ways, the epitome of the relevance of SDGs in societal governance. It demonstrates the importance of an absence of strife and conflict in the quest for positive development, in order to focus on the things that truly matter for us and the planet. It connects the Sustainable Development Goals by understanding that we need to be strong as a society to achieve the goals we set for ourselves. This strength, when nurtured, allows for the change we wish to see - and an example of this is the Voices of Future Generations organisation, connecting brave young voices that will undoubtedly be the sustainability leaders of tomorrow. At the forefront of such a cornerstone organisation, Ms. Jennifer Malton, the director of the VoFG initiative, shares her own views on how the SDG has an impact on her and how it has shaped actions and awareness in children below.
What does SDG 17 mean to you? How has this meaning shifted throughout your time at VoFG?
It is no secret that within the team, SDG 17 is my favourite goal. Partnerships for the goals are essential to moving forward with purpose, and this has become a reality as we collaborate with incredible organisations and individuals. When you work with the very institutions that can make a difference, you combine all the expertise in one alliance. This can make a world of difference. This is where the agility of small teams can perfectly complement a large organisation’s objectives. Small, agile teams are masters of fast-paced innovation and flexible problem-solving. They can quickly develop solutions, test new ideas, and pivot based on real-time feedback. This rapid experimentation is often difficult for large institutions to replicate. By partnering with these agile teams, a large organisation can accelerate the implementation of its ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) objectives. The small team acts as a nimble, creative engine, rapidly developing the "how," while the large organisation provides the essential resources, infrastructure, and scale to turn those solutions into widespread reality. These partnerships are a powerful combination: the speed and innovation of the small team with the impact and reach of the large organisation. It is the fastest way to turn purpose into action and achieve meaningful, lasting change.
How have the different perspectives of children on SDG 17 through their stories fostered growth in awareness and action for this goal?
Peers writing for peers has an incredible impact, not only on the children who write the stories, but also on their audience. Children have a unique perspective on understanding what and why they want to read and write. They sometimes lose the wonder of finding their voice among the many responsibilities they gather through their school years. We push, nudge, and offer opportunities wherever we can, so they have platforms to enable their voices to be heard. This ensures we have youth at the table for every conversation. After all, as the saying goes, “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children."
| | | | | | | | When Youth Lead, the Future Listens | | | | by Sashini Manikandan and Joshua Melwin
Of all the Sustainable Development Goals, SDG 17(Partnerships for the Goals) is arguably the most critical. It’s the foundational principle that makes all the others possible, providing the base needed to achieve these goals and providing the means to solve the issues that plague our world. Companies and businesses must play their role in adhering to global standards in sustainability. Here in the UAE, companies often go beyond expectations and raise awareness in schools. Dgrade, a company based in the UAE, in addition to creating fabrics and clothing out of recycled plastic bottles, also hosts a competition to gather recycled bottles from schools in partnership with the grocery chain Choithrams. This initiative raises awareness while simultaneously addressing a significant waste issue. This one project directly supports several objectives, such as SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and SDG 15 (Life on Land). SDG 17 is the real cornerstone for attaining a sustainable future because it demonstrates that when different businesses collaborate for sustainability, their effects extend well beyond the initial impact.
In the United Arab Emirates, young innovators and changemakers are stepping up to drive SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals- by initiating powerful alliances with public and private entities. From ground-breaking collaboration with sustainability giants like Masdar to launching climate change campaigns through international platforms like Expo City Dubai, youth are no longer bystanders – they’re the co-creators of positive and sustainable impact. Platforms like Youth Hubs and the SDG Youth Council are empowering students to engage with government bodies and international stakeholders, shaping policy and piloting unique initiatives from grassroots level. At DP World and DXB Airport Youth Council, youth work on circular economy models, reimagining logistics with sustainability in mind. Expo City Dubai alone saw more than 200 youth-led initiatives in 2024, proving partnerships can scale and create real change. These efforts are more than symbolic- they reflect a deep-rooted culture of cross-sector and industrial collaboration. UAE’s youth and future generations aren’t just taking part; they are forging the partnerships that will define the sustainable and inclusive world of tomorrow.
