Rewrite the Future - Save the Children UK

Why care? Millions of children around the
world suffer the wars of adults. Caught in a cycle
of poverty and conflict, it can seem as though
their future has already been written for them.
But with education, these children can rewrite
their future.
“I just want to go to school” children
have told us again and again, even in the midst
of a conflict.They deserve quality education that
can keep them safe, help them recover from their
experiences of war, and empower them to build
a more peaceful and prosperous future in
their community.
It can be done Together with you and
many others, we have improved the quality
of education for 5.7 million children including
getting 815,000 children into school. We are
also co-leading the Global Education Cluster
ensuring education continues even in the
midst of emergencies.
Change around the world From the G8
to the UN Security Council, we have secured
high-profile recognition of the importance of
education for children affected by armed conflict.
And in the past year we have seen significant
policy or funding changes by governments in
Colombia, Liberia, Uganda and the United States.
Thank you – and please help us do more
We couldn’t do any of the things you will read
about in this report without the help of our
supporters who have so far contributed $300
million. Individuals, community organisations,
partners, governments, corporations, foundations
and trusts are all playing an important part.
More action is needed – today Two years
ago, 43 million children were out of school
in conflict-affected countries – today, 37 million
children. This is progress, but for children
in conflict it is too slow. Urgent action is needed
to reach the world’s Millennium Development
Goal of universal primary education by 2015.
Millions of children around the world suffer from the wars of adults.
Caught in a cycle of poverty and conflict, it can seem as though their
future has already been written for them. But with education,
these children can rewrite their future.
Two years ago we set out to open the world’s
eyes. Too often education for children in
conflict-affected countries had been ignored
or not prioritised. “Too difficult”, “too many
other children to help”,“too many other things
children in conflict need before education.”
As a result, one child in every three in these
countries is missing out on education.
Today, 37 million children are missing
out on school in countries affected by armed
conflict – more than half of all the children
out of school worldwide.
We joined forces around the world.We have
been working with other international
organisations and coalitions, with the UN,
with governments, national and local partners,
teachers, parents and children.
By working together, we are making a difference
to millions of children’s lives.
Two years on, this report shows what we
have achieved together. And what we need
to do now.
But the future can be rewritten. It is possible
to provide education for the hardest to reach
children. Save the Children has done it for
generations of children and we have seen the
benefit they get from it. Education can make
children safer and happier today, and helps
children grow up into adults who build more
prosperous, more peaceful societies
of tomorrow.
“I just want to go to school”. It’s
what children and parents ask for.
Education is a right.
Going to school gives children
a sense of normality.
Education can protect
against exploitation and
military recruitment.
Education can build peace,
promote conflict resolution,
tolerance and human rights.
Education can break the cycle
of poverty.
Education contributes to
good governance.
So two years ago Save the Children launched
our first global campaign, Rewrite the Future.
To open people’s eyes to the needs and rights
of children living with the effects of war and
conflict.To make a direct difference to 8 million
children’s lives by improving their quality of
education – getting 3 million of these children
into school who weren’t before.To persuade
governments and international organisations
to mobilise resources and provide
education themselves.
Education transforms
children's lives
Luka, 16, from southern Sudan
Photo: Felicia Webb
The power of education
“There was the war between the government
forces – the Mujahideen – and the SPLA
(Sudan People’s Liberation Army). The
Mujahideen came often and they would loot,
drive away cattle, burn houses, kill people and
abduct others. I realised that the Mujahideen
could get me, so the only thing left for me was to
join the SPLA and fight them.
I could manage a heavy gun, and would spend
a week at a time on the frontline. I went to the
frontline three times but I was never frightened,
even though I saw children killed.
In the end I began to think it would have
been better for me to go to school. I thought
an education might get me a better life. I got
out of the army when I was 13, by escaping.
There were three of us and we walked for
weeks until we reached home.
We now have two concrete classrooms built
and I’m very happy the building is up. School
has changed my life. It’s taught me it’s not good
to get weapons and go to fight.And that people
should live peacefully.”
