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Dear All,
One in four people can’t read this. And right now many people like you are preparing to make sure that many more people are given the chance of an education. So that they can read, make informed decisions about their own life, get better paid jobs, and help their children with their education and life choices and life and longer healthier life in general.
At a colourful inspiring event in Johannesburg, Queen Rania of Jordon was announced as the Honorary Chair of Global Action Week. She joined other inspirational leading women in reading her story to children from Soweto and talking about the importance of education.
With many campaign events taking place over the next few weeks, together we will help ensure that education stays high up on the global agenda, that it doesn’t slip despite the economic crisis, and that we use this time and place to help ensure that everyone gets the chance to learn.
Let your friends know how they can take just a second to join the call for education by joining the Big Read on www.campaignforeducation.org/bigread
Best Wishes,
Muleya Mwananyanda
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CONTENTS
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| GCE NEWS |
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Queen Rania announces role as honorary Chair of Global Action Week |
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 The long-time supporter of GCE and advocate for education rights met with children and some of South Africa’s most inspirational women. Sitting in a reading circle they each talked about how education had helped transform their lives and how they were committed to making sure that everyone has this chance in life. Her Majesty Queen Rania was the first to write her name in the back of the Big Read, before passing it on to everyone else to write their name.
Read more here and see pictures
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The Big Read around the world |
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 Every day we’re hearing more great stories about what’s happening during the Big Read (20th – 26th April). Here’s just a glimpse: Afghanistan is having a story-writing competition, in Bangladesh millions are set to take part, Canada’s hosting a parliamentary Big Read breakfast, whilst Denmark’s Prime Minister has been invited to the Big Read event. Libraries in France are hosting Big Read exhibitions, in Germany a giant Big Read is being produced, thousands of organisations in India are taking part, whilst Booker Prize winner ‘Roddy Doyle’ is reading the Big Read in Ireland. In the Netherlands the Big Read is being run in conjunction with the Amsterdam World Book Capital events, popular artists in Peru are taking part, whilst events are taking place all around the Philippines. Stories are being collected throughout Spain, a whole host of lead celebrities in South Africa have submitted their stories, a competition being run in Taiwan and over 5000 schools are taking part in the UK.
Read more of the highlights that are taking place around the world here
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The Big Read website |
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The Big Read website now includes lots of resources to help anyone joining the Big Read campaign. Here you’ll find many new stories including a new story from Archbishop Desmond Tutu. There’s also a new ‘Big Read’ film that has been produced. It’s up on the Big Read website www.campaignforeducation.org/bigread and is a great resource for websites, or events to get people motivated to take part in the Big Read.
There are also web-banners for anyone with a website, or blog to link through to the Big Read that can be found on www.campaignforeducation.org/en/big-read-campaign-materials/
Don’t forget to send in your Big Read stories, photos and happenings to
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GCE attends the International Teacher Task Force |
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 During last year’s High Level Group meeting (EFA monitoring and policy body) in Oslo, one of the most noteworthy outcomes was the endorsement of an Action Plan on Teachers for Education for All. This plan included the creation of an International Teacher’s Task Force mandated to work on the crucial issue of addressing the worrying worldwide teacher gap, whether it is in terms of financing, training or policy. GCE participated in the first meeting of this Task Force which took place at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, where it was nominated to participate as member of the Management Committee (on a rotating system with VSO) alongside EI. This structure, which comprises representation from donors, governments, multilateral and regional bodies, will hopefully tackle the challenge of introducing clear targets on needs and will push for more transparent monitoring of donor contributions in support of the provision of a professional and motivated teacher work force.
Download the meeting report here
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Hosting the 4th GCE World Assembly |
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GCE is inviting member organisations and coalitions to send through an expression of interest to host the 4th GCE World Assembly in February 2011. Any National Education Coalition or member organisation, outside of Africa and Latin America, can apply. As the World Assembly takes place in rotation and the last two took place in Africa and Latin America, organisations from other regions are eligible to apply. GCE’s World Assembly takes place every three years, bringing together the members to set the agenda for the on-going ‘Education for All’ movement, and the next assembly will be key to final stages in the EFA agenda before 2015.
Please contact Yunus Dhoda at
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Middle East Conference |
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The Global Campaign for Education will be hosting a Middle-East conference bringing together Education for All stakeholders and campaigners throughout the Arab world. The meeting will take place in Yemen 24th – 27th May 2009.
