Visions of a brighter future
This World Children's Day, explore the future envisioned by children from Europe and Central Asia brought to life through AI-generated illustrations
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- русский
Looking toward the future, children from across Europe and Central Asia share their dreams for the world they want in 2050. Through their eyes, we see visions of hope, innovation, collaboration, and bright futures.
These aspirations are intrinsically tied to the rights guaranteed by the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), signed 35 years ago. As children envision the futures of their dreams, their rights play a fundamental role in shaping these possibilities.
The following exhibition features imaginative illustrations that transcend reality. Created with artificial intelligence tools, these images are based on in-depth interviews with children from Europe and Central Asia. They invite reflection on children's perspectives for the future and highlight how the worlds they envision should influence decisions made today.
Albania | Armenia | Azerbaijan | Belarus | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Bulgaria | Croatia | Georgia | Greece | Italy | Kazakhstan | Kosovo* | Kyrgyzstan | Moldova | Montenegro | North Macedonia | Romania | Serbia | Slovakia | Tajikistan | Türkiye | Turkmenistan | Ukraine | Uzbekistan
“The voices of young people like me would be actively heard. Personally, I hope girls like me will be taken seriously by their friends, classmates, and parents. Now, I feel that when a girl talks publicly in school, other people talk over them, but when a boy speaks, there is more respect. I hope girls will be given the same acknowledgement as boys at school and hopefully in their future jobs.”
Vivian, 17
Samos Island, Greece
“I dream of a happy world where all kids can go to good schools, and nobody fights. I want to see children from everywhere playing together and being friends. I wish everyone could be nice to each other and smile more so every kid can laugh and have fun together.”
Allan, 8
Ashkhabad, Turkmenistan
“The first thing that springs to mind is a child-friendly city of the future. Expanded pedestrian areas where children can run and play without fear of traffic offer safety on a street where cars no longer dominate the streetscape. All children will have the right to participate actively in the life of their communities.”
Ana, 16
Bucharest, Romania
“A world where all children have equal rights to education, safety, and development. I envision a future with many clean rivers, ponds, and parks, where the environment is valued and protected by everyone. Children play in parks, while technology seamlessly integrates into urban life, where their rights to education, safety, and leisure are always protected.”
Yehor, 15
Rivne, Ukraine
“The skies are clear, the streets are quiet with electric vehicles, and children can safely play and learn in open, colorful spaces. I would show children’s rights through schools that focus on creativity and emotional well-being and spaces where kids of all backgrounds can connect freely.”
Farida, 17
Baku, Azerbaijan
“I dream of a world where everyone is free to be themselves. I’d love more time for imagination and art! I’d also want people not to be bullied or judged for pursuing a creative job, but rather encouraged.”
Rea, 12
Shkodra, Albania
“In 2050, I dream of a world where every child can help others and do good deeds. Children they work together, planting trees, restoring nature and participating in environmental initiatives.”
Аlima, 17
Almaty, Kazakhstan
“In 2050, I want to live in a world where people are connected to each other and nature. The colors of the future would be bright, lots of greenery, blue skies, clean waters and colorful cities.”
Ajna, 17
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
“I would like to live in a world where someone cares about the education of the younger generation. I see children from different cultures study together in educational centres where technology and nature are harmoniously combined”.
Bogdan, 17
From Ukraine now living in Bratislava, Slovakia
“Children all around the world can run around and play all day. All the children have the right to access clean water and fresh air, and all the children will have a safe, cozy and comfortable home. It will rain more cause rain is good for the plants, trees and flowers.”
Aksel, 8
Ankara, Türkiye
"I wish I could live in a world where every child has the opportunity to enjoy their basic rights, where they can live in peace, surrounded by family and friends who love them. Children would have the opportunity to eat healthier, as fresh ingredients would be accessible to everyone, preventing diet-related health problems."
Ema, 14
Zagreb, Croatia
“In 2050, I would like to live in a world that understands the importance of the balance between nature and technology. I imagine a world where towns and villages are enveloped by green belts, urban gardens and parks. We live in homes that use renewable energy from the sun and wind. I hope the world will be a place where every child has the opportunity to be joyful and develop their curiosity and dreams without limits. ”
Iva, 17
Kichevo, North Macedonia
“I envision a future with fewer cities. People are evenly distributed across the Earth's surface because they have learned to live in harmony with nature—not to dominate it, but to negotiate with it. There are no borders between countries; cultural and geographical differences do not lead to conflicts. People have finally learned to listen to one another, rather than just expressing their opinions.”
Damir, 19
Polotsk, Belarus
“As a child, I wish the best for every child, that we can do what we like to do, that our hobbies and activities are not divided by gender and that boys and girls can do what they want to do. I want every child to become what he or she wants to be, and I want every child to be supported by his or her parents and society.”
Suman, 16
Dushanbe, Tajikistan
“By 2050, I want every child to have a safe home, a good education, and the ability to dream as big as they want without limits. I hope that by then, we can create an environment they feel happy to explore and learn with no fear.”
Klea, 17
Pristina, Kosovo
“I would like to live in a world where everything is prosperous so that children do what they want to do. It smells like flowers. The future is like the present, and I also imagine more of the natural world. Children in the world of the future play with each other the same way.”
Sofia, 10
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
“The future world in 2050 is a beautiful blend of both nature and technology. Everywhere you look, you see green spaces—parks filled with trees, flowers, and community gardens—alongside smart technology that makes life easier and more efficient.”
Ninia, 14
Tbilisi, Georgia
“I imagine a beautiful future where every child has equal access to opportunities and can pursue their passions without obstacles. I want to see a world where everyone benefits from quality education, safety and a pleasant environment.”
Nicoli, 17
Chisinau, Moldova
“I would like everyone’s voice, and even children’s, to be equally heard. I see a lot of new buildings, looking completely different than current ones using some new materials and shapes like triangular and hexagonal skyscrapers. Fashion will change, and people will start wearing silly clothes we can’t even imagine now.”
Petar, 8
Belgrade, Serbia
“Just imagine a world where children with disabilities will not be treated any differently and would have an opportunity to enjoy all the colors of rights they own. I hope I’ll also have my role in the protection of these rights, as the children of 2050 might also be my own children.”
Mariam, 17
Yeghvard, Armenia
“I would like to live in a world with a lot of greenery. I don’t think children need radical new inventions or technologies to help them grow. Children need to learn, and they also need to read a lot.”
Lazar, 15
Podgorica, Montenegro
"My future is bright and full of opportunities. I want the world to become barrier-free for people with hearing disabilities so that we can speak freely, express our ideas, and succeed. That's how I see my future: Companies should create workplaces that are adapted to the needs of people with hearing disabilities.”
Sevinch, 18
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
“In my dream future, the kids will have cleaner air, and they won’t be spending so much time on their phones. They will spend more time outside, and there will be more playgrounds where they can spend time with their friends. People and kids are happier in the future because they have a cleaner planet and they are spending more time together.”
Kaloyan, 10
Pleven, Bulgaria
"I wish everyone had the right to education and to all those things that should be recognized as basic rights for everyone. I would also like there to be no violence or forms of discrimination. I wish the world were more peaceful than it is now."
Zeyad, 18
From Egypt, now living in Milan, Italy
*All references to Kosovo should be understood to be in the context of United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 (1999).