After the completion of the UN CC:Learn course “Children and Climate Change”, being enlightened by the knowledge we acquired, we were inspired to organise an educational programme for children and youth on an international level, focusing on empowering children as actors of change through art. The CHILDREN'S ART GALLERY OF GREECE conducted an international painting competition with the central theme: “Empowering Children to Act on Climate Change through Art”.

The competition was supported by seminars informing children about climate change, so that we could make the step from learning to acting. The children understood what the problem means to them and what key actions they can take to mitigate it, from adaptation and low carbon development to climate finance and climate negotiations. The response was immense and culminated in the creation of a digital platform featuring the distinguished artworks from around the world. This collection also entitled: “Empowering Children to Act on Climate Change through Art” is a great example of the resilience of children and their strong will to change our world for the better. Children and teenagers from 30 countries answered our call to create artworks sending a global message of protecting our planet with respect for the future generations.

A whole new world opened before our eyes as we saw the determination of children to be the architects of a better future, by restraining the global crisis of climate change. Through their artworks, the young artists portrayed the urgent need to embrace our planet, by protecting the oceans, by stopping air pollution, by recycling, by protecting the forests. The message is loud and clear: the time is now to act so that we can benefit from climate change mitigation. The example set by the young artists is illustrated in their creations and forms a life lesson for all of us. To empower children as actors of change and to give a voice to them to teach and guide the world on how to strengthen their resilience to climate change was a miraculous experience to all of us working at The CHILDREN'S ART GALLERY OF GREECE. The study of the UN CC:Learn course offered us the seeds of change, which we planted in our children’s conscience, so that a new future will flourish on a healthier planet for all its inhabitants.