To receive further information about this conference please contact Yunus Dhoda on
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by the 30th April 2009.
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| CAMPAIGN NEWS |
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ASPBAE: “Strengthening the Frontlines to Propel Concrete Policy Action” |
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The Regional Consultation with Education Coalitions in Asia-South-Pacific was held by ASPBAE in Kuala Lumpur from 27 to 29 March 2009, hosted by Education International. National coalitions from ten countries as well as ASPBAE partners in Vietnam took this opportunity to reflect on the Real World Strategy gains in terms of policy impacts and capacity building. The meeting also provided an opportunity for coalitions to present initial strategic plans for the next three years, including a specific attention to the scope of projects liable to be approved by the new Civil Society Education Fund.
Find out more here.
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FISC – 16th – 18th May |
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 The International Civil Society Forum (FISC, for its Portuguese acronym) is an international event on Youth and Adult Education, to be held in Belém, capital of the state of Pará, Brazil, between May 16th and 18th, 2009. This is a plural space for reflection and formulation of proposals that seeks to promote the exchange of experiences and to organize the CONFINTEA VI process. Over a thousand people are expected to participate in this forum that is being organised by Acao Educativa, ASPBAE, CLADE, CEAAL and ICAS. Visit the FISC website here.
CONFINTEA, main event on Youth and Adult Education, takes place every 12 years, bringing together government officials and civil society representatives. The gathering, internationally coordinated by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), will be held on May 19-22 of this year also in Belém. It is the first time that this conference is held in the Southern Hemisphere.
Three committees are responsible for FISC organization. The International Committee is composed by Ação Educativa, the Asian South Pacific Bureau of Adult Education (ASPBAE), the Latin American Campaign for the Right to Education (CLADE), Adult Education Council of Latin America (CEAAL), the International Council for Adult Education (ICAE), and the African Platform for Adult Education/ Plataforme Africaine.
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Peruvian Campaign for the Right to Education subscribes statement on the situation of education in the country |
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 On February 19 a group of people and organizations involved in the issue of the right to education in Peru –among them, the Peruvian Campaign for the Right to Education, CLADE member. They issued the statement on the situation of education in the country. Under the title of “A better education requires immediate changes in the government and in society”, the text analyzes the education situation in Peru, in order to underscore the absence of sustained and comprehensive education public policies: that manifests itself in the non application of the National Education Project (PEN) on the part of President Alan García’s government.
Read the full statement here.
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South Africa: Public Participation in Education Network formed |
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A new network has been formed in South Africa that is committed to tackling the public education crisis in the country. PPEN currently has a call to action inviting individuals, organizations and groups to join in a joint effort to ensure that the public education is prioritized in South Africa.
Read more and join the call to action on the PPEN website
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UK – young education campaigners visit Tanzania and report on the G20 |
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 Young campaigners, Bethany and James, are recently back from Tanzania, where they met with the Education Minister and talked to young people who are missing out on educational opportunities because of poverty. Their trip was the result of winning the 2009 Young Education Campaigner wards. James is now in the G20 bloggers tent and keeping regular updates on the his wishes for the G20 on eduction and developments in London.
Read James’s Blog here
Read Bethany and James’ trip report here
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| EDUCATION NEWS |
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FTI – seeks new Chairperson and upcoming partnership meeting |
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 The Education for All Fast Track Initiative seeks a new Chairperson. The TOR for the post is now up on the website, with a closing date of the 23rd April.
Educationalists will be going to Copenhagen in April for the next series of Fast Track Initiative meetings. The EFA FTI Partnership Meeting, hosted by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is taking place from the 20th – 21st April, at which discussions will be had on three sub-themes; 1) hard-to-reach children, 2) the quality of learning, and 3) resource mobilization and aid effectiveness. The Steering Committee (19 April), Catalytic Fund Committee (22 April) and EPDF Committee meetings (22 April) will be held back-to-back with the Partnership Meeting.
Read more here.
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Swaziland: Judge Rules for Free Education |
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 A new High Court ruling will ensure all primary school children in Swaziland will now have access to free public education. The court ruling is in keeping with the 2005 constitution.
I make a declaration that every Swazi child of whatever grade attending primary school is entitled to education free of charge, at no cost and no requirement of any contribution of any such child regarding tuition, supply of textbooks, and all inputs that ensure access to education," High Court Judge Mabel Agyemang ruled
Read the full story here.
