We asked about the hopes and fears of children and young people for the next ten years. Here are the replies sent in by Theodora Michel, a teacher in Bucharest, Romania, from two groups of students – one aged 7 to 8 years and one aged 13 to 14.
They show a lot of concern for the environment – for animals, for trees, for cleaner cities. There is fear of earthquakes, of loss of the ozone layer, and of a return to the age of the dinosaurs. Our vote goes to the final contributor; that young person has a set of policies fit to make them the Prime Minister.
What do you hope the world will be like in ten years’ time?
Cum sperati ca va arata lumea peste 10 ani?
Elevi de 7-8 ani: students 7-8 years
va arata curata si uimitoare, mai mult decat in copilaria parintilor mei.
It will be clean and amazing, even more than it was when my parents were children.
sper sa fie palpitanta.
I hope it will be exciting.
va arata mai bine.
It will look better.
foarte frumoasa.
Very beautiful.
cred ca vor exista foarte putini copaci.
I think there will be very few trees.
eu stiu sa conduc bine.
I am a good leader.
Elevi de 13-14 ani: students 13-14 years
voi termina facultatea si ma voi casatori.
I will finish my college studies and I will get married.
va fi frumoasa si inteligenta cand eu voi avea 24 ani.
It will be beautiful and intelligent when I will be 24 years old.
va arata cu o generatie mai mare, cu foarte multe schimbari.
It will be a generation older, with many changes.
nu va mai exista lumea peste 10 ani pentru ca stratul de ozon se va subtia pana nu va mai exista nici el.
There will be no world in 10 years because the ozone layer will get thinner until it will no longer exist.
lumea va arata altfel, schimbata, cu alte legi, cu alt presedinte.
The world will look different, changed, other laws, with another president.
How do you think it’s going to change?
In ce fel credeti ca se va schimba?
Elevi de 7-8 ani: students 7-8 years
va fi multa natura.
There will be nature all around.
va fi frumoasa.
It will be beautiful.
lumea mea se va schimba foarte bine.
My world will change very well.
lumea se va schimba cand vor veni iarasi dinozaurii peste noi.
The world will change when the dinosaurs come upon us again.
Elevi de 13-14 ani: students 13-14 years
sa am bani sa fac 1, 2 case.
I will have money to build 1, 2 houses for myself.
lumea va arata intr-un fel mai ciudat decat acesta.
The world will look weirder than this one.
vor fi masini zburatoare.
There will be flying cars.
What are you looking forward to?
Ce sperante aveti?
Elevi de 7-8 ani: students 7-8 years
sper sa fie frumos.
I hope it will be beautiful.
sa fiu sanatoasa.
To be healthy.
sa fie mai multe cofetarii.
To be more sweetshops.
vreau sa ma fac militar.
I want to do military service.
vreau sa am un viitor bun.
I want to have a good future.
sa fie foarte frumos si curat.
It will be very nice and clean.
Elevi de 13-14 ani: students 13-14 years
sper sa ajung cel mai mare fotbalist.
Hoping to become the biggest football player.
sper ca lumea sa fie mai buna.
I hope the world will be better.
sa nu mai poluam mediul inconjurator ca sa putem sa mai traim.
I hope we will stop polluting the environment so we can live on.
sper sa nu mai fie crime, furturi, etc.
I hope there will be no more murders, thefts, etc..
What are you afraid may happen during the next ten years?
Ce va temeti ca s-ar putea intampla in urmatorii 10 ani?
Elevi de 7-8 ani: students 7-8 years
sa nu fie prea multe tornade si cutremure.
There will be too many tornados and earthquakes.
o sa am grija de animale.
I will take care of animals.
ma voi teme de apa.
I will be afraid of water.
ma tem de cutremure.
I’m afraid of earthquakes.
ma tem sa nu fiu sanatos.
I’m afraid not to be healthy.
sa nu am o casa.
Not to have a home.
ca vor fi prea putini copaci.
That there will be too few trees.
ca voi muri.
I will die.
Elevi de 13-14 ani: students 13-14 years
ma tem ca nu va mai exista lumea.
I fear there will be no world.
ca va fi sfarsitul lumii.
That there will be the end of the world.
What would you like to say to people in power?
Ce ati vrea sa le spuneti celor de la putere?
Elevi de 7-8 ani: students 7-8 years
le spun sa lase animalele in libertate.
Tell them to free the animals.
sa le dea tuturor cate un animal.
To give everybody an animal.
sa mai ieftineasca preturile.
To reduce costs.
sa aiba grija de tara.
To take care of the country.
sa nu mai taie copacii.
To stop cutting trees.
ca sunt oameni care trec pe rosu.
That there are people who run red lights.
sa tina tara mai curata.
To keep the country cleaner.
sa imblanzeasca animalele salbatice sa fie animale de companie.
To tame wild animals so we can take them as pets.
Elevi de 13-14 ani: students 13-14 years
sa nu mai polueze mediul inconjurator.
To stop polluting the environment.
sa ne scoata din criza mondiala.
Get us out of the world crisis.
sa ajute lumea cu dolari.
To help the world with dollars.
sa fie mai buni si sa construiasca case la saraci.
To be kinder and to build houses for the poor.
What would you do if you were in power yourself?
Ce ati vrea sa faceti daca ati fi la putere?
Elevi de 7-8 ani: students 7-8 years
ma fac o trista.
I will become a sad person.
as face lumea mai curata.
I would make the world cleaner.
as pretui un caine.
I would love a dog.
as mari alocatia si as ieftini produsele pentru scoala.
I would increase the allowance and decrease the prices of products for school.
as interzice taiatul copacilor.
I would prohibit cutting trees.
as da ordine.
I would give orders.
Elevi de 13-14 ani: students 13-14 years
sa-i ajut pe cei saraci, sau au probleme financiare si psihice.
To help the poor, or those with financial and mental problems.
eu as face bani multi si i-as investi in tara mea.
I would make money and I would invest them in my country.
as schimba lumea.
I would change the world.
as inlatura criza, as darama fabricile poluante, as reduce masinile care polueaza, as da de lucru oamenilor care sunt someri si as avea grija de copiii strazii.
I would end the crisis, I would take down polluting factories, I would reduce the number of polluting cars, I would create jobs for unemployed people and I would take care of the homeless children.