MAY 2007
What an amazing few weeks!
Firstly let me congratulate everyone’s efforts in making Global Action Week, once again, a resounding success. The week was truly inspiring for those involved and those targeted. Campaigners around the world found amazing ways to make their actions innovative, and powerful. People JOINED UP and held hands across country boarders, around national parliaments and their local schools. You’ll find a few of the highlights in the campaign section of this newsletter.
Secondly a huge thanks and well done to all those of you who helped put pressure on donors in the lead-up and at the meeting ‘Keeping Promises on Education’ on the 2nd May. I accompanied 15 remarkable young campaigners from around the world as they came and addressed Ministers in Brussels. Sadly two of them were forced to tears, at the lack of serious commitments made at this meeting.
Yet whilst donors have failed to act on their own promises, the campaign is growing in strength and momentum. This year we were privileged to have several global advocates including Graca Machel, and Amadou and Marium (world re-known Malian musicians and education rights campaigners) JOIN UP with us. In the US Angelina Jolie called for Education rights for Orphans, whilst Bono called for a new Education Bill during Global Action Week.
Whist governments continue to live with their empty promises, we continue to remind them and push for change every step of the way. Next stops include the African Finance Ministers Meeting in Ghana and the G8 meeting in Germany. I’ll see you in the line-up as we once again continue to JOIN UP for education rights – now!
Yours faithfully,
Kailash Satyarthi
(President of GCE)
CONTENTS
| POLICY NEWS |
- Donor Conference 2nd May
- 2007 School Report Launched
- Africa Finance Ministers Meeting
- Lobbying the G8 Meeting
- Dubai ruler donates $10-billion to boost education in Arab world
| CAMPAIGN NEWS |
| GCE NEWS |
| POLICY NEWS |
Donor Conference   |
‘Keeping Promises on Education’, is exactly what donors failed to do on the 2nd May. Louis Michel chaired the meeting of that name, and it was attended by Gordon Brown, Paul Wolfowitz and Education and Finance ministers. Being the first donor conference on education in five years, hopes were high for a breakthrough on EFA. Graca Machel addressed the ministers at the conference from Mozambique:
Dear Ministers, in 2000 I sat with you in Dakar when you made the Education for All commitments. You promised that no developing country would be stopped to make these commitments because of a lack of resources. Seven years later, we're still waiting for these resources. Remarkable children from Colombia, India, Ghana, Kenya and Germany also gave stories of how education had changed their lives, and asked for money to be made available. 15 year old Freeman Gadri could not have put it better: “I worked as a fisher boy from when I was five years old, until I was liberated by the Agricultural Workers’ Union of Ghana who took me home and helped me start school. Education is what makes me able to stand before you and speak or write letters to those in power. It gives me freedom of speech. Rich countries should support poor countries because without education nothing moves.” But sadly rich countries put far less effort into the conference. Of the 22 OECD countries, just 7 were represented at Ministerial level. Germany and the EC pledged $11 million and $30 million respectively to the Fast-Track Initiative’s Catalytic Fund – this is welcome but still far short of the $750 million needed to fill the financing gaps of all FTI endorsed countries this year. Japan committed the negligible sums of $1.2 million to each of the two FTI Funds. And an interesting contribution was made by billionaire philanthropist George Soros, who has offered to contribute $5 million to Liberia’s education plan as long as donors offer to match his pledge. Meanwhile the Netherlands, UK and Norway, publicized their prior commitments which demonstrate what can be achieved with strong political will. GCE’s analysis suggests that the new money pledged at this conference will assist in getting up to 1 million children into school; although this achievement is not to be sniffed at, the sad reality is that this will scarcely make a dent on the total of 80 million still waiting at the school gates. Abbi, a young campaigner from the UK, spoke for all of GCE when she left: One thing’s certain; we aren’t going to stop fighting until everyone gets an education. Read GCE’s verdict statement here |
2007 School Report Launched: Not Up to Scratch |
On the eve of the donor conference GCE launched the new School Report 2007: Not up to Scratch. The new report slates world leaders’ performance in funding education – showing a significant fall in rich countries aid to basic education in recent years. Of the richest countries US, Japan, Germany and Italy sit at the back of the class, collectively giving only 10% of their fair share of the amount needed to achieve Education for All.
Children, donors and civil society leaders gathered at the ‘the Centre’ in Brussels, including the Niger and Mozambique Ministers of Education: Mr Ousmane Mamadou Samba and Mr Aires Bonifacio Ali. Musicians from Mali Amadou and Mariam spoke before giving a stunning performance. Download GCE’s new school report here |
African Finance Ministers Meeting (30-31st May) |
This meeting comes exactly one year after the high level Meeting of finance and education ministers last year in Abuja. Last year’s communiqué contained a commitment by 20 African countries (later joined by another 4) to develop 10-year education plans – these were to demonstrate how Africa could meet the education for all targets with increased resources. After a report on some of these plans in Singapore in October last year, a full progress report is now needed. As education has not been proritised at the Accra meeting, national coalitions are writing to their finance ministers to support the GCE and ANCEFA proposal to give education more space at the meeting, remind ministers of their pledges during Global Action Week and for updates on the latest 10 year plans. As internal financing for good quality education for all is crucial, GCE and ANCEFA also hope to organize a side meeting at the Accra meeting. |
Lobbying G8 Ministers |
Many of GCE’s campaigners have been sending messages to the upcoming G8 meeting to demand the G8 leaders keep their promises on education for all. Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel has tens of thousands of personal requests for action via the GCE JOIN-UP online action. If you haven’t already added your voice please do so.
National coalitions in G7 countries have been pressurizing their governments. They also collectively wrote lobby letters to their Finance Ministers ahead of their meeting at Postdam on the 18th-19th May. On the 31st May children from Germany and Malawi will JOIN UP outside the world famous Brandenburg Gate drawing Merkel’s attention to the millions of campaigners who are now demanding she show leadership getting everyone to school. They will then lead a procession of some of the paper chains made all round the world before handing them into Angela Merkel’s office. |
Dubai ruler donates $10-billion to boost education in Arab world |
Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed, recently made the largest charitable donation in the Muslim world. At the recent Jordan World Economic Forum, on the 19th May, he announced $10 billion of his own money would be spent on education in the Arab world. He hopes the new foundation will help close the wide chasm in education and development between the Arab world and the West: "There is a wide knowledge gap between us and the developed world in the West and Asia. Our only choice is to bridge this gap as quickly as possible, because our age is defined by knowledge," he said. |
| CAMPAIGN NEWS |
Global Action Week 2007
 Spain  Bangladesh  Norway  Ivory Coast |
Join-Up for Education Rights is exactly what we did – in the masses, across countries, as all ages and nationalities stood side by side during Global Action Week.
Here is just a small glimpse of some of the events:
In the DRC more than 1000 students surrounded parliament (the People’s Palace) and addressed the Secretary General on demands for money for schooling – the media coverage was immense – being shown on seven television channels. Schools across France Joined-Up in song, as they sang the same song on Education for All at exactly the same time! More than 100 schools took part in Greece – from Corfu to Crete school children stopped traffic as their human-chains grew longer and longer. In Ireland children delivered three giant cut-out ‘friends’ called ‘Ed’, ‘Kate’ and ‘Sean’ to (Prime Minister), the Minister for Development Cooperation and the Minister for Education and asked them to JOIN UP! Children in Lebanon acted out the importance of education and demanded their Minister of education reinforce the law for free and compulsory education. In Mexico thousands of teachers paraded, whilst thousands of children were marching and holding-hands in Niger. Campaigners were busy in Pakistan walking, petitioning and addressing the Minster for Education. Across Thailand one thousands paper chains were made with messages demanding education, and delivered to the Prime Minister. Amongst the remarkable events was a 3000 people forming a human chain across the border between Gambia and Senegal. A famous comedian and musician addressed the crowd and demanded better quality education in both countries. Read more updates click here and see more pictures here Do please keep sending in your Action Week reports – it’s vital we get all the tallies of everyone involved, and what your governments – national or local – have done for education in response to your demands. Please email these to actionweek@campaignforeducation.org. Please also keep adding your chains to the website www.campaignforeducation.org/joinup Please give feedback on GAW We're now seeking feedback on GAW 2007 and ideas suggestions for GAW 2008. Please fill in our survey that is available here and return to the new Action Week Coordinator, Muleya Mwananyanda by the 5th June. |
WB & IMF Spring Meetings |
Outside the World Bank and IMF spring meetings in Washington in mid-April, campaigners acted the scene by which the world’s seven richest countries are blocking children from poorest countries go to school. Reporters and photographers including the news agencies covered the event – and it helped add pressure for action on education. Thanks to the various individuals and organizations that helped make it happen including Gene Sperling, Comic Relief and DATA. |
Bono calls for Education Bill in US  |
In the USA Bono and Hillary Clinton JOINED together to launch a push for a new global education bill. The new bill is proposed by sponsors from both republican and democrat political parties and if successful would avail $10 billion over 5 years of USA money being spent on education in poor countries. If this bill becomes law, the US would finally move away from the bottom of GCE’s donor school report card. |
| GCE NEWS |
GCE World Assembly |
The dates for the GCE’s 3rd World Assembly have been announced. It is taking place 22nd – 24th January 2008 in Novotel Jaragua Hotel, Sao Paulo, Brazil. All GCE’s members meet once every three years to determine the future direction of the campaign. For more details of the assembly and to register please email Yunus@campaignforeducation.org |
| Changes to GCE Staff | GCE welcomes two new members to the team: Muleya Mwananyanda the new Global Action Week Coordinator contactable on Muleya@campaignforeducation.org, and Khanyisile Masinga the new GCE Administrator contactable on Khanyi@campaignforeducation.org. Sadly we say good bye to Emily Johnsson who has been a great help during the last two months on Action Week and the Donor Conference |
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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