Voices of Future Generations Celebrates Five Years of Empowering Young Writers in the Middle East

Milestone marks a phenomenal journey of success for student writers, their dedicated teachers, and the programme itself

Voices of Future Generations for the Middle East hosted a vibrant award ceremony for the winners of the fifth round of the competition. The event which was held at the Mohammed Bin Rashid University saw students whose stories captured the hearts of the judges, joined by their teachers, their families and the illustrators who brought their stories to life.

The event was presided by HH Sheikha Hissa bint Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Goodwill Ambassador for the initiative for the region and graced by other dignitaries including HE Robert Raines, Consul General, US Consulate; HE Alison Hall, Deputy Consul General, British Embassy; HE Aisha Miran, Director General KHDA; Dr Rafia Ghubash, Founder of the Women’s Museum, Dr Saeed Kharbash, CEO of the Arts and Literature Sector at Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, Dr. Amel Al-Qahtani, Domain Director at the Ministry of Education in the United Arab Emirates, Isobel Abulhoul OBE, Founder, Advisor and Trustee of Emirates Literature Foundation and others.

The event was hosted by the charismatic Khouloud Marwan Saleh and Mir Faraz, first place winners of round four of the competition. Award presentations for the twelve different categories were interspersed with a moving poetry reading by Abdulkareem Ghazal and a mesmerizing performance by the Pristine Private School choir.

HH Sheikha Hissa bint Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum expressed her immense pride in the programme’s growth: “Since its introduction in the region, it has been truly rewarding to witness the Voices of Future Generations competition go from strength to strength. The surge in participation, the exceptional quality of the stories, and the unwavering enthusiasm of the students I meet reaffirm the crucial role initiatives like this play in empowering the future leaders of tomorrow. My congratulations to our authors and to their parents and teachers for their achievements.”

The Winners

Winners in the English category:

The Blue Pearl Awakening by Mohammed Hamdan Siddiqui from Gems Founders School
My Dreams Are Drawn on Paper by Jenine El Azzami from Raha International School
The Radicle Revolution by Rayshal Tharun Harshal from Delhi Private School

Winner in the Arabic category:

Labiba and the Magic Colours by Lujain Wissam Al Halabi from Al Mawakeb Al Garhoud
A True Eye by Assil Hassan Abdelnabi Ibrahim Mohamed from Al Zallaqa School
In the Arms of a Cloud by Aisha Humaid Obaid Al Khayyal from Al Manar Model Girls School

Jennifer Malton, Director of Voices of Future Generations in the Middle East, emphasized the significance of this milestone: “Celebrating five years of VoFG is a pivotal moment for us. We are determined to build upon the success of this initiative which has empowered our students to create compelling narratives to address global challenges with unparalleled creativity and passion. At the same time, we want to embrace innovation and create fresh opportunities for stakeholders, like our dedicated teachers.”

The Competition

Over the competition lifetime, Voices of Future Generations for the Middle East region has published a 100 student authors. They have received submissions from 4,309 students from 923 schools and have representation from each of the seven emirates.

The success of the initiative is not unnoticed externally, Voices of Future Generations received the top award for Best CSR Programme for Education in the GESS Education Awards 2023 and is shortlisted again in the 2024 awards.

Voices of Future Generations was launched in Canada under the patronage of UNESCO in 2014 and brought to the Middle East in 2019. The objective of the competition is to promote awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals. In the region, the competition is organised by the Emirates Literature Foundation thanks to the patronage of HH Sheikha Hissa bint Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Goodwill Ambassador for the initiative for the Middle East.

The writing competition encourages children aged 8-12 years old to write adventure stories about characters overcoming challenges and creating a more tolerant, sustainable world. The shortlisted entries are published in an anthology in Arabic and English. The best entries are published individually and available for purchase internationally.

Stories must be between 600-1,500 words long and should feature one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals, and the writer’s hopes, dreams or aspirations for a sustainable future. Entries are open to all children resident in the Gulf region and in full-time education, including those in home schooling. Registrations for round 6 are now open on the competition website https://vofg.vofgarabia.org/ submissions for stories will open on 1 December 2024 and deadline to submit is 31 May 2025.

In an exciting development for the programme’s sixth edition, the Teacher Champion Awards has been introduced to acknowledge educators who champion writing initiatives in their schools. The teachers will receive access to resources and toolkits to support their professional development and will be recognised at the first Voices of Future Generations Teacher Champion Awards to be held in 2025.

For more details see https://vofg.vofgarabia.org/ More information about the Emirates Literature Foundation can be found online and LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.