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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 - January 2007 Note: Most hyperlinks will open in a new window. Please close the new window in order to be automatically returned to the GCE site. CHILDREN FROM EUROPE COUNTRIES AND SENEGAL LOBBY THE EUROPEAN PARLIMENT, FOR EDUCATION RIGHTS FOR ALL Child campaigners from 11 countries (Germany, Denmark, Greece, Spain, Ireland, UK, France, Argentina, Senegal, Belgium and Netherlands) made a special trip to Brussels to call for every child to have a quality education by 2015, a promise that has been made by world leaders in the Millennium Development Goals and the Education for All targets. They were joining together to respond to what Nelson Mandela said to them last year – “If all the world’s children join together, they can be more powerful than any government….Promises to children should never be broken.” ’ The lunchtime meeting took place in the European Parliament and was hosted by MEP Glenys Kinnock and the Global Campaign for Education. Mrs Kinnock showed off her 30 years teaching experience and took command of the class of A-grade campaigners stating: “Kids have a great sense of what is fair and not fair… Education is the best route to tackling poverty. Rich countries have to come forward with the funding to live up to the promises they have made. Governments must pull up their socks, sharpen their pencils, sit up in class and do their homework if all children are to benefit and be able to go to school.” The young campaigners traveled to Brussels for the event during a busy time in the European Parliamentary year to put education on the agenda. The performance of European countries is crucial if all children are to get an education. Whilst countries such as Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark and the UK have dedicated some serious resources to primary education in poor countries, other rich European nations have performed less well. In 2005 the EU pledged to increase aid to poor countries by almost $40 billion per annum by 2010. In 2007 they must make this pledge a reality by increasing their total contribution to primary education to at least $8 billion per year. Alongside Glenys Kinnock, Lieve Fransen (European Commission), Owain James and Lucia Fry (Global Campaign for Education) put forward the case for politicians to have extra homework in order to ensure all succeed in class. Owain James, Global Campaign for Education’s Global Coordinator gave an emotive speech on the urgent need to end the global education crisis: “A staggering 80 million children are out of school. To put that number into context that’s more than all the primary school aged children in the EU and in the USA combined… What chance is there of ending poverty in Niger if 83% of women can’t read or write?” The young constituents, who have already been lobbying their local and national politicians, grilled their MEPs on what action there were taking to get all children into school. Young campaigners from Greece met with MEPs Mr. Ioannis Gklavakis and Ms. Marie Panayotopoulos- Cassiotou from the European People’s Party I felt happy and proud when I saw that Greek students were interested in promoting “Education for All”. The “Global Campaign for Education” gives hope for a better future for humanity based on education, and we all know that education is an essential condition for progress. The aim of the campaign is to advocate the global Right to Education. Marie Panayotopoulos – Cassiotou (Greece MEP) “It is very important in times when everybody is speaking about money, war, violence and terrorism that there is a group of people advocating for children’s education. We shouldn’t forget that it is educated and informed citizens that can make a country powerful and respected in the future. I sincerely hope that your efforts bring a very positive result.” Ioannis Gklavakis (Greece MEP) From the UK Caroline Grey asked MEP Fiona Hall what the European Parliament was doing to make sure that aid helped the poorest children got an education. Fiona Hall responded that the monitoring the use of the money was crucial. "It was a timely reminder that although there has been considerable progress towards the Millennium Development Goal of education for all children by 2015, at the halfway point in 2007 there is still a very long way to go. It is very important that British and European development aid keeps on going to primary education as a priority and does not get diverted in other directions such as the war against terror." Young Senegalese campaigners advocated for the benefits of going to school – that getting an education ‘helped young people become somebody’. In response Mrs Kinnock told the young activists: “Stay at school, tell your schoolmates to stay as well and fight for your right to education!” The event finished with a joining up of campaigners and politicians who declared their solidarity and support to help all children go to school. In the political heart of Europe the young started the global chain for education that is will be growing throughout 2007 as campaigners from around the world JOIN UP and demand Education Rights now: www.campaignforeducation.org/joinupaction NOTES JOIN UP! Education Rights Now! is the slogan that the Global Campaign for Education is using in 2007. Action that will unite campaigners across the world will be to join-up, holding hands forming people chains, as people stand in solidarity side by side for Education Rights. Anyone can join the chain by going to www.campaignforeducation.org/joinup. What the Global Campaign for Education is asking of the EU:
View Photos from the event 30th January GORDON BROWN APPLAUDS GCE'S EFFORTS IN MOBILIZING POLITICAL TOWARDS EDUCATION Gordon Brown applauded Global Campaign for Education’s (GCE) efforts in mobilizing political will towards education and in increasing education outlay as major education efforts during his meeting with Kailash Satyarthi, the Chairperson of GCE along with five former child bonded labourers on the 18 January 2007. Gordon Brown, the British Chancellor of Exchequer and widely tipped to be the Prime Minister designate of the UK has reaffirmed his strong commitment to educate the children of the poor countries as one of his top priorities. The children had a memorable time with the Chancellor and were floored with his ease and friendliness during the interaction. The Chancellor was accompanied with Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Gareth R Thomas. Gordon Brown applauded Global Campaign for Education’s (GCE) efforts in mobilizing political will towards education and in increasing education outlay as major education efforts during his meeting with Kailash Satyarthi, the Chairperson of GCE along with five former child bonded labourers on the 18 January 2007. Gordon Brown, the British Chancellor of Exchequer and widely tipped to be the Prime Minister designate of the UK has reaffirmed his strong commitment to educate the children of the poor countries as one of his top priorities. The children had a memorable time with the Chancellor and were floored with his ease and friendliness during the interaction. The Chancellor was accompanied with Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State Gareth R Thomas. Gordon Brown said that he and his Government are committed towards education and would do everything possible for ensuring the children missing school do get a chance to be in the classrooms. Of the five children who met him, 14 year old Om Prakash Gurjar, the International Children’s Peace Prize winner for 2006 said that Mr. Brown should take lead in persuading other developed countries to increase their education funding. Kailash Satyarthi further elaborated that his government should take up the issue at G8 meeting on April 30 2007 to persuade other European countries in Europe like Germany and Italy to increase their education outlay for achieving EFA. Another child, Gulafshan, narrated her success in bringing about a change for the better in the food provided at school under the mid-day meal scheme in her village. She said innocently-“If I can do this as a child in a small village, you with your great powers could help provide education for all children of the world”. Mr. Brown responded enthusiastically to these and several other queries by the five children. Gordon Brown recognized the efforts of GCE as having tremendous impact worldwide in mobilizing governments and as having impact on education policies. Kailash Satyarthi requested the GCE was actively involved with the Fast Track Initiative (FTI) and that a part of UK’s education funds be pledged to the FTI for its work as soon as possible. Gordon Brown had earlier in the year pledged a sum of GBP 8.5 billion as UK’s efforts in education sector, to bring 15 million children into the classrooms over the next 10 years. 18th January CHILDREN FROM 9 EUROPEAN COUNTRIES AND SENEGAL WILL JOIN UP TO DELIVER MANDELA'S EDUCATION CHALLENGE TO GOVERNMENTS On the 30th January child campaigners from 10 countries are making a special trip to the political heart of Europe, the European Parliament, with one thing in mind – Education for All. At the 2007 launch of the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) 2007 theme, JOIN UP Education Rights Now', on Tuesday 30 th January, they will be meeting their MEPs and representatives from the European Commission and asking each one what they are doing to ensure that all children can go to school. The children will be laying down this challenge on behalf of the 80 million children (more than the school-aged population of the European Union) that are currently deprived of their right to education, due to inaction by governments of rich and poor countries. In 2006, Nelson Mandela met GCE campaigners in Mozambique , saying 'If all the world's children join together, they can be more powerful than any government….Promises to children should never be broken .' Back in 2000, world leaders agreed to ensure Education For All by 2015. The event will be hosted by MEP Glenys Kinnock and will form the first of the exciting actions that will take place in 2007. Throughout the year, across 120 countries, campaigners will 'Join Up' to form the world's largest-ever chain, representing the strength of global concern about the issue of education. Children and adults are getting ready to present paper chains and human chains to politicians and officials in a variety of innovative and eye-catching ways. On 30 th January, GCE's action website www.campaignforeducation.org/joinup will also go live, enabling any individual or school to join the chain for education. Standing side by side, campaigners of all ages, on and off-line, in and out of school are demanding their governments of rich and poor countries take urgent action to end the global education crisis. The European nations are particularly important in the fight to provide Education for All, and acting together they could make a difference to the lives of millions of poor children. Countries such as Sweden , the Netherlands and Denmark are leaders in the field, dedicating serious resources to primary education in poor countries; the UK has recently responded to the challenge by promising at least $15 billion in aid over 10 years to get every child in school. In 2005 European countries pledged to increase aid to poor countries to $40 billion per annum by 2010. They must meet this commitment, and allocate 20% of the total to primary education, to set the world on track to achieve Education For All. Other rich countries, such as Japan and the US must also improve their performance dramatically. Kailash Satyarthi, President of GCE , commented: 'Last year, 6 million children and adults challenged governments to give every child a good teacher. This year, GCE will mobilize more campaigners than ever before to demand that governments end the illiteracy and ignorance that continues to blight the lives of millions. Time is running out if we are to achieve these vital goals and ensure that future generations will have an equal chance to realize their rights and lift themselves out of poverty.' 26th January 2007 GCE WORLD SOCIAL FORUM EVENT (21st Jan, 5.30 - 8pm, Thomas Sankara Room) On day two of the World Social Forum, Sunday 21st, the Global Campaign for Education will be holding an event in the evening 5.30 - 8pm, Nairbi, Kenya. Come and join us in the Thomas Sankara Room and find out how more about the 2007 'JOIN UP! Education Rights Now!' campaign and how you can be involved and help make sure that everyone has the free quality education that has been promised to them. 19th January 2007 Click to view Past
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