Adults with primary education
without
earn twice as much as adults
Together with you and many others, we have improved the quality
of education for 5.7 million children including getting 815,000
children into school. We are also co-leading the Global Education
Cluster ensuring education continues even in the midst of emergencies.
Children’s lives aren’t put on hold during
a war and in the aftermath. Nor should
their education – it can and must continue.
Ultimately it is the responsibility of
governments to provide children’s education.
But when that isn’t possible we find solutions,
in partnership with the education authorities,
to make sure children can continue to learn.
To make a direct difference to children affected
by war and conflict, Save the Children’s target
is to provide quality education to 8 million
children in more than 20 conflict-affected
countries by 2010 – giving access to education
for 3 million children out of school. We do
many things, from teacher training to providing
school materials to working with parent-teacher
associations – doing what works locally.
So far, we have improved the quality of
education for 5.7 million children, giving them
a real chance to learn. Of these children, we have
given access to education for 815,000 children
who were out of school. Because of the
challenges of the places we are working, it will
take us beyond 2010 to get 3 million children
into school. But we are determined to do it
and our success so far has shown it is possible.
With your support, we will reach our target.
Working together with you, these are just some
of the achievements we made in 2007:
We gave 78,000 children displaced by war
a better education, including children forced
to flee from Iraq living in Jordan, Lebanon
and Syria.
We trained over 25,000 teachers around
the world Good teachers are one of the keys
to children’s education.
We constructed almost 1,000 classrooms
across Angola, Cambodia, Indonesia, Southern
Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.
We rehabilitated 778 schools damaged by
conflict in Côte d’Ivoire, Haiti, Liberia, Nepal
and Sri Lanka
We provided school materials including
learning kits, uniforms and school bags for
30,700 students in Sudan and school kits
for 13,400 children in Côte d’Ivoire.
We made schools safe We have trained
over 1,000 teachers in Nepal to make schools
a protective learning environment.
We got communities involved In Côte
d’Ivoire we collaborated with the Ministry
of Education to train 200 people to contribute
to their local school committee, making their
local school a better place for children to learn.
We developed curriculums that work
In Sri Lanka, we have supported the Ministry
of Education to develop and put in place
a curriculum to teach 350,000 children vital
life skills.
We helped shape national education
strategies In Afghanistan, the Ministry
of Education asked us to help draft the
country’s first national policy on education
for very young children.
These are a few highlights of our Rewrite the
Future programmes in more than 20 countries.
Find out more from our Rewrite the Future
2007 Monitoring Report at
www.savethechildren.net/rewritethefuture
Rewrite the Future was publicly launched
in September 2006. Our Rewrite the Future
programmes began in 2005. Total numbers
of children reached are for calendar
years 2005-2007.
to school We have got 815,000 children in
s every day
equivalent to opening two school
Brenda, 10, from Kenya
Photo: Frederic Courbet/Panos
Cluster keeps hopes alive
Brenda, 10, would like to become a teacher.
But her dream was threatened when conflict
broke out in Kenya in January 2008, forcing
Brenda and thousands of other children to flee
their homes. Many schools were closed –
occupied by displaced families, burned
or vandalized.
But education does not have to stop.
Save the Children and UNICEF are co-leading
on a Global Education Cluster – part of
humanitarian reform, to ensure predictability
and quality of education in emergencies. During
the Kenya conflict, together we responded
to the emergency, working closely with the
Ministry of Education, District Education Offices
and other non-governmental organisations.
We set up temporary schools in tents. We
provided basic materials to kickstart education
activities.And 1,000 displaced teachers started
to teach. Through those joint efforts, nearly
100,000 affected children could continue their
education. Brenda was happy to get back in
school. She is looking forward to the future – and
the chance of being a teacher herself one day.
For more information, see our report
Delivering Education in Emergencies at
www.savethechildren.net/rewritethefuture
Cited statistics. Above: Save the Cihldren (2008)
Rewrite the Future Monitoring Report 2007.
