What do kids care about these days? The results may surprise you! Canadian school girl, Loizza Aquino, has created an online art project to give kids a voice about the social issues that matter most to them. Here are just a few of the powerful and insightful images that have been contributed so far.
Through #kids4action, children all over the world now have a digital gallery to share and interact around artwork based on stuff they care about. The creations can be on any topic such as bullying, animal cruelty, ecology, or human rights, and in almost any medium. When enough artwork has been collected Loizza, and other young artists, will use it to send a message to leaders and organisations to drive real change.
Loizza said: “I don’t believe it matters whether you are young or old or whether you do something big, or something small, every small action and effort all counts. We all have the power to make a difference if we try. This project is a chance to show everyone what matters most to us. We can use the power of our artwork and to start demanding real change.”
If you want to learn more, or to get involved, or even leave the kids words of encouragement, be sure to check out the website!
More info: kids4action.org
MariaG, 14, wants an end to human trafficking
"I decided to illustrate selling through the girl's dress - by drawing it as a bar code. The girl has a price tag choking her neck, not only to show that she is being sold, but to show that she is being trapped. The colours flowing out of her eyes are the light and happiness within her, which are being drained. She is faceless to show that she has no identity or value - and to show that this could be any girl - anyone taken advantage of."
13-year-old artist DJ2015 wants children to be protected from war.
“I don’t believe that children should have to go to war if they are under 16. I think this is important. Children should not be forced to fight and risk their lives.”
16-year-old IvyL has something to say about Human Rights
"Why is 'the right to be alive' on the list of human rights? Shouldn’t that be obvious? There are many kinds of people in the world who have been killed just for being themselves – for belonging to a different culture, for believing in a different religion, for having a different shade of melanin in their skin. Their lives are snipped short just for being born the way they are. The blossoming, vibrant flowers are a metaphor of the diversity of us human beings. We all deserve to grow out our petals and bloom into our own full potential. We all deserve to be alive. "
AmikaA, 12, believes everyone should be loved for who they are
“My picture shows a group of people together inside a heart. I drew this to represent love and equality between people”
EllaA, 12, wishes people everywhere could be free to worship in their own way
“I believe that you have the right to choose your own religion and beliefs. Who would want to live in a world where you could die if you don’t believe something you don’t know, or think is true? Children face discrimination every day for believing in their own religion.”
Ezra, aged 12, wants an end to slave labour
“In many places around the world children are being forced into bad situations. Some children are treated like slaves to earn money or are used by groups of people to hurt or kill others. This shows a child’s face - happy on one side. The happy side is how I think children should be, having fun, exploring, playing and learning to grow up. The other side I chose to show the face being torn apart - this is because when children are taken away from their families, treated like slaves or exploited. I think it must just tear them apart on the inside - but you cannot see it”
13-year-old JuliaB thinks people everywhere should have access to education
“In some countries children can’t go to school and won’t get the proper education they need. Even some adults have never been to school. This is wrong. Everyone around the world has a right to education.”
SaraG, aged 6, made a creation about her Human Right to be with her parents
"In the picture there's a tree, and a dog, and me and my mom and my dad."
SydneyE, 15, cares strongly about the environment
“I think it’s important that kids get to grow in a healthy environment and have a brighter future”
8 year-old HanaG illustrated the Human Right to an identity
"I made this creation because I wanted to show that I have a right to the identity of Canada and Japan"
Loizza herself, is passionate about mental health care
“Far too many children suffer around the world and have experiences, both emotionally and physically that they do not deserve to feel. Lives can be cut short because of a lack of attention, whether it is mental or physical. It is simply unfair to let our children feel sick and not give them the best resources we have to help them get better. No child should have to go through depression alone and untreated, no child should go through any illness alone and untreated."