Welcome to the Global Campaign for Education (GCE)’s new monthly Newsletter. It provides an update on policy and campaign news on education for all as well as updates on GCE itself.
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With a week to GCE’s action week and the convening of a special ‘Keeping the Promise’ donors conference on Education for All – this is a crucial time. We are already hearing of so many inspiring actions being planned in over 100 countries, and hope that we will see a moment of real global unity at the end of April when people Join Up and make people chains with their friends, colleagues and even strangers. Please keep us posted on the plans you have and on how the events go during the action week. For more information please e-mail actionweek@campaignforeducation.org or visit www.campaignforeducation.org
We encourage GCE members to send in any updates they would like included in future newsletters– if you would like to submit an article for the newsletter please e-mail the editor Alex Kent - alex@campaignforeducation.org.
The newsletter will be introduced each time by a guest columnist with stories from GCE activists around the world. Next month will feature Kailash Satyarthi, the President of GCE.
We hope you find this new format useful. Please do send any feedback to me or Alex. Good Luck with the Action Week planning – lets Join Up and demand Education Rights Now!
Owain James
GCE Global Co-ordinator
CONTENTS
| POLICY NEWS |
- Exceptional Education Meeting – 2nd May
- EFA – FTI opens up to Civil Society
- GCE prepares spotlight for Japan
- Abuja +1 – will happen in Accra in 27th May
- International Women’s Day 8th March
| CAMPAIGN NEWS |
| GCE NEWS |
| POLICY NEWS |
Exceptional Education Meeting of Donors Announced - 2nd May |
GCE welcomed EC Development Commissioner Louis Michel’s recent announcement of an exceptional high-level conference on education in Brussels on 2nd May. Michel used the informal meeting of EU development ministers in Bonn to announce ‘Keeping Our Promises on Education’ conference which he will convene along with World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz, and UK Chancellor Gordon Brown. All donor countries are invited and it is the first meeting of donors to specifically discuss education for years. The idea first surfaced at the World Bank/IMF meetings in Singapore last year, and its announcement is the welcome result of hard work negotiating dates and participation of the principals.Regrettably, German development minister Heidemarie Wiezoreck-Zeul did not take the lead in making the announcement as had been hoped.
GCE will be represented by Kailash Satyarthi, our President, who will be accompanied by campaigners from the South in laying down the challenge to rich countries at the opening of the conference. Others from the GCE family are expected to be present for the plenary discussions as will representatives from Southern countries, trusts and foundations. The event offers the best opportunity in five years for rich countries to cast aside the remaining obstacles to the achievement of Education for All, and respond to calls from both civil society and developing countries to meet promises repeatedly made to make real and substantial financial commitments to support countries’ education plans. GCE campaigners and lobbyists in both North and South have a busy time ahead, as we work to show the strength of demand for change through this year’s Global Action Week and other highlight campaign events. Our demands are currently being finalised and will be included in the next e-newsletter. We're relieved that world leaders have not forgotten the promises they made in Dakar seven years ago, but we don't need another talking shop on education; let us see a new chapter of actions, not words. Gorgui Sow (Co-ordinator ANCEFA) Read GCE’s press release here |
EFA Fast-Track Initiative creates two new spaces for civil society from developed and developing countries |
The EFA Fast-Track Initiative (FTI) is now five years old, and is still the only multilateral global effort for delivering on the global compact envisaged at the 2000 Dakar World Conference on Education, that ‘no country with a viable plan for achieving Education For All should be thwarted in its ambition for lack of resources.’