| | | | Activities Corner by Inaya Danish | | | | | | Shaping the Future with CRISPR | | Sanvika Sandeep and Joshua Melwin SD9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Click on the video to watch! | | | | | | | | Youth Voices Rise at ECOSOC 2024: Reclaiming SDG 17 with Purpose | | by Sanvika Sandeep
At the ECOSOC Partnerships Forum 2024, young people from around the world made one thing clear: they are tired of being sidelined. With the clock ticking on the 2030 Agenda, this forum served as their stage, a powerful platform for youth to shine a spotlight on SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, and to redefine what meaningful partnership truly entails.
These young delegates didn’t hold back, challenging global leaders with a scathing reminder: “Nothing about youth without youth.” They emphasised that true collaboration isn't just about token gestures or symbolic inclusion. Access to decision-making spaces, direct investment in youth-led solutions, and, above all, confidence in the ingenuity and leadership of the next generation is the way forward.
Governments at the forum had mixed reactions. For instance, Canada issued a caution against partnerships that are all talk and no action, urging a shift from empty promises to real outcomes. Mexico offered inspiring scenarios of national conversations where young people were actively involved in the policymaking process. Other nations joined the chorus, highlighting the importance of fair, transparent partnerships, particularly in addressing climate change, improving education, and promoting digital innovation.
These discussions made one thing incredibly evident: SDG 17, “Partnerships for the Goals,” simply can't succeed without young people right at its core. Whether it is through tools that increase access to education, climate-friendly technology, or grassroots movements, youth are already making a significant difference. What they need are platforms that see them not just as beneficiaries, but as equal, respected partners.
In reclaiming SDG 17, the youth didn’t ask for permission; they demanded accountability, opportunity, and a seat at every table where their future is being decided. | | | | | | | | | | | |
Painting Progress through Purposeful Partnerships
| | | | | | This animated artwork illustrates individuals from diverse walks of life travelling together towards a brighter future, united by an open book of knowledge and curiosity. It is a stark reflection of SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, highlighting how collaboration and unity among communities are the key to a more vibrant and cohesive world. The connected landscapes and fusion of colours symbolize collective growth and harmony, serving as a powerful reminder that progress is only possible when we move forward together.
| | | | By Mohammed Hamzah Siddiqui | | | | | | | |
Biography
Vinisha Umashankar Voice of Jaivardhan Nawani
| | | | Vinisha Umashankar, a teenager from Tamil Nadu, didn’t wait to grow up before trying to fix something broken. Around her, she saw ironing vendors using charcoal to iron clothes. It was cheap and convenient, yes, but also polluting and harmful. Many workers spent their days surrounded by smoke and potentially contracted lung diseases, with no better option, since they worked in areas where electricity was unavailable.
Vinisha came up with an alternative: a solar-powered ironing cart. Her design used rooftop solar panels to store electricity in a battery, which could power the iron. It even included a phone charger and a small light. The cart wasn’t just clean and modern, it also made the vendors’ lives easier and safer. It was a practical solution, designed with care for people and the planet.
This simple but smart idea caught international attention. Vinisha became one of the youngest finalists for the Earthshot Prize, which celebrates climate innovations. At COP26, a global climate conference, she took the stage and addressed world leaders directly. Her message was clear: young people are not just asking for change, they are building it.
Let’s take a short look at how her work underlines the importance of two Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs. It supports SDG 9 by using clean technology to improve small businesses. It also shows the spirit of SDG 17, because her idea only became powerful when shared through partnerships, attention, and action.
In a world full of problems, Vinisha chose to be someone who builds solutions. And change doesn’t need to be massive; simple steps like hers can drive our world to a better future. You could be the next!
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Book Recommendation - Written by Sana Kaushik
| | | | The visual novel, ‘The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind’, written by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer, makes an ideal children’s introduction to SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure. It is a real story of how, in Malawi, a small boy uses creativity and determination to build his own windmill from scrap, thereby generating electricity for his family and neighbours.
