Today,
July 14, is Malala Day. It is a day to stand up for education and say to the world:
“We are stronger than the enemies of education and stronger than the forces that
threaten girls, boys and women from leading happy and productive lives.”
It
is a day for all children, everywhere, to raise their voices and be heard.
MalalaYousafzai
is an advocate for universal education and girls' rights. The young Pakistani
girl was targeted for her activism. In October 2012, the Taliban boarded her
school bus and shot her and two other girls. But after recovering, Malala was
back at school and continues to campaign for every child’s right to education.
Globally,
one in five girls around the world is denied an education by the daily
realities of poverty, discrimination and violence. Every
day, young girls are missing from education, isolated from their friends,
forced into marriage and subjected to violence.
Not
only is this unjust, it is a waste of potential with serious global
consequences. Supporting girls' education is one of the single best investments
to help end poverty.
I
believe in the power of education as a force for good in the world and the right
for all children to get a good quality education, no matter where they are and
what the circumstances.
I
believe that the most precious gift you can give a child is the capability to
read and write. There is magic in holding a book and reading a story.
I
have seen firsthand how losing the ability to read and write is like giving up on life.
Millions of girls are being denied an education when it has the power to transform their lives and the world
around them. Making it through both primary and secondary education is critical
to girls being able to help break the cycle of poverty.
A girl who makes it through both
high quality primary and secondary education is...
- less likely to experience violence or marry and have children whilst she is still a child,
- more likely to be literate, healthy and survive into adulthood, as are her children,
- more likely to reinvest her income back into her family, community and country, and
- more likely to understand her rights and be a force for change.
Last year, on July
12, 2013 Malala turned 16. To celebrate Malala Day, the global
community came together to highlight the leading role youth can play in
enabling all children to get an education.
Malala
marked the day by giving her first public speech since the shooting dedicated
to the importance of universal education at the United Nations Headquarters in
New York.
"The
terrorists thought they would change my aims and stop my ambitions, but nothing
changed in my life except this: weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength,
power and courage was born... I am not against anyone, neither am I here to
speak in terms of personal revenge against the Taliban or any other terrorist
group. I'm here to speak up for the right of education for every child. I want
education for the sons and daughters of the Taliban and all terrorists and
extremists," Malala said in her speech.
In
support of the UN Secretary-General’s Global Education First Initiative, international
youth leaders convened at the UN and in cities around the world in support of
reaching the goal of having all children, especially girls, in school and
learning by 2015.
Malala also presented the UN chamber with a Youth Resolution of
education demands written by Youth for Youth, in a process coordinated by the UN Global Education First Youth Advocacy Group, telling
her audience:
"Malala Day is not my day. Today is the day of every woman,
every boy and every girl who have raised their voice for their rights."
The Youth
Resolution: The Education We Want, is a call by young people for a response to
the education emergency. It says:
* * *
Today, 61 million children and young people are
denied the right to education.
If world leaders, governments, civil
society and the global community do not take decisive action now, the result is
clear: the largest generation of youth in human history will be exposed
to unemployment, poor health, civil unrest and increased vulnerability. We
firmly believe that education is the most effective solution to
poverty. We cannot afford to not educate the future generations of
our planet -- education is a smart investment.
We therefore call on all governments,
individuals, and organizations responsible for policy, planning, financing,
provision, management, delivery and implementation of education to work to:
1. Pass a Security
Council resolution that recognizes the global education crisis and take
concrete steps to address education and security, particularly for girls and in
situations of emergency.
2. Get EVERY child in
school
Work urgently to ensure all children have
access to quality learning, including the 61 million excluded boys and
girls.
Provide at least nine years of quality
education to
every child, where they are equipped with the resources, environment and
professional support they require to learn and thrive.
3. Address the special situation
of girls and other marginalized groups
Guarantee gender equality by
recognizing and respecting the rights and potential of all girls as equals of
boys, and by taking real steps to enable and support all girls to become
active, educated and productive citizens of their country and of the world.
Place particular emphasis on education
for marginalize children [including girls; poorer children; child laborers and
slaves; those living in disadvantaged areas, in informal settlements or on the
street; pregnant girls and girls with their own children; children with
disabilities; indigenous children, lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgendered young people and children and young people affected by
emergencies and conflict] whose absence from the classroom
has not yet been effectively addressed. Steps they take must tackle
obstructions to their education and cater for their specific needs to guarantee
their learning is worthwhile, fulfilling and contributes to their development.
4. Ensure that we learn to
prepare us for life and work
Support the availability and improvement of
non-formal and vocational education and training. Governments
must recognize the importance of practical training and how this can complement
academic education and sustain existing industries. Governments must ensure
that any vocational education that students receive matches the high standards
expected of academic education, and that it is conducted safely and is properly
documented.
Connect education more directly with the labor
market to
ensure that all children and young people can seek opportunities after
completing their education through, for example, internships, volunteering and
mentorships, as well as being able to gain the formal accreditation and
qualifications they may require for their future. Effective career guidance and
planning should allow children and young people to consider their ambitions and
options, and give them direction on how they can pursue and achieve their goals
for the future.
Develop and promote citizenship education as a way
of educating children and young people on the important realities of life, to
reduce extremism, to promote equality and respect, to ensure children are aware
of their rights and responsibilities, to help them to realize their position as
a citizen of the world and to enhance their emotional and physical well-being.
Recruit and rigorously train teachers who
implement the highest standards of teaching, are in attendance and available to
all of their students, and who protect the rights of every student.
5. Increase education
funding
Donor countries should increase aid allocation
to education. All governments should individually and justly target funding and
resources to
close spending gaps, which put children at a disadvantage because of the location
of their school, conflict and other factors, and must prevent the leakage,
wastage or misdirection of financial resources resulting from inefficiency or
corruption.
6. Guarantee our voice in shaping
education
Meaningfully engage young people in shaping our
own education by facilitating processes and installing
structures which allow youth to contribute their opinions, to influence the
direction of their own education and to have a say in the nature of the school
and the curriculum. Students must have an avenue through which they can
indicate concerns, report inappropriate or unprofessional behavior or seek a
resolution to a grievance without prejudice and in confidence.
We firmly believe that education is the most
effective solution to poverty. We want a world where children and young people
are both in school and are engaging -- where we are both being taught, and are
learning.
We are convinced that these steps will enhance
access to and the quality of education systems, will ensure that no child is
left behind and will make the world a fairer, more just, educated, productive
and better place.
Our future cannot wait.
We have to deliver this promise.
Governments of the world have to deliver this
promise.
* * *
With so many children out of school due to violence
and wars all over the world -- most notably now in Syria and Palestine -- reaching the goal of having all children, especially girls, in
school and learning by 2015 is quite a challenge. But it is one well worth trying to
achieve.
Related
posts and references:
Educate girls for a
better world -- October 11, 2013
Malala: Education is
the only solution -- July 13, 2013
March 8: Women's
rights non-negotiable -- March 8, 2013
Tale of 2 visions:
For and against women -- December 19, 2012
A Nobel Peace Prize
for Malala and Hina -- October 29, 2012
The Power of We… for
education
-- October 15, 2012
