In these times it is normal to feel you are no longer in control of your future and to be uncertain about your next steps in life. Unicef invites you to reimagine and draw the world you want to live in after COVID-19 as part of our World Children’s Day #voicesofyouth challenge.

Pick a cause that matters to you, create an original illustration that shows the world you want to build… and post it on your own Instagram account or submit it through Voices of Youth! In the caption, explain what inspired you to create this drawing, why this issue matters to you or how you want to contribute to build a better world for children.  

Reimagining the world is our new challenge and we want to invite you to be a part of it! 

For example, you can:  

· Reimagine a greener and more sustainable world  

· Reimagine the future of wellbeing and mental health 

· Reimagine the future of education and work  

· Reimagine a future without discrimination  

· Other children’s rights or development issues that are important to you 

Unicef will highlight some illustrations in our Instagram account and other UNICEF channels to commemorate World Children’s Day on November 20th!  

HOW TO JOIN

As World Children’s Day approaches, Unicef invites you to draw your interpretation of the world you want to build after COVID-19 and submit your drawings through our Voices of Youth website, following these steps. Unicef will share some of the illustrations here and in  @voicesofyouth account.

You can also post it on your Instagram or Twitter account with the hashtag #voicesofyouth. Remember we can only see the illustration if your account is public, but make sure you understand the pros and cons of having your social media account public and check our guide on online safety. Due to recent changes in the way Instagram shows hashtag-related content, it may take us longer to see and review your illustrations on this app.

How to submit content on Voices of Youth

Do you want to change the world? ✔️

Are you between 13 and 24? ✔️

Do you believe young people ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE, each and every day? ✅✅✅

Then Join Voices of Youth, UNICEF’s community FOR YOUTH, BY YOUTH! ✊

You can submit original blogs (like interviews, poems, personal stories, illustrations or photo essays…) and sparks (tiny flashes of positivity).

You will need to create an account on Voices of Youth first. Having an account not only allows you to submit your own content, but also to follow the issues you care about and other young authors that inspire you! You can create your account here.

Voices of Youth is also available in Spanish, Arabic and French!

Now that you have an account and you’re ready to submit your content, we have a few tips for you:

1. Make sure you read our Quality & Engagement Guidelines carefully before you start. This way you’ll know exactly what kind of content we’re looking for.

2. When you’re working on your draft we highly recommend doing that in a Word document or somewhere else that doesn’t rely on an internet connection. And don’t forget to save as soon as you start! ✍️

3. There are many types of blogs that you can submit to Voices of Youth: personal stories, fiction, interviews, poems or write-ups on topics that you’ve researched. You can use photos, graphics, gifs and videos to make them more interesting and exciting for your readers. 

4. For those of you used to the old Voices of Youth platform, the new one may take a little getting used to. Although the submission form is different, it also allows you to do so much more!

5. When you’re happy with your text and you want to submit it, make sure you have all your images, links, captions, etc. ready too (Read more about sourcing images here).

6. Once you’ve submitted your blog, it will be reviewed by a Voices of Youth Community Manager before it is published. In case it needs a bit more work you’ll receive feedback and recommendations on how to improve it.

7. If you need some more guidance, check out the Blogging 101 and Blogging 201.

8. Once it’s published, remember to use the hashtag #voicesofyouth and tag us on your social media accounts to share your content, so more people can find it.

9. If you are an illustrator or designer and prefer to share your art through Instagram, you can tag our account @voicesofyouth and use our hashtag. We will review the submissions and share a selection in our account. Remember to follow the same engagement rules. We want to keep VoY a safe and positive platform for all!