The Children’s own UN Summit.
Billund calls itself the Children’s Capital. Our task was to raise awareness of this position.
To achieve this, we created the world’s first Children’s UN Summit in collaboration with the children of Billund. It was held simultaneously with the UN General Assembly in New York and live-streamed to world leaders attending the Assembly. We helped children from 50 UN countries come together to create a joint resolution.
The children’s resolution became a global news story, and their appeal was heard by world leaders. In his subsequent speech, UN Secretary-General António Guterres promised the children more influence within the UN in the future.
In this way, both the children and Billund captured the world’s attention. The children learned about democracy and had their voices on issues like climate, war, and education heard by world leaders.
Selected Results:
- Organic video views: 7 million
- Participants from 50 countries
- PR reach: 80 million
- News stories: 408
- Media budget: £0
Core story.
In Billund, we believe that children are at least as competent as adults. And that makes Billund Municipality a unique place in the world.
A place that insists on learning through play. But when the entire town of Billund comes together to build the Capital of Children, it’s not just for fun. It’s for the future.
A future and a daily life that can become smarter, more enjoyable, and more human. Where play, learning, and creativity permeate not only education and business but also urban planning and municipal policy.
A place that creates global citizens with a perspective that reaches far beyond Billund.
And it only requires that we adults learn to play. Again.
We are all born curious. We learn through play throughout life. But the more we learn, the less we play. And that’s why we gradually lose the ability to imagine anything beyond what we already know.
The delight in the absurd is replaced by knowledge and habitual thinking. And suddenly, we become just like the adults who didn’t understand us as children.
But the future is about creating together. And children know more about that than most. When we play together, we create worlds that no one has ever seen before. We find solutions that no one has ever thought of before.
That is what we want. To create worlds and solutions that no one has seen or thought of before. Physically, we want to make Billund a city at child’s height, inviting adventure and exploration. Mentally, we want to make Billund the global capital for a future shaped together with those who will live in it.
In short, Billund should be the world’s best city for children. And for the world.
Do you want to know more?
Contact Rune Hørslev
Phone: +45 31 34 57 69
Mail: rh@mensch.dk