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G20: Investing in the Education of Women |
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 GCAP’s Feminist Task Force has issued a call to the G20 to invest in Women’s Education.
Although there is widespread agreement that investment in women's education has multiplier effects in the well-being of their families and of societies at large, statistics show that women continue to be the ones mostly excluded from basic levels of education.
Read more here.
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10th UKFIET International Conference on Education and Development. (15 – 17 SEPTEMBER 2009.) |
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 The influence of politics on policy, whether at local, national or international levels, has far-reaching implications for educational development. Globalisation, international aid, the knowledge economy and the marketisation of education are well-recognised terms to describe complex processes which exert powerful and often competing pressures on education systems. In a contested and interdependent arena, they raise urgent questions about progress in education. This conference will once again bring together a wide constituency of participants, from all spheres of education and training.
Find out more here.
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CALL FOR PAPERS: The Right to Education Project |
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 Right to Education Project website aims to promote social mobilisation and legal accountability, focusing on education rights. The website will feature a section for Students and Academics where all interested can share published or unpublished papers on topics such as education, human rights, child rights, education financing, the role of the international community and its institutions for ESC rights, the role of the state as duty bearer, vulnerable groups and strategic litigation on education rights etc.
Requirements for submitting papers can be found here.
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Brazil: Landless Rural Workers’ Movement Itinerant schools are closed by the Public Ministry. |
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About 300 girls and boys who studied at seven Landless Rural Workers’ Movement (MST) schools in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, are at the centre of a conduct adjustment agreement subscribed in December between the Public Ministry and the State Goverment promoted by Gilberto Thums. The agreement determines, as from March 2009, the interruption of classes and other activities carried out at MST itinerant schools across the State.
Read the full article here.
Sign up to the MST manifesto, that will be delivered to the State Government here.
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ABOUT THE GLOBAL CAMPAIGN FOR EDUCATION (GCE):
The Global Campaign for Education (GCE)is a movement to end the worldwide crisis in education. Thousands of development charities, trade unions and child rights groups make up the national coalitions in over 100 countries. Together we campaign and lobby governments to make sure they act now to deliver the right of every girl, boy, woman and man to a free, quality education.
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GCE’S MEMBERS:
Regional & International Organisations: ActionAid International, ANCEFA, ASPBAE, CAMFED, CARE, CEAAL, CLADE, Comic Relief, Early Childhood Care & Development, Education International, FAPE, FAWE, Fe y Alegria, Fundacion Ayuda en Accion, Global March Against Child Labour, Ibis, IDAY, Inclusion International, Leonard Cheshire Global Alliance, Light of the World: Christoffel Development Organisation, NetAid, OEB/CEDEAO, Oxfam International, Plan International, Public Services International, REPEM, Save the Children Alliance, SightSavers International, VSO, World Alliance of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, World Vision International
National Civil Society Coalitions: Albania: ACCE, Argentina: CAPDE, Armenia: ACRPC, Bangladesh : CAMPE, Benin: CBO-EPT, Bolivia: FEB, Brazil: CDE, Burkina Faso: CCEB, Cambodia: NGO Education Partnership, Cameroon: EFA Network, Canada: Canadian Global Campaign for Education Chile: FECPT, Costa Rica: MERCC, El Salvador: CIAZO, France: Solidarite-Laique, Gabon: SENA, Gambia: GEFA, Germany: GCE, Ghana: GNECC, Guatemala: CETT,. India: NCE, Indonesia: E-Net for Justice, Ireland: GCE Coalition, Japan: JNNE, Kenya: Elimu Yetu Coalition, Lesotho: LEFA, Liberia: LETCOM, Malawi: CSCQBE, Mauritius: DCI, Mexico: ICE, Mozambique: MEPT, Nepal: GCE, Nicaragua: Foro Net, Niger: ROSEN, Nigeria: CSACEFA, Norway: Union of Education, Pakistan: PCE, Peru: MPDEP,Philippines: E-Net, Romania: GCE, Senegal: CONGAD, Sierra Leone: EFA Network, Solomon Islands: COESI, South Africa: GCE-SA, Spain: GCE Coalition, Sri Lanka: CED, Sweden: EFA Forum, Tanzania: TEN/MET, The Netherlands: GCE, Togo: CNT/CME, Uganda: FENU, UK:GCE-UK, Vietnam: GCE, Zambia:ZANEC, Zimbabwe: Teachers Association
To apply for membership please contact
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Find out more about GCE on our website www.campaignforeducation.org
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