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From the G8 to the UN Security Council, we have secured
high-profile recognition of the importance of education for children
affected by armed conflict. And in the past year we have seen
significant policy or funding changes by governments in Colombia,
Liberia, Uganda and the United States.
In the United States, with the active support
of Save the Children, Congress increased aid
for basic education from $460 million to $694
million a year. Congress also re-introduced the
Education for All Act which would greatly
increase assistance to education, including
prioritising countries affected by conflict.
At the UN in New York, the Security Council
recognised the “important role of education
in armed conflict“ to prevent children being
recruited as child soldiers.
In Guatemala, Save the Children staff persuaded the Ministry of Education to hire
bilingual teachers for schools with indigenous children, who cannot learn in Spanish –
an important issue in a country where ethnic differences played a part in the conflict.
In Colombia, Save the Children played a pivotal
role in the Alliance for Children to secure
a new Children and Adolescent’s Law which
was passed by the Colombian Congress,
and the approval of a national policy on
education for very young children.
In Dakar the EFA Meeting in December 2007 recognised that “Situations of conflict
and post-conflict present special challenges and opportunities for reconstruction and
require appropriate responses and resources to safeguard the right to education for
all children”
In Liberia, Save the Children, in collaboration with other organisations, successfully
campaigned to abolish the fee for primary school leaving examinations and advocated
for all Liberians to pay the education tax – approximately 16 US cents per year.
Photo: Amadou Mbodj/Save theChildren
Conflict-affected fragile states where more than
37 million children are out of school.
Sixty years of promises
- just over six years left
In 1948 world leaders promised education
for all in the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights and have repeated that promise in many
international declarations over the past sixty
years. In 2000, governments worldwide set
themselves the Millennium Development Goal
of universal primary education by 2015 – just
over six years away.
In the past year Save the Children has helped
secure further international commitments.
The Education For All meeting in Dakar
recognised that “situations of conflict and
post-conflict present special challenges and
opportunities for reconstruction and require
appropriate responses and resources.” A UN
General Assembly panel on the Millennium
Development Goals in April 2008 stated that
“countries emerging from conflict urgently
require better long-term support and better
modalities for delivering aid.”
But the international community is not
on track. Save the Children estimates that
at the current rate of progress, at least 30
million children will still be out of school in
2015. Urgent action is needed now to deliver
on these commitments – not just more words.
Five of the G8 governments
irshare of education aid
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In Denmark, Save the Children helped make
sure that fragile states, education, children
and youth were highlighted in the Danish
government’s new Africa strategy.
In Norway, Save the Children influenced
parliament to continue to make education
a priority for Norwegian development assistance.
At the UN in Geneva, the Special Rapporteur
on the Right to Education published a special
report in June 2008 on education in
emergencies leading to the adoption of a new
resolution by the Human Rights Council.
In Italy, Save the Children delivered a petition
of 10,000 signatures to the government which
helped secure increased funding by the Italian
government for the Education For All Fast Track
Initiative (FTI).
In Japan in July 2008 the G8 promised in their
final Communiqué to “pay specific attention
to countries affected by conflicts or crisis,
to girls and to marginalized populations who
remain mostly excluded from school.”
In Uganda, Save the Children has helped reform
education law. Children will benefit greatly from
the new Education Bill which recognises that
it is the Government of Uganda’s responsibility
to provide free quality primary education for
all children.
In Brussels, the European Commission produced
a landmark document outlining issues important
in its humanitarian response, committing to develop
operational guidelines.Thanks to Save the Children’s
advocacy, two of the three focus areas were
chlidren affected by armed conflict and education.
in a country,
For every 1% rise in literacy
life expectancy rises by 2%
Asifa, 15, from northern Afghanistan
Photo: Madhuri Dass/Save theChildren
Find the Fast Track
The Education For All Fast-Track Initiative (FTI)
has been an important mechanism to speed
up progress on education for countries who
are ready and willing. But this has meant the FTI
is currently working in a way that excludes
millions of children – those living in conflictaffected countries or fragile states, where many
governments do not have the political will
and/or the capacity to meet certain conditions.