GCE and its members have been active in policy dialogue since FTI’s launch, and have long advocated that it would be more effective and representative if it expanded its governance beyond being a cosy donors’ club. In 2005, GCE was invited to join the FTI Steering Committee on an interim basis, along with Madagascar - representing recipient countries. At the 2006 FTI Partners’ Meeting in Cairo, agreement was reached that the Steering Committee should expand on a permanent basis to include 2 additional civil society representatives and 3 additional recipient country ministers. As part of this deal, GCE was invited to manage the selection of the civil society participants, who should represent broad-based national education coalitions – one from OECD-DAC countries and one from FTI-eligible countries. We are currently inviting expressions of interest and will nominate the seat-holders on the basis of an e-ballot of national coalitions if there is competition for the places. To find out more about FTI go to www.worldbank.org/fti To express interest in membership of the FTI Steering Committee, please email info@campaignforeducation.org. GCE has also been represented in two FTI meetings in donor countries this year – Spain and Austria. Our thanks go out to Kailash Satyarthi, our President, and Moira Leydon of the Ireland coalition for their able and high-impact contributions to these meetings, and to coalition partners in Spain and Austria for securing the slots. |
GCE reaches out to parliamentarians, officials, during launch of EFA Global Monitoring Report in Japan |
In February GCE Policy Advisor Lucia Fry, and Board member Maria Khan of ASPBAE (Asia-South Pacific Bureau of Adult Education) joined education campaigners from Japan and the EFA Global Monitoring Report Director Nicholas Burnett in a 4-day series of events in Tokyo to raise awareness among legislators, officials and the media about Education for All challenges and the role of Japanese aid in meeting the EFA goals. The events were jointly sponsored by the Japan NGO Network for Education (JNNE) and the Japanese Coalition of Global Call to Action against Poverty, with the support of members of Parliament.
While all participants welcomed the chance for a full and frank exchange of views on Japan’s Overseas Development Assistance programme, it was clear that there is much to be done to make Japan a true partner in achieving EFA. Campaigners there are already gearing up for Japan’s hosting of the G8 Summit in 2008 and hope to make progress on both quantity and quality of Japanese ODA for basic education. Download the 2007 EFA Global Monitoring Report: www.efareport.unesco.org |
Abuja +1 conference postponed till May |
At last May’s Financing For Development Conference in Abuja, the finance ministers from 22 African countries committed to come forward with costed 10-year education plans in response to UK Chancellor Gordon Brown’s call for an up-scaling of efforts to get every child into school. 15 have already done so and a summary of them is expected to be showcased by the Ghanaian Finance Minister on 2nd May.
The planned follow-up conference to Abuja, originally scheduled for March, has been postponed to May 27th and will be taking place in Accra. GCE will be working with ANCEFA and coalitions in the partner countries to ensure that civil society feedback on both the process of developing these plans, and the viability of their content, is fully heard at the conference. |
International Women’s Day – 8th March |
Across the world today, 1 in every 5 girls of primary school age are not in school. When girls miss out, not only are they denied the chance to learn to read and write, earn a living and participate in democracy, it also puts their lives in jeopardy. Education gives women and girls the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to protect themselves against HIV and AIDS. The Global Campaign for Education is calling on world leaders to take urgent action now. They must ensure everyone, especially girls, can go to school and get the education needed to fight for their rights. Poorer countries need to enact policies that will make school free, accessible and safe for girls and boys, whilst rich countries must live up to promises repeatedly made, and still not fulfilled, to increase aid in support of these policies.
Read GCE’s press release here. |
| CAMPAIGN NEWS |
Global Action Week 2007 is coming!
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Campaigners from over 100 countries have been preparing for the upcoming GCE Global Action Week. Under the theme Education is a human right, we will see millions of people join up and form chains in classrooms, workplaces and public spaces all over the world. Here are just a few of the highlights that are coming up! Children and adults are JOINING up across Spain more than 400 schools and monuments in over 40 cities will be encircled by human chains and giant puppets and wearing Education for All bibs made in their schools. Each chain will have post-it notes reminding leaders to ‘Keep their promises on EFA by 2015’. Throughout Africa campaigners are JOINING UP. A human chain is crossing the boarders stretching all the way from Farafenni city in the Gambia all the way to Koalack city in the Senegal. In everyone one of DRC’s 11’s provinces children and adults are forming people chaings for Education. And in Rwanda children are performing to MPs and officials as they return back to school. Among the VIPs to go to school is the Educaiton Minister, Jeanne d'Arc, who will be questioned by the school pupils.  Bangladesh is storming ahead with their Action Week plans loads of exciting activities locally including JOIN UP events with photo petitions, street drama, painting competitions and much more.In Manila, Philippines, A candle-lighting ceremony is just one of the many join up events happening during action week. And education will be in the spotlight at a concert and human chain event in Guatamala on the 27th April. Keep an eye on www.campaignforeducation.org/action for updates. Please send us details of the plans for your country so that we can share the information with other countries and on GCE website email: actionweek@campaignforeducation.org |
