Across the Middle East and North Africa, children are drawing on one of the region’s powerful traditions: storytelling. They are using it to reimagine the world and raise their voices for a safer future.
As part of the Civic Horizons project, Human Security Collective led a regional initiative in Tunisia, Lebanon, Iraq, and Libya. The project was designed to empower children, encourage their creative and solution-oriented thinking, and deliver meaningful messages through art and storytelling.
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Guided by local storytellers, the children explored environmental challenges in their communities and transformed what they learned into creative stories rooted in their cultures and lived experiences.
Each story is accompanied by a handbook and facilitation guide, created to support youth groups, climate organizations, and educators. These resources help facilitate deeper exploration of the stories and related climate issues, and offer guidance on adapting the methodology to work with children in other communities and classrooms.
What follows is a glimpse into the stories they created:
Whispers of the Emerald Woods - Lebanon
In the towns of Fakeha and Ain, a group of children imagined a magical forest under threat and a brave princess ready to protect it. Whispers of the Emerald Woods follows Princess Yamama and her friends as they embark on a courageous journey to save their beloved woods from destruction. Guided by friendship, love for nature, and determination, the story highlights the importance of protecting the environment.
Read the story in English Read the story in Arabic
Elaf: The Guardian of Sabkha - Tunisia
Created by children from Saida Manoubia and Hay Hlel, this story follows Elaf, a curious young girl who dives into the secrets of Sabkhat Sejoumi. Transformed into a mermaid, she discovers a hidden kingdom affected by pollution. Her courage earns her the title of guardian, and she returns to rally her community to protect the wetland.
Read the story in English Read the story in Arabic
Heroes of Mosul’s Forests - Iraq
Children from Mosul’s schools embark on a field trip to explore their local forest’s beauty and biodiversity. When a fire breaks out, Sami, Miral, and Laila lead their classmates in rescuing animals and helping extinguish the flames. Later, they organize a cleanup campaign to tackle pollution harming the forest. Joined by friendly animals, their efforts restore the forest’s charm and inspire a community-wide commitment to protect nature.
Read the story in English Read the story in Arabic
Medallion of Nature's Guardian - Libya
This is the journey of a young boy named Khaled who experiences the devastating impact of flooding on his family’s farm. Through a conversation with his mother and a magical dream with the spirit of the forest, he learns about climate change, its causes, and how small actions—like planting trees and reducing pollution—can make a big difference.