With support from Save the Children, the EFA
FTI has already developed a progressive
framework which will help countries develop
education plans appropriate to their needs and
context. Partly due to Save the Children’s work,
the FTI meeting in Tokyo in April 2008
acknowledged that it “must find a better way
of incorporating children and youth from fragile
and conflict-affected states into its efforts on
education”.A proposal is now being developed
for an FTI financing mechanism that will
support education plans from conflict-affected
fragile states.
To find out more see our Last in Line, Last in
School 2008 report at
www.savethechildren.net/rewritethefuture
Cited statistics. Left: Save the Cihldren (2008) Last
in Line, Last in School 2008.
We couldn’t do any of the things you have read about in this report
without the help of our supporters who have so far contributed
$300 million. Individuals, community organisations, partners, governments,
corporations, foundations and trusts are all playing an important part.
On behalf of the children we are working for:
Thank you.
But we need you to do more. Every day,
37 million children wake up to conflict and
instability and cannot go to school.They still
don’t have the chance of an education and the
possibilities it gives them for a better life.
We can change this – but only with your help.
To find out more and give your support go to
www.savethechildren.net/rewritethefuture
Every contribution makes a difference.
A few examples of support we have received
in the past year:
A $16.6 million grant from the organisation
Dubai Cares will support education for 115,000
children in Sudan over five years, through
200 schools and 50 learning centres for
very young children.
l
l A collaboration between Save the Children,
the Canadian government, the Colombian
government and the Norwegian Refugee Council
will see more than $12 million going to support
education in Colombia over four years.
l Save the Children started the “Make a
Difference” campaign with Microsoft Denmark
in spring 2008. Each time a customer buys
a Microsoft mouse or keyboard, 50 cents
goes to help children learning in Angola.
Over 100 three to five year olds in the US The Teddy Bear Club - raised nearly $20,000
in two years in a ‘Jump-a-thon’ sponsored br
friends and family.
l
Major supporters of
Rewrite the Future so far
Governments and multilateral agencies
Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland,
Ireland, Japan, Jersey Overseas Aid Commission,
Korea, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway,
Sweden, United Kingdom, United States,
European Commission, United Nations
Development Programme, UNICEF,World Bank.
Foundations and Trusts
ACRI, the Association of Italian Foundations
and Savings Banks, Band Aid, Carmel Hill Fund,
Charity Projects Entertainment Fund (American
Idol Gives Back), Children’s Investment Fund
Foundation, Church Communities UK,
The Clarence Foundation, Dubai Cares, El Hefni
Technical Training Foundation, The Elma
Philanthropies Services (U.S.) Inc., Finn Family
Foundation, Inc., Fondazione Cariplo,
Fondazione Cariverona, Fondazione Giuseppe
e Pericle Lavazza Onlus, HC Andersen Fond,
J A Cadbury Will Charitable Trusts, Margot
and Thomas Pritzker Foundation, Mary Lynn
Richardson Fund, Medicor Foundation
Liechtenstein, Not On Our Watch, Oak
Foundation, Odfjell Foundation, The Roy A.
Hunt Foundation, Statkraft Foundation,
Stiftelsen Adiutor.
Corporations
Accenture, Aegon, Air Canada-WestJet,
Alba University, American Express, Aschehoug
Publishing House, Autostrade per l’Italia,
BGC/Cantor Fitzgerald, BI Norwegian School
of Management, De norske Bokklubbene AS,
BokningsBolaget, Bonnier Carlsen, CSC
Photo: Karin Beate Nøsterud
Making sure we make
a real difference
Save the Children has rigorous systems to
ensure your money is used well and monitoring
and evaluating our programmes is a key part
of Rewrite the Future.
We have put in place an International
Monitoring System to track our progress
against key indicators in all the countries where
we work. We are also embarking on a Global
Evaluation of Rewrite the Future to identify
and document effective ways of delivering
quality education in conflict-affected countries.
