| 28
November 2002
Representatives of the international donor
community, meeting in Brussels today announced
that they have agreed to finance efforts
in 7 countries in Africa and Latin America
- Burkina Faso, Guinea, Guyana, Honduras,
Mauritania, Nicaragua, and Niger - to
educate all their children, as part of
the Education For All Fast Track initiative.
There are currently 4 million children
out of school in these countries, and
US$400 million is needed over three years
to implement education for all plans in
these countries.
This
is a tiny step in the struggle to deliver
an education for all 113 million children
in the world who do not currently attend
school, but there is still no clarity
where the additional money will come from.
None of the world's rich countries made
a concrete pledge today.
Ask
George Bush, Jacques Chirac, Tony Blair,
or Gerhard Schroeder what the single most
important thing they could do for poor
countries, and they would all say educate
every child. But today their representatives
have complacently turned their backs on
millions of children in Latin America,
Africa, and Asia who do not go to school.
"The
chance to make a difference in the lives
of millions of children was handed to
rich countries on a silver platter. Their
refusal to respond is scandalous and hypocritical.
Rich countries have flunked the education
test." said Kailash Satyarthi, Chair
of the Global Campaign for Education.
The Global Campaign for Education is a
worldwide alliance of NGOs and trade unions
active in more than 150 countries.
Members
of the GCE's elected Board are: Actionaid
Alliance, African Networks Campaign for
Education for All (ANCEFA), Asia-Pacific
Bureau for Adult Education (ASPBAE), Brazilian
National Campaign for the Right to Education,
Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE
Bangladesh), Education International,
Global March Against Child Labour, Oxfam
International, South African National
NGO Coalition (SANGOCO).
Media
Contacts:
In
Brussels: Louise Hilditch, Coordinator,
ActionAid Alliance, Tel. GSM+32(0)495
160 845
Jo
Leadbeater, Head of Office, Oxfam International,Tel.
GSM +32 (0)497 42 23 29
Dominique
Marlet, Education International, Tel.
GSM +32 (0) 477 50 64 16
In
the USA: Oliver Buston, Oxfam International,
Tel +1 202 496 1175
http://www.campaignforeducation.org
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