Projects

We are in the process of updating this page to feature pioneering initiatives, insightful voices and ideas.

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Future Rights builds on key pillars designed to transform the cultural narrative and systemic approaches to the rights and protection of children and youth, particularly those who are most marginalised and at risk. These pillars along the ELEVATE path provide clear guidance for projects that align with the mission and vision of Future Rights, ensuring a focused and impactful approach to driving meaningful change.

Voices that Rise: We elevate the voices of youth, children, and advocates who stand up for human rights, child protection, and social justice in often overlooked communities

Insight Lab: We discuss and exchange knowledge and research to drive solutions in human rights, social justice, and child protection, placing youth-led initiatives at the forefront and promoting evidence-based practices to cultivate a new culture of children's rights.

U-Change (Unlocking Potential for Change): We empower marginalised and at-risk children and youth to recognise and unlock their potential as changemakers by providing genuine opportunities, tailored guidance, and collaborative skill-sharing

Voices That Rise

We elevate the voices of youth, children, and advocates who stand up for human rights, child protection, and social justice in often overlooked communities. By providing platforms for ideas, projects, and stories to resonate and inspire change, we bring their efforts to the forefront.

Through storytelling and visual media—such as participatory photography and other creative forms—we help these voices rise higher. We create a space for these powerful efforts, empowering young people and individuals to take ownership of their narratives and share their direct experiences with rights violations and protection concerns. This approach moves these issues out of the conceptual realm where decision-makers often become entangled, leading the way toward a collective vision of a just and sustainable future.

Storytelling for Memory and Justice

For those who haven’t experienced war firsthand, there is no personal memory to share, but there is much to learn from those who have. Our initial encounters with war often come through history books, while the media offers glimpses into ongoing conflicts. In this context, firsthand experiences of war are rarely something we can or even wish to share. Yet, journals and diaries—both past and present—offer intimate insights into the lives of those enduring daily conflict, capturing voices and emotions that history alone cannot convey.

Storytelling and memory have always been closely linked, particularly in advocacy. Narratives resonate with us because our minds are naturally attuned to remember stories and to experience them as though we are part of them. This age-old and powerful tool has the capacity to effect change in society, as personal accounts of adversity are more relatable and elicit our empathy. Through this connection, stories can shape opinions and drive meaningful change.

The aim of the blog “It's Ruba from Gaza,” written after 7th October, chronicling the life of Ruba Akkila and her family. Ruba’s purpose in writing is twofold: to keep memory alive so that the horrors of war are never repeated, and to humanise and give voice to the countless Palestinians whose lives, dignity, and culture are at risk.

She strives to move beyond the statistics that numb us, awakening empathy and consciousness, and reminding us that civilians are far more than mere numbers.

𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 interviewed a Palestinian humanitarian and blogger, along with young writers from 𝗪𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗡𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀, to explore why sharing personal stories is not just a choice, but a moral imperative. These young writers are at the forefront of reshaping the narrative about youth, conflict and Palestinian culture by simply revealing the humanity obscured by headlines and limited coverage, challenging the stance of humanitarian actors, the international community, and donors.

"𝐼𝑛 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑒, 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑚𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑛 𝑓𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑙 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠, 𝑤𝑒 𝑎𝑠 𝑐𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑠 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑑𝑜𝑐𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑡ℎ𝑠, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒'𝑠 𝑎 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑓𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑤𝑖𝑡𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠, 𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑒𝑥𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑤𝑖𝑡𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑏𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡."

Introduction

Question 1: Why is it urgent to share Palestinian voices and narratives through storytelling, articles, and personal writing? ( starts at 4:26min)

Question 2: What is the deeper purpose behind sharing diverse narratives, especially regarding human rights and the experiences of Palestinians in Gaza or Palestine? (starts at 15:40mins)

Question 3. How does writing serve as a form of healing, and why is preserving memory essential in Palestinian narratives? (starts at 43:18 mins)

Questions 4. Why is crucial to amplify the voices of young palestinians, what should the international community do differently? (starts at 52:52 mins)

Endnotes and links to stories and writers (starts at 1h:30 mins)

