The competition celebrates the winners of the writing competition

“Voices of Future Generations” sends inspiring messages from Dubai

• Hessa bint Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum honored the winners of the first places in the competition.

  From the source

• Stories address one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals.

  Photography: Patrick Castillo

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The Voices of Future Generations Middle East competition revealed the winners of the third edition of the International Inspirational Writing Competition for Children, during a special ceremony held at Zabeel Ladies Club in Dubai, yesterday.

After showing an explanatory film on the objectives of the competition, the winners of the first three places in the Arabic language category were announced, as Noura Ahmed Youssef Al-Mashtal Al-Naqbi (Al-Maarifa School 1 in Khorfakkan) won the first place for her story “Magic in the Deep”, while the second place was won by Rodaina Ahmed Atef Tawfiq Badr. (The National Charity School in Ajman), for its story “The Labyrinth of Happiness”, and the third place went to Abdul Karim Ismat Ghazal (Al Shula Private School in Sharjah) for his story “Look Inside”.

While in the English language category, Enaya Fatima Faez (GEMS Indian United School, Abu Dhabi) won first place for her story “A Prescription for a Decaying Future,” while Enaya Danish Zaidi (The Winchester School Dubai) took second place for her story “A Fighter for the World.” The third place was won by Muhammad Hamza Seddiqi (Cambridge International School, Dubai) for his story “War Candy”.

The ceremony was attended by Sheikha Hessa bint Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the initiative's goodwill ambassador in the Middle East, parents and families of the children who qualified for the final stage, and a group of teachers and artists who participated in the drawings of the winning stories published in two story groups, full of solutions and inspirational messages in a creative way.

The award ceremony was presented by Saud Ahmed Al Kaabi and Saira Thomas, winners of the first round of the 2020 competition, in addition to Muzna Najib and Abrar Ahmed Sirohi, winners of the second round.

While the audience watched live, the inspiring messages that the United Nations Ambassador for the Sustainable Development Goals in the United Kingdom sent to the children of the world, Nico Roman.

raising awareness

Sheikha Hessa bint Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum stressed the role of the annual competition in raising awareness of the sustainable development goals, adding: “There are many problems in the world, but the children we celebrate here today have proven that they are part of the solution, through creative writing. Children discussed the most important issues of our time, and imagine how we can solve them.. These children have it all: creativity, storytelling, passion and vision.”

On the importance of the competition and its developmental role, Jennifer Malton, Director of Sustainability Affairs and the “Voices of Future Generations” initiative at the Emirates Literature Foundation, said: “We need stories to enrich our imaginations and help us determine the course of the future we aspire to see, as children become more aware of the pressures and the increasing harms that they face. shaped by the climate change crisis on our planet,” stressing that “there is nothing more inspiring than reading touching stories that revolve around these issues, and show heroes who overcome these problems on their way to success, in addition to their creativity in storytelling.

These kids are adept at using their knowledge and passion for sustainability to motivate us all.”

futuristic solutions

And about her winning first place in the competition, Emirati student Noura Ahmed Al-Moghtil expressed her happiness and pride in this long-awaited coronation, and made a great effort to achieve it, as it was the third time she entered the competition.

She told "Emirates Today": "I was not lucky in the previous two times, but I did not give up, and I did not give up my goals for success, which were achieved today with the support of my father, and with the help of my teachers and supervisors in the school."

She explained that her story "Magic in the Depths" sends an inspiring message to people around the world about the need to preserve the marine environment from pollution due to waste residues, and its devastating impact on nature and the organisms that live in the depths of the oceans, and the need to save what can be saved today thanks to simple, conscious daily behaviors and practices available to everyone. She hopes that her successful step in obtaining the first place will be an inspiring and encouraging role model for the people of her country, the UAE.

For her part, the Egyptian student Rodaina Ahmed Badr, who won second place in the story “The Labyrinth of Happiness” and the “Providing the Most Creative Solutions” award, said about the same story: “In my story, I tried to promote interest in sustainable development through the experience of a child named Rashid, who lives within a life ( Virtual), which is the maze of electronic games that he was addicted to, and therefore deprived of, to then decide to take practical steps to invest technology in solving some hunger issues by inventing an application called (your surplus food) to help the poor and disadvantaged around the world, and then confirm the ability of children to serve the goals of sustainability. around the world, even at a young age, to make it a better place to live.”

Hessa bint Hamdan:

• “Children discussed important issues and imagined how we could solve them.. They have creativity, storytelling ability, emotion and vision.”

Arabic and English

The Voices of Future Generations competition receives the participation of children between the ages of eight and 12 years, and the number of entries is required to range between 600 and 1500 words, and that the stories address one or more of the sustainable development goals, and present the writer’s hopes, dreams and aspirations for a sustainable future, with the aim of encouraging children On writing adventure stories about characters who have overcome challenges and been able to shape a more tolerant and sustainable world, where the best entries are published in a book, in both Arabic and English, and distributed worldwide.

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