The knowledge and expertise we document
Solutions, CNA, Comedy Partners, Credem Spa,
Creed Corporation, Din Baker, Enel Cuore
Onlus, ExxonMobil Foundation, Fair Instant,
Fila – Giotto, Grandi Stazioni, Hydro, Idun
Industri AS, IKEA, Kidrobot, Inc., Know IT, Kraft,
Lavazza, Liquidnet Holdings, Inc., Lonely Planet,
M&S, Mattel, Max & Co., Mediafriends Onlus,
Milleunatim, Mondadori Education, MultidataBluegarden, Nationale Postcode Loterij,
Medicor, Novo Zurich, ParaCell, Radio Station
P4, SAS, Shell, SMS campaign (Tim,Vodafone,
Wind, Tre), Staedtler, Sun Chemical
Corporation, Towers Perrin, Unilever,
United Colors of Benetton.
Voices for change
“ School and quality
learning experiences
make a great
difference to these
children. Not just so
that they can read
and write, but also as
a chance to gain some
normality in their lives. …That is why
I support Save the Children’s campaign,
and I hope you will too. Kevin Spacey,
”
Rewrite the Future supporter.
Other high-profile individuals who have voiced
their support for Rewrite the Future include
Kofi Annan, Antonio Banderas, Mischa Barton,
Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, Susan Sarandon
and Desmond Tutu.
in the Global Evaluation will contribute to a
lasting legacy helping us and other organisations
to provide better education for children
affected by armed conflict for years to come.
To find out more about our monitoring
and evaluation, please contact Cynthia Koons
[email protected] or Barbara
Pozzoni [email protected]
For $10,000
oom in Sudan
you can help us build a classr
Two years ago, 43 million children were out of school in conflict-affected
countries – today, 37 million children.This is progress, but for children
in conflict it is too slow. Urgent action is needed to reach the world’s
Millennium Development Goal of universal primary education by 2015.
The facts speak for themselves. 72 million
children are out of school worldwide.
Half those children – 37 million – live in
countries affected by armed conflict. Progress
on education is slowest in these countries.
The world is simply not on track to reach
the Millennium Development Goal of
universal primary education by 2015.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Faced with
enormous challenges across countries in Africa,
Asia, Latin America and Europe, we have shown
there are solutions to provide education. It is
possible to reach the hardest to reach children.
Put simply – it can be done.
2009 marks the twentieth anniversary of the
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child –
which includes the right to education for
all children.The coming year is an opportunity
for governments around the world to live
up to their promises, take urgent action to fulfil
children’s right to education and accelerate
progress towards meeting the Millennium
Development Goal for education.
Governments in conflict-affected countries
are ultimately responsible for ensuring
children’s right to education is fulfilled.
They urgently need to:
l Ensure access to education for all children
l Ensure education is of a good quality – including
keeping children safe and promoting peace.
The international community also has a
responsibility to ensure that no child is denied
his or her right to education. All governments
signed up to the Millennium Development
Goals. But less than one dollar in five of
education aid provided by donor governments
goes to children in conflict-affected countries –
even though they are home to half of all the
children out of school.
Donor governments and international
institutions urgently need to:
l Increase long-term predictable aid for
education in conflict-affected fragile states.
l Include education as part of humanitarian
policy and response.
Children out of school
(millions)
All countries
es
Conflict affected fragile stat
Photo: Anna Kari/Save theChildren
Education: essential
for peace
Not only does education protect children,
beat poverty and more – education plays
a key role in building peaceful, stable countries.
For example, one study found that each extra
year of education across a country can reduce
the risk of conflict by around 20%.
But education was not even included in nearly
a third of peace agreements since the Cold War.
In March 2008 Save the Children launched
a global debate on education and peace
to increase the understanding of education’s
role in building peace and to ensure that
education is made an integral part of future
peace agreements.
From Germany to Guatemala, Iceland
to Indonesia, our global debate has brought
together children, teachers, politicians and
Nobel Peace Prize winners in a common call
for quