“Ultimately there can be no humanitarian solution to a political problem.”

World Refugee Day 2013: with more than 1.5 million people driven out of Syria by the conflict, Jehangir Malik, UK Director of Islamic Relief, urges governments to step up the relief effort and – most importantly – to renew diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.

“It is clear that the legacy of the past still plagues our society.”

After meeting the Elders last month to discuss the challenges facing young people in Northern Ireland today, 17-year old Fíachra Kelly-McElroy urges his country’s leaders to prioritise economic and social issues instead of sectarian politics.

“The Northern Ireland I live in falls short of what was originally envisaged and voted for back in 1998.”

A month after meeting the Elders to discuss the situation in Northern Ireland, campaigner Helen Flynn argues that a peaceful, prosperous future for her country requires politicians to implement all aspects of the Good Friday Agreement, particularly its provisions on human rights.

“Every country needs to contribute, to save both its own future and our common, global future.”

Climate campaigner Marvin Nala welcomes the recent UN report placing sustainability at the centre of the post-2015 development framework, examining what this means for China and calling for greater clarity on who should be financing this effort.