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SDG 16 · Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

118 million people have been forced to leave their homes.

Eco Heroes turns that fact into a story a 9-year-old can hold onto: The Torch of Peace, book 16 of 17 in the SDG Library.

Unlock all 17 books → Read SDG 1 free

The target, in plain language

What the UN actually promised

Target 16.1

Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.

“All forms” means everything from war to bullying, and “everywhere” includes homes, streets and schools.

Target 16.9: by 2030, provide legal identity for all, including birth registration, because a child without papers can be shut out of school and healthcare.

Why it matters

The number behind the story

118M
people were forcibly displaced by June 2025 Some hope in the numbers: conflict-related civilian deaths fell by 23 per cent in 2025.

Source: The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2026, UN DESA. Figures as published in July 2026.

The story

The Torch of Peace

The Torch of Peace, SDG 16 book cover

The Torch of Peace

Written by David Fernández Sifres (Premio Barco de Vapor) · Illustrated by Eva Sánchez Gómez

Book 16 of 17 in the Eco Heroes SDG Library, one illustrated story for each UN Sustainable Development Goal. Included with any Eco Heroes plan (families from €79 a year + VAT: €95.59 with 21% Spanish VAT; the VAT and the total that apply to you are shown before you pay); SDG 1 is free to try. Published in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Danish, Dutch, Japanese, Korean and Chinese.

Reading guide: questions, vocabulary and activities →

Bring it into the room

Talk about it, try it

Discuss

One question to ask after reading

“Think of the last argument you saw. What helped it calm down, or what made it worse?”

Try it: 15 minutes

Hold a peace circle

Sit in a circle and pass an object. Whoever holds it describes a disagreement (real or made up) using only “I feel… when… because…”. Everyone else listens without interrupting, then suggests one fair solution.

Watch

The short mission video

April and Karim walk through this goal in a short video, with subtitles in your language.

Transcript

Everything said in the video, in order, with the words and figures shown on screen.

Version for ages 9–12

  1. April: Peace, justice and a voice for all. An Eco Heroes mission.
  2. On screen: An Eco Heroes mission · Goal 16 · ages 9–12
  3. On screen: See something real
  4. April: Most conflicts hide a need on both sides. Who makes the rules — and who checks they are fair?
  5. On screen: A real question is where every mission starts.
  6. On screen: Investigate the system
  7. Karim: Peace & Justice is a system, not a headline.
  8. On screen: 108M people have been forcibly displaced by conflict and persecution. (Source: UNHCR, 2022)
  9. Karim: 108 million people have been forcibly displaced by conflict and persecution. of children worldwide experience some form of violence each year.
  10. On screen: 1 / 2 of children worldwide experience some form of violence each year. (Source: WHO / UNICEF, 2020)
  11. On screen: 166M children under 5 have never had their birth registered — invisible to the system. (Source: UNICEF, 2023)
  12. On screen: Step 4 · Meet someone who understands it
  13. Karim: Ask the people who know: a local councillor, a police officer, a mediator or judge.
  14. April: Your mission — The Peacemaker. Turn a clash into a calm solution. Do: Help settle or role-play a real disagreement fairly.
  15. On screen: Prove: Note each side's need and the solution.
  16. On screen: Reflect: What made both sides feel heard?
  17. April: Bring it to school.
  18. On screen: Bring it to school: Show your class what you found. One finding from each of you becomes a map of your town.
  19. April: Show your class what you found. Discuss it at home.
  20. On screen: Discuss it at home: Tell your family what you did and ask them one question about it. Information fades — questions travel.
  21. April: Tell your family what you did and ask them one question about it. Take action locally.
  22. On screen: Take action locally: Pick the one action from your mission you can do this week — and tell one person why.
  23. Karim: A true story — The Long Walk to Freedom. To be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that
  24. On screen: Small hands. Real problem. Real change.
  25. Karim: respects the freedom of others. Nelson Mandela. 17 goals, 13 languages, one hero: your child. eco-heroes.org
  26. On screen: eco-heroes.org/game

Version for ages 13–17

  1. April: Peace is more than the absence of war.
  2. On screen: An Eco Heroes mission · Goal 16 · ages 13–17
  3. On screen: Notice something real
  4. April: 1 in every 70 people on Earth has been forced to flee their home. Who makes the rules — and who checks they are fair?
  5. On screen: Hard questions are where real missions start.
  6. On screen: Map the system
  7. Karim: Justice is a system: laws, courts, police, media and trust. By the end of 2025, 117.8 million people had been forced from their homes.
  8. On screen: 117.8M people have been forced to flee their homes. (Source: UNHCR, 2026)
  9. On screen: 1 in 5 children live in areas hit by conflict. (Source: PRIO, 2025)
  10. On screen: 150M children under 5 have no official birth record. (Source: UNICEF, 2024)
  11. On screen: Step 4 · Talk to someone who knows
  12. Karim: Interview someone who knows: a lawyer, a journalist, a mediator, or someone who has been a refugee.
  13. April: Your mission — Fact Check. Follow one news story and test how fair the coverage is.
  14. On screen: Do: Follow one story across three news sources for a week.
  15. On screen: Prove: Compare the facts, sources and words each one uses.
  16. On screen: Reflect: Whose voice was missing?
  17. April: Take it to school.
  18. On screen: Take it home: Ask your family where they get their news — and why they trust it.
  19. On screen: Act where you live: Share a fact-checked summary, or join your school or youth council.
  20. On screen: Real data. Real questions. Real change.
  21. April: Present your comparison and run a class debate on it. Then take it home, and act where you live.
  22. Karim: A true story. To be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects the freedom of others. Nelson Mandela. 17 goals, 13 languages, your move. eco-heroes.org
A real example

Colombia's peace process: justice and healing

After Colombia's 52-year conflict, a peace process involved not just governments but victims' groups, former combatants and communities. Truth and Reconciliation commissions allowed acknowledgement and healing — a model for post-conflict justice.

Quick check

Test yourself

What does SDG 16 promote?Show the answer
  1. More military spending
  2. Peace, justice and strong institutions
  3. Silent governments
  4. No rules at all

Answer: Peace, justice and strong institutions — SDG 16 promotes peaceful, inclusive societies, access to justice for all, and effective, accountable institutions.

Corruption costs developing countries more than three times the total aid they receive.Show the answer

Answer: True — Corruption costs the developing world $1.26 trillion annually — far exceeding the $200–300 billion in development aid.

What does the rule of law mean?Show the answer
  1. Rulers can do anything they want
  2. Everyone — including governments — must follow the law equally
  3. Laws only apply to ordinary people
  4. Police decide everything

Answer: Everyone — including governments — must follow the law equally — Rule of law means all individuals and institutions are accountable to laws that are publicly promulgated, equally enforced and independently adjudicated.

Go further

Lesson plan for this goal → The book in the library → An activity for this goal → Play the SDG trivia →

Seventeen goals, seventeen stories

Every SDG gets its own illustrated book, its own facts and its own activities. SDG 1 is free to try: its game chapter, trivia and video. The books and the other goals unlock with a family, school or hotel plan.

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