Global Join-Up event in the European Parliament  |
From the 25th February until the 22nd March campaigners from Bachpan Bachao Andolan and supported by many GCE partner organizations, including the Global March against child Labour marged an astonishing 2,500km across the Indo-Nepal-Bangladesh boarder. 100 core marchers were joined by thousands of others along the way in protest against child trafficking. Kailash Satyarthi, founder Bachpan Bachao Andolan and President of the Global Campaign for Education said: The children themselves (victims of slavery and trafficking) have taken the first steps against trafficking. Now adults have to prove their genuine intentions now. We call upon you to put an end to this heinous crime against humanity, collectively." On the 30th January child campaigners from 11 countries made a special trip to the political heart of Europe, the European Parliament, to JOIN UP and demand Education for All. At a lunch time meeting hosted by MEP Glenys Kinnock they questioned their MEPs and European Commission Representatives on what they were doing to get all children an education. The young campaigners, traveled from Germany, Denmark, Greece, Spain, Ireland, UK, France, Argentina, Senegal, Belgium and Netherlands specially to start the JOIN UP chain and lobby the European Leaders for Education Rights Now! The performance of European countries is crucial if all children are to get an education. In 2007 they must make this pledge a reality by increasing their total contribution to primary education to at least $8 billion per year. |
| Join-Up to the chain online! | As well as forming a chain with friends and colleagues – we have also created an online space for people to join up with others all across the world. Anyone in any country can add themselves to this on-line chain. The on-line chain carries messages, photos and films made by campaigners all around the world. It is an excellent way to share campaigners views, and personal messages demanding education will be delivered to world leaders later in the year. |
| GCE NEWS |
| Welcome to new staff at GCE | The GCE has had several new members of staff change recently. We welcome Owain James as the new Global Co-ordinator. Our thanks go to Lucia for being the acting co-ordinator whilst the post was recruited. Lucia returns to her role as GCE policy advisor.
The new Real World Strategies co-ordinator, Geoffrey Odaga, has also started working for GCE and he will be writing in next months newsletter with an overview of the Real World Strategies project. Sadly, Lucy Tweedie has finished as GCE Global Action Week co-ordinator, our thanks go to her for all her hard work over the last two years supporting coalitions around the world – we have seen a huge increase in participation in GCE Action Week during her time in the role. Anne-Marie Mujica is covering this position until June and the long term replacement is being recruited at the moment (see below) |
| World Assembly & GCE membership | The dates and location for the 3rd GCE World Assembly have been set. It will take place on 22-24th January 2008 in Sao Paulo. The first mailing on the World Assembly will be going out to GCE members in the next couple of weeks. Please email yunus@campaignforeducation.org if you have any questions about the assembly or your membership status. |
The Global Campaign for Education (GCE) is a movement to end the worldwide crisis in education. GCE’s mission is to make sure that governments act now to deliver the right of every girl, boy, woman and man to a free, quality education. Thousands of development charities, trade unions and child rights groups make up the national coalitions that jointly campaign for the right to education. Together we lobby governments, raise public awareness and put joint pressure on international institutions to keep their promises for Education for All.
Regional & International Organisations: ActionAid International, ANCEFA, ASPBAE, CAMFED, CARE, CEAAL, Education International, FAPE, FAWE, Fe y Alegria, Global March Against Child Labour, Ibis, Inclusion International, Latin America GCE Coalition, 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: Bangladesh: CAMPE, Brazil: CDE, Burkina Faso: CCEB, Cameroon: Cameroon EFA Network, Canada: Canadian GCE Alliance, El Salvador: CIAZO, France: Solidarite-Laique, Gabon: SENA, Gambia: GEFA, Germany: Oxfam, Ghana: GNECC, India: NCE, Indonesia: E-Net for Justice, Ireland: Irish GCE Coalition, Japan: JNNE, Kenya: Elimu Yetu Coalition, Lesotho: LEFA, Liberia: ALPO, Malawi: CSCQBE, Mali: ASSAFE, Mozambique: MEPT, Nigeria: CSACEFA, Pakistan: EFA Network, Philippines: E-Net, Sierra Leone: EFA Network, South Africa: GCE-SA, Spain: Spanish GCE Coalition, Sweden: Swedish EFA Forum, Tanzania: TEN/MET, Togo: CNT/CME, Uganda: FENU, UK: GCE-UK, Zambia: ZANEC
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