The book introduces children to innovation and real-life experiences while showing that all children, however difficult their circumstances may be, can be problem-solvers and inventors. William’s entire journey gives the reader a lot to draw from and see themselves as an agent for positive change in the world. It also builds empathetic thinking and global citizenship in children while calling attention to the struggles faced by people in other parts of the world and the importance of sustainable solutions.
If you could invent something to help your community, what problem would you like to solve, and what would your invention look like? | | | | Crossword Activity
- Siddhant Seth | | | | | | | | We Tried - Advika Gupta - SDG 9 & 17
| | | | To whoever finds this – We tried.
I don’t know what your world looks like now. I don’t know if the seas have swallowed your cities yet, or if the droughts cracked your fields into dust like they did ours. I don’t know if you can still breathe without coughing. I don’t even know if there’s anyone left to read this. But I need you to know – we didn’t give up. Not really.
We were a stubborn generation. We built vertical farms in skyscrapers when the soil turned to ash. We launched solar satellites to beam power into the night. We engineered water from air, roofs from waste plastic, bridges strong enough to hold back floods.
But it wasn’t enough.
Not because we lacked ideas. Not because we lacked tools.
Because we lacked each other. The nations hoarded their blueprints. Corporations locked up life-saving tech behind paywalls. Leaders argued over borders while wildfires crossed them freely. When we needed partnerships, we found politics. When we needed hands joined, we found fists raised.
I remember sitting in the dark one night, staring at a message from a girl in Indonesia who’d designed a portable desalination pump. She wanted to share it with drought-struck villages in Chile. She asked me – me! – to help her find someone there.
I never answered.
It haunts me. How many more like her were out there? How many sparks died because no one carried them on?
We were so close.
But here’s the thing. If you are reading this, if there’s still breath in your lungs and soil beneath your feet – then maybe it’s not too late for you.
Don’t make our mistake.
When the storms come (and they will), don’t wait for governments. Don’t wait for billionaires. Reach out. Share your ideas like life-lines. Work with your rivals. Build with your neighbours. Join your knowledge, your hands, your hearts.
Because when we stood alone, we fell.
But maybe you – you can still rise.
It won’t be machines. It won’t be miracles. It won’t be one nation.
It will be all of you. Together.
For what it’s worth, we tried.
Now it’s your turn to do more than try.
– Your future self, 2047
| | | | The Wristwatch of Dreams - Meghna Senthil Kumar
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‘No, that’s not right,’ said Amal to her brother, pointing at the monitor. ‘That just sounds like a dumb way to describe a Rolex.’ Aql looked at the laptop screen, looked thoughtful, looked at the backspace key, then looked at the empty space before him.
‘How would we make a story if we can’t even create a proper title?’ Aql groaned, banging his head on the keyboard (then quickly apologizing to it). ‘How about let’s start with the story first?’ Amal suggested, looking triumphant in her suggestion. Aql raised his head. He smiled.
They started typing.
Then Aql stopped - he remembered something. ‘Amal, we’ll need to look at the contest website first to know what they want from our story -’ ‘A story, below 1500 words, with the SDGs in it. Plain as cake.’ ‘What type of cake are you talking about?’ ‘The one in our kitchen right now. Come on. We need energy.’ And thus, Amal got up and left the room.
Aql knew she’d come back soon enough - but after doing some calculations using his mind, his Casio FX991-ES, and the latest AI technology, he triangulated the t-coordinates of her arrival as being centered around approximately quite some time, give or take a few jiffies. ‘Once upon a time . . .’ he read out the words as he typed, ‘ . . . no, no, make that in a land far, far, away . . . oh, i’m getting nowhere with this...’
Aql tried typing another draft in binary on his calculator for inspiration. He had to stop after 4 words. He started shrieking into the calculator screen.
