In the News

The UN Secretary-General has defined the crisis in Gaza not just as a humanitarian crisis, but rather as a crisis of humanity. According to UN Secretary-General António Guterres: “Gaza is becoming a graveyard for children. Hundreds of girls and boys are reportedly being killed or injured every day.” This continued trend of violence and disregard for international humanitarian law and human life has enveloped our world.

According to UNICEF, at least 120,000 children have been killed or maimed by wars since 2005. On average, that is almost 20 lives lost every day. Furthermore, in her remarks to the UN Security Council on 30 October, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell pointed out that ”… more than 420 children are being killed or injured in Gaza every day – a number which should shake each of us to our core.”

The UN Secretary-General has defined the crisis in Gaza not just as a humanitarian crisis, but rather as a crisis of humanity. According to UN Secretary-General António Guterres: “Gaza is becoming a graveyard for children. Hundreds of girls and boys are reportedly being killed or injured every day.” This continued trend of violence and disregard for international humanitarian law and human life has enveloped our world.

According to UNICEF, at least 120,000 children have been killed or maimed by wars since 2005. On average, that is almost 20 lives lost every day. Furthermore, in her remarks to the UN Security Council on 30 October, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell pointed out that ”… more than 420 children are being killed or injured in Gaza every day – a number which should shake each of us to our core.”

"During tough crises, getting to school not only provides physical protection for many children: for some, it also represents a safety net for mental health, psycho-social protection or access to nutritious meals. This is particularly true for girls, who are more exposed to threats during hard times. Education Cannot Wait develops its holistic approach along these lines. This is why France supports ECW.

In the years to come, we commit to sustain these efforts for education. France is currently reviewing its international strategy for education: in this context, we particularly aim at providing access to quality, equitable and inclusive education, with a strong emphasis on teachers’ training and gender equality – including in emergencies and protracted crises."

Every child needs encouragement and support to develop and be proud of their own identity. Every human being has a story to tell. Those who were not emotionally equipped to tell their story, I believe, are the most likely to resort to violence, to lack empathy or to commit acts of inhumanity. As Carl Jung said: “The reason for evil in this world is that people are not able to tell their stories.” A similar conclusion was made by Erich Fromm, who stated that “Destructiveness is the outcome of an unlived life.”

This is the untold story. Now it shapes a world divided.

The highest price is being paid by innocent children and adolescents. Instead of learning safely in school, telling their story and developing their potentials in preparation for life – millions are living in an inferno of inhumanity, where one of the most realistic options is simply to prepare for death.

This is indeed a crisis of humanity.

Yasmine Sherif is Executive Director Education Cannot Wait (ECW)

Adnan Ameen, Chief Executive Officer of COP28, said: “Education is a critical driver to build the skills needed for the future climate economy. In this context, we are delighted to be working with Dubai Cares to bring the second edition of the RewirEd Summit to COP28. This will be a key opportunity to rally the solutions that can empower today’s learners and accelerate actions that will determine our planet’s future.”

Ministers and high-level dignitaries to join the discussions along with a diverse line-up of speakers from other sectors 

Some of the key speakers include: Hon. Philip J. Pierre, Prime Minister of St. Lucia; H.E. Bhupender Yadav, Minister of Labor and Employment, Environment, Forest and Climate Change, India; H.E. Cheikh Oumar Anne, Minister of National Education, Senegal; H.E. João Marques da Costa, Minister of Education, Portugal; Hon. Awut Deng Achuil, Minister of General Education and Instruction, South Sudan; H.E. Pohamba Penomwenyo Shifeta, Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director, Education Cannot Wait

We must take stronger action to end violence against girls and women through the UN 16 Days of Activism campaign – running from the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls (25 November) until Human Rights Day (10 December). We urge leaders everywhere to take firm, concrete action to put all the human rights of girls and women – especially their right to 12 years of safe, quality education – at the forefront of the international agenda.

This year's theme is 'Invest to Prevent Violence against Women and Girls.' By investing in safe schools, protective learning environments, and mental health and psychosocial support – through holistic, quality education that empowers girls to be confident of their rights and have the power to claim them – we can truly empower an entire generation of future women leaders.