Readings

Extracts from “A clothesline, an old letter, a smashed finger”, Reem Sleem (Palestinian Student, Writer) (starts at 31:00mins)
CRYING , Extracts from the Blog: “It’s Ruba from Gaza”, Ruba Akkila (Palestinian Humanitarian, Advocate, Writer) (starts at 1h:06mins)

Youth Participation in Environmental Justice

Since 2008, human rights and environmental organisations and activists have conducted extensive research to uncover the damage inflicted by the extractive industry in Perù*, such as in the community and environment of Cerro de Pasco. The findings revealed a significant issue of heavy metal poisoning, known for their neurotoxic, carcinogenic, teratogenic, and overall toxic properties. Children aged 5 to 14, the most vulnerable age for such exposure, have been affected with cognitive and physical impairments and mental disorders, while adults, parents due to the high level of heavy metals, displayed violent behaviours within the household, particularly towards their children.

Future Rights believes in youth participation in environmental justice and accountability, especially in regard to those who are marginalised and most affected. The U.N. Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights provide a framework for ethical business practices, aiming to prevent human rights abuses and offer remedies. However, the role of youth, particularly from marginalised communities, in shaping this agenda remains a pressing issue.

• Are their voices adequately represented in policy and decision-making?
• Are youth and adolescents from other countries aware of human rights violations that their peers are undergoing in other parts of the world?
• If so, how adolescents and youth take leadership, in advocating and in providing mutual support in raising the voices of the most vulnerable?
• In the case of Cerro the Pasco, what does it mean to grow living near open-pit mines, and how institutions and the global community can address issues and ensure the rights and well-being of all children and youth are protected?

Learn more about their stories and the vital role youth play in connecting and together driving change for present and future generations and in the field of environmental justice! Listen to the below interview with students of Operation Daywork

*See the work EarthRights International and Source International have been carrying out and stay tuned on Operation Day Work inspiring Human Rights Award

The Insight Hub

A hub for discussion, knowledge exchange, and research on human rights, social justice, children’s rights, and child protection, utilising innovative and participatory methods. We place youth and child-led initiatives, experiences, and perspectives at the center, fostering synergies to find solutions. By disseminating research, we aim to inform evidence-based practices in children’s rights and protection within contemporary contexts, cultivating a new culture around these critical issues.

Natural Building, Global Bridging

Imagine a world where university engineering students channel their skills to push the boundaries of traditional construction and bring groundbreaking, sustainable building solutions to communities across the globe.

Now, envision them meeting a civil engineer who after years spent building Olympic swimming pools and constructing shelters in the most remote, crisis-stricken regions as part of humanitarian missions, introduced eye-opening, natural building approach in Lebanon ?

Think further. What if this knowledge exchange extended beyond university walls and experts, reached high school students in Italy?

Adolescents who are exploring vocational paths could gain insights directly from university mentors—insights that reveal how engineering principles are applied in some of the world’s most vulnerable places. Picture them learning not only about architecture and engineering but about how to reshape conventional learning and their understanding of what’s possible and most importantly learning the essence of community, solidarity, and resilience.

What could happen if these young minds, inspired by innovative eco sustainable techniques and a global perspective, joined forces with peers in Lebanon and beyond?

The future might see youth from different corners of the world learning to build sustainably, fostering intercultural understanding, and using their talents to make a real impact. This is more than construction; it's cultivating solutions that echo with purpose and possibility.

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Building Baladi aims to bring Natural Building back into the mainstream in Lebanon through Education, Design & Building.

The term Baladi, meaning from the area or country, is usually used in Lebanon for food that is Local or home-made, Healthy, Traditional & Natural.

Building Baladi was started in 2019 by Robert Malies, originally from the UK, with a background in civil engineering, humanitarian work and public health.

Future Rights and Ground-UP Collaboration

Future Rights proudly collaborates with Ground-UP, an organization committed to creating innovative and sustainable solutions for child rights and protection, prioritizing grassroots efforts from local to global scales. We enhance the child and youth participation component throughout several projects and support within their Child Lab

Discover more on the following landing page!