Amal walked into the room, balancing two bowls of cake on her head (‘Just like the old times!’ she’d say with a grin, before descending into a torpor of terrible repressed memories) - and saw her brother apologizing to his calculator. Now she considered walking away, having thought she had intruded on something, but she walked in. After five minutes, though. The cake got a bit soggy while waiting, too.
Amal and Aql didn’t mind the succulence of their snacks, though. It was only a few months since they started having water in their food. ‘I need help, I really do . . .’ Aql said in anguish. ‘Stories are hard.’ ‘Finally figured that out, eh?’ Amal said with a smile. ‘The truth is, the hardest part of writing is knowing where to start.’ They looked at each other in silence, realization dawning on their faces in sync. Then it hit them. “WE BUILD A MACHINE TO SCAN AND COALESCE THE STORED DATA IN OUR BRAINS INTO A STORY!” “WE BRAINSTORM IDEAS BASED ON A THEME . . . ?” ‘Or sure, we can do your thing too,’ Aql shrugged.
| | | | | | Ecoscape - The Symphony of Resurgence - Shravni Nethra - SDG 9 & 17
| | | | | | This animated artwork illustrates individuals from diverse walks of life travelling together towards a brighter future, united by an open book of knowledge and curiosity. It is a stark reflection of SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, highlighting how collaboration and unity among communities are the key to a more vibrant and cohesive world. The connected landscapes and fusion of colours symbolise collective growth and harmony, serving as a powerful reminder that progress is only possible when we move forward together. | | | | | | Blueprints in Our Bones - Avika Singh - (SDG 9 + 17 Poem)
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Before there were cables, There were calloused hands. Before “launch day”, There were lunch breaks shared on concrete slabs. Innovation didn’t spark in labs— But in dirty nails and borrowed plans.
We built with what we had. Rust. Rope. Radio scrap. They didn’t fit together, they didn’t hum in sync. But that was all we had and that was it.
Not all blueprints are blue. Some are just breath. A hand steadying another. A shared laugh under a beam that hasn’t been tested yet.
You see the tower. We remember the missteps. The problems that arose, And the steps we took that felt best. The crooked bolts. An argument here and there. A misunderstanding somehow always there.
But it was the hand that always bound us together. Reminded us that the future isn’t bright if not together. That building something together would last forever. For hope is the first brick, in a building a future that would last forever and ever. | | | | Inayah's Diary Entry - By Inayah Fathima Faeez | | | |
Dear Diary,
We went on a road trip to Dubai today, and as always, I enjoyed it thoroughly. There’s so much to see and definitely a lot to ponder about as well. We arrived by noon, and the summer heat was nearly unbearable, even inside the protection of our car. Whenever I looked outside, I saw the frameworks of huge, towering buildings being pulled up in every nook and cranny and I was very impressed. It pleased me even more when I thought about all the sustainable projects that the UAE was implementing here in Dubai, about the eco-friendly infrastructure. All of these great, concrete, glass-fronted structures were not just skyscrapers – they were built with sympathy for the future to come. But I also couldn’t help but notice the people working to build them – out in the scorching heat, sweating as they stood on aerial work platforms, the Middle Eastern summer pressing in on them. It made me feel a bit upset – how little we talk about the people who actually get the work done. While we move onwards into what seems to be a promising future, now that we are all aware of what needs to be done, we mustn’t forget those who sincerely help us achieve the finished products, those who build the future with us, quite literally. We don’t appreciate their bone-crushing work enough and that needs to change. And that made me think: shouldn’t we do something for them? Maybe a portable work- shed with some shade where they could be sheltered from the sun, work platforms that are cooled and protected from the heat? In a world of technology and ideas and solutions for every problem possible, something so simple shouldn’t be so difficult to implement, right? When we pay attention to the world around us, we are able to see the individuals that take on this work and it really makes us think about how giving them the right environment and proper encouragement can work wonders and make them feel valued as we move onwards to a future thriving on innovation.
| | | | | | Crossword Activity - Madiha Javed | | | | | | Decoding Activity & Word Maze - Nuha Danish | | | | | | | | | | | | Can you answer these SDG related questions? - By Sophie Claire Dias | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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