Ahead of International Day of Hope on Sunday, a recent survey suggests young people are not just optimistic about the world, but full of ideas for making it kinder, fairer and greener
Ahead of the International Day of Hope on Sunday 12 July, hundreds of young readers from The Week Junior magazine were asked what hope means to them, what would make the world better and what they would do if they were prime minister. Their answers were so joyous that it will be sure to give adults some hope for the younger generation.
Asked what one thing would improve the world, some readers gave the kind of answers adults might expect: “More kindness,” “Undoing climate change,” and, with a simplicity that is hard to argue with, “More dogs.” Others went further, calling for an end to homelessness, more equal societies, cleaner oceans, safer communities, better education and wider access to mental health support.
The findings, published in The Week Junior’s Hope issue, suggest that the children growing up amid climate anxiety, war, economic pressure and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence are not disengaged or defeated. According to the survey, 97% of respondents said they felt they could make a positive difference in the world, while 63% said they felt hopeful about the future. Younger readers were more likely to feel hopeful.
“When we put together this survey we had no idea what answers we would get,” said Vanessa Harriss, editor of The Week Junior. “What we found is that our readers take to heart the aims of the International Day of Hope: they recognise hope as a powerful force for transforming lives, communities and the world. They want to translate hope into action to build a brighter future – and they have clear ideas about how to do it.”
Those ideas include plenty that would not look out of place in a party manifesto. If they were prime minister, readers said they would “Give people better chances to help the world by education”, “Make sure people in my country feel safe”, “Plant trees, flowers, herbs, vegetables and bushes” and provide “Free therapy to everyone”.
The environment came through strongly. In the survey, 40% of readers said helping the climate and nature should be a priority, with children suggesting tree planting, reversing global warming, protecting wildlife habitats, cleaning up oceans and reducing plastic pollution. One reader said: “I’d get everyone to do one little thing each day to help the environment.”
97% of respondents said they felt they could make a positive difference in the world
Kindness and fairness were close behind. Some 31% talked about treating people equally, listening to one another and building a fairer society. One reader said the world would be better “If everyone chose to live their lives for other people and not for themselves.” Another argued that wealth should be spread more evenly, adding that “the ridiculously rich must give a portion to others struggling”.
The survey also found that 59% of readers are already part of a group that helps their community, including Scouts, Guides, Beavers, faith groups, school clubs, sports groups and volunteering projects. Of those who were not, 58% said they would like to join one.
Readers described planting flowers and seeds at school, joining gardening clubs, litter picking, volunteering at Parkrun, helping with a junior band, coaching cricket for five-year-olds and singing in a sign language choir at an anti-bullying event.
Many children are already part of a group that helps out in their community. Image: Tatevosian Yana
Some participants such as Vidhi, aged nine, raised more than £6,000 for Spread a Smile, a charity supporting children in hospital, by doing 500 skips, baking and selling cupcakes and macaroons and securing donations from companies. Martha and Nellie collected more than 19 bags of litter from their local park in Bristol. JC, eight, organised a raffle after hearing younger pupils say they wished they had a better climbing frame, helping to fund a new one at Our Lady and St John’s Primary School in Brentford.
“It was so uplifting to see how positive our readers feel about the future, and the part they can play in building a kinder world,” said Harriss. “They feel empowered to make the world a better place – and many of them are already doing it.”
Children were also aware of the world’s problems, particularly war, poverty and technology. Some 28% said stopping wars and finding peaceful solutions should be a priority. Artificial intelligence produced more anxiety than excitement, with 51% saying they were worried about AI, 29% feeling positive and 20% unsure. One reader captured the ambivalence well: “I have used it and it is really helpful but I also think it is a bit creepy. It knows everything!”
Still, their definitions of hope were strikingly active. Hope meant “a bright safe future for all”, “feeling like you are accepted and can make a difference”, “doing the right thing and seeing it start to make a positive difference”, and “believing in yourself, even on days when it’s hardest to do so”.
For Harriss, one result stood out for the media as much as for politicians, schools or parents: 14% of readers said they would help others feel more hopeful by making sure more positive stories were shared, and that there were more hopeful books to read.
“As editor of The Week Junior, I was interested to see that many readers want to see more positive stories shared in the media,” she said. “At the magazine that’s the approach we take and I wish more people did too.”
Main image: Fares Hamouche
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