Every child needs encouragement and support to develop and be proud of their own identity. Every human being has a story to tell. Those who were not emotionally equipped to tell their story, I believe, are the most likely to resort to violence, to lack empathy or to commit acts of inhumanity. As Carl Jung said: “The reason for evil in this world is that people are not able to tell their stories.” A similar conclusion was made by Erich Fromm, who stated that “Destructiveness is the outcome of an unlived life.”

This is the untold story. Now it shapes a world divided.

The highest price is being paid by innocent children and adolescents. Instead of learning safely in school, telling their story and developing their potentials in preparation for life – millions are living in an inferno of inhumanity, where one of the most realistic options is simply to prepare for death.

This is indeed a crisis of humanity.

Yasmine Sherif is Executive Director Education Cannot Wait (ECW)

La presentación de resultados realizada en la Biblioteca Pública, Julio Pérez Ferrero, el pasado 22 de noviembre, en el marco del programa “La educación no puede esperar”, que desde hace tres años viene apoyando los esfuerzos del Ministerio de Educación Nacional, para llegar a más niñas, niños y jóvenes que no asistían a la escuela, fue todo un éxito y llamó la atención de la población cucuteña.

Dentro de su ejecución, tiene como prioridad a personas migrantes y refugiadas provenientes de Venezuela, al igual que el apoyo a la niñez más vulnerable de la comunidad de acogida, con un enfoque especial a personas en condición de discapacidad.

Organizaciones como el Comité Permanente para la Defensa de Derechos Humanos (CDH), el Alto Comisionado de las Naciones Unidas para los Refugiados (ACNUR) y Education Cannot Wait (ECW)  han ayudado a financiar el proyecto de capacitación a madres voluntarias para refuerzo escolar por dos años. También entregaron kits escolares e insumos educativos y trabajaron juntos en iniciativas de asistencia a personas con casos de vulnerabilidad médica, psicológica, alimenticia. También colaboraron con quienes les faltaba dinero para pagar el alquiler, entre otras causas que Santos ha encontrado en el barrio.

WeWorld si impegna a promuovere e proteggere il diritto all’Educazione di bambine e ragazze in tutto il mondo, soprattutto nei contesti più fragili: facciamo parte della rete ChildFund Alliance, che supporta bambini, bambine e le loro famiglie a contrastare la povertà e a poter sviluppare tutto il proprio potenziale; della coalizione Campagna Globale per l’Educazione, con la quale abbiamo chiesto all’Italia di difendere e promuovere il diritto all’Educazione anche in contesti di emergenza e crisi protratte, attraverso un primo contributo di almeno 15 milioni di euro (3,75 l’anno) totali per i prossimi 4 anni a Education Cannot Wait, il fondo globale delle Nazioni Unite per l’istruzione nelle emergenze e nelle crisi protratte. Solo nel 2021, Education Cannot Wait ha raggiunto 3,7 milioni di bambini, bambine e adolescenti in 32 Paesi colpiti da crisi (di cui il 48,9% ragazze).

After opening messages from Ambassador Thöni, and Armando Soto Boutin, Head of Cooperation and International Affairs, Ministry of Education, Colombia, the audience heard a video message from Ibrahim, Deputy Speaker of National Children Parliament, Nigeria.

Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director, Education Cannot Wait, also delivered a video message.

“It is high time to see the interrelation between the climate crisis and the education crisis,” she said. “They’re not separate, they are one – and if you are going to invest in climate change you have to invest part of that in education.”

“Under international humanitarian laws and the Safe Schools Declaration, civilians — in particular children, schools, and school personnel — must be protected. What we are seeing in this conflict are bombs pounding the most densely populated area on earth, schools and other civilian infrastructures being attacked, and an entire population being trapped in the most dire conditions, with no safe place to flee to. Surviving children are maimed, orphaned, or have lost close and extended family. Horrors of unimaginable proportion are unfolding before our eyes,” Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait, the UN global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises, tells IPS.