There are stories that carry not only words, but also experiences that leave a footprint, remind us, and change the way we see the world. One such story is the one that follows—honest and courageous. It takes us through silences that hurt, through invisible wounds that children often carry alone, but also through the strength that emerges when we choose to speak out. This powerful and sincere work raises an important question—how heavy are the words and actions we make every day for those who experience them? Do we truly think about it? Through a brave and emotional story, Anela reminds us of the consequences of violence, but also of the strength we find when we decide to speak up, to fight, and to choose a fairer and safer world for all children.
Read Anela’s work and allow it to remind you how important empathy, understanding, and courage are in creating a world in which no child grows up in fear, but rather in a sense of acceptance and worth.
„A World Without Borders,” Anela Nebić, age 18
There are wounds that cannot be seen.
They do not bleed, they have no bandage, and no one notices them when they pass you in the school hallway. Yet they hurt. Sometimes more than any physical injury.
I remember the day I realized how heavy words can be. The first day of school—like every child, I was excited and curious. The younger me did not know that that first day would actually be the beginning of something that would follow me throughout all nine years of elementary school. I did not know that other people’s words had the power to change the way I saw myself and lived my life.
At first, I thought it was just a joke and that it would pass quickly. But only later did I realize one thing—that they were never just jokes. All of this led me into silence. A silence that slowly tore me apart, piece by piece, mentally. I stayed quiet, blamed myself, hurt myself—I bullied myself even more, thinking that I was the one at fault. Violence does not always leave bruises on the body. Sometimes it leaves trauma, consequences, and a very difficult struggle with mental health. It took me time to understand that the problem was never me. The problem was always in people who thought they were stronger if they hurt someone else. In silence, unfortunately, one can sometimes hear crying, self-blame, throwing things, and many other painful things.
Today marks three years since I chose myself. Three years of healing the wounds that were created during nine years of bullying. In those three years, I have realized that using your voice shows how much self-love, self-respect, and strength you have to protect yourself. Yet through that pain—the pain that grew for nine years—it could not break me. Through that pain, I learned something important: no child should grow up feeling alone, afraid, worthless, burdened with traumas that constantly replay in their mind. Children should grow up in a world where others lift them up, not tear them down.
So when I think about a more just world for all children, I imagine a world where every child’s voice is heard. A world where no child has to try to be invisible to avoid being bullied. A just world means that children learn to respect one another, regardless of differences. It is a world where understanding is chosen instead of mockery, and where instead of silence there is the courage to say, “That is not okay.” I imagine a world where no child has to hide their tears. A world where adults listen to children’s voices and understand that those voices truly matter.
A more just world for all children does not happen overnight. It begins with small changes in the way we treat one another. It begins the moment we do not turn our heads away from violence, when we extend a hand to someone who thought they could never stand up again. If every child knew that there was someone who would listen to them and understand them, the world would become a much more beautiful place. Schools play a big role in this. School should not only be a place where we learn facts and formulas, but a place that teaches us to become better people. In school, children should learn that words can build, but also destroy, and that each of us has the responsibility to choose those that bring good. Maybe I alone cannot change the world, but I can be the beginning of change. I can choose to be someone who does not stay silent in the face of injustice, who will offer a hand to someone who is suffering, and who believes that every child deserves safety, respect, and love.
Because a more just world for all children begins with us.
