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| Gordon Brown in Maputo/David Fish/ActionAid | Nelson Mandela greets GCE campaigners/David Fish/ActionAid | Paul Weinberg / Oxfam / South Africa |
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Past Issues - December 2006 Note: Most hyperlinks will open in a new window. Please close the new window in order to be automatically returned to the GCE site. GLOBAL CAMPAIGN FOR EDUCATION CONTINUES THE FIGHT FOR THE RIGHT TO AN EDUCATION FOR ALL JOIN UP – Education Rights Now! Human Rights Day on 10th December marks the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. Education has been enshrined in this declaration, and reiterated in numerous declarations by heads of state. Yet, fifty-eight years later 80 million children – the majority of them girls – are being denied the right to go to school. Over 800 million adults - most of them women – have been denied the right to learn to read and write. Nearly one-sixth of humanity lack the basic skills they need to work their way out of poverty and realize a host of other crucial rights. Education Empowers: A single year of schooling increases a woman's wages by 10-20%. Education Saves Lives: Seven million cases of HIV/AIDS could be prevented in the next decade if every child received an education. Education Builds the Future: A child born to a literate mother is 50% more likely to survive pass the age of 5 years. However, country studies show that the cost of primary school may be more than 30% of the annual family budget and five times more than budgeted by the government. Leading to situations were children are forced to work in order to pay their school fees. It need not be this way. The world has the capital and resources to ensure that everyone has the access to free, quality education. For years civil society and education campaigners have been demanding that Education for All become a reality. Earlier in 2006, the world lost one of the leading campaigners on the right to education. Katarina Tomasevski was best known for her formidable work as the first United Nations Special Rapporteur on Education from 1998 – 2004. Her work highlighted the global education injustices across the world. In 2007 the Global Campaign for Education is continuing to respond to this situation. More than 6 million campaigners in over 120 countries will 'JOIN UP!' and create the world's longest ever people and paper chain, asking for 'Education Rights Now!' As part of this campaign, evidence on the violations of education rights will be delivered to world leaders. Campaigners will ask why after so many promises and commitments by world leaders, 80 million children and 800 million adults are still being denied their right to education. The 'JOIN UP - Education Rights Now!' campaign will be launched on the 30th January 2007. Children and politicians from across Europe will meet and join hands to start the global chain. United, campaigners will demand that come next Human Rights Day 2007, all children and adults will be able to enjoy the benefits of education – which is rightfully theirs. "If all the world's children join together they can be more powerful than any government". Nelson Mandela Read Press Release in Spanish 10th December 2006 - Human Rights Day Click to view Past
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