In most countries, indigenous people are not members of the dominant, majority groups. Although they may consider themselves "nations", they have no status as States and often have no voice through their governments. In fact Indigenous People have not before been allowed to represent their own interests directly to any major body of the United Nations In many parts of the world today, Indigenous Peoples are engaged in a complex fight to find a balance between their cultural identity and customs and burgeoning pressure to assimilate into the world order, ruled by free-market mechanisms.

Costa Rica is one of the most stable and robust democracies in Latin America, with a long-standing commitment to economic growth and social development. . It has also succeeded in establishing a legal framework that complies with the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and other international standards. Its development objectives coincide with the commitments established for the Millennium Goals. In spite of being much ahead of its Latin American neighbours in these fields, the Central American country faces new inequalities and challenges as it strives to sustain growth, further reduce poverty and promote social equity in an increasingly integrated and competitive global economy.

Given this scenario, the role of education assumes added importance. UNICEF country-wide figures for Costa Rica state that three out of every 10 children drop out of school before completing basic general education and eight of them do not complete secondary studies within the allotted time frame. Disturbingly, some 40 per cent of adolescents have left the education system, even though flexible policies have increased. An augmentation in policies has been accompanied by increased social and territorial inequalities as Costa Rica strives to formulate a sustainable framework to accommodate its indigenous, urban and migrant population into the global economy.

As part of the weeklong Global Action Week 2005 activities on the theme of “Educate to Eradicate Poverty” Global March partner DNI Costa Rica organized a Child Forum on the Right to Education in Costa Rica” on April 25th in the capital city of San Jose. About 160 students from various schools, education centers and young members of civil society organizations and community groups participated in the event. After a round of brainstorming and discussion on the different aspects of Costa Rican education, the participants successfully formulated a Declaration on the Right to Education in Costa Rica, in it expressing the shortcomings and requirements.

To see GAW 2005 photographs visit www.dnicostarica.org/

DNI Costa Rica is the sub-regional coordinator of the Global March Against Child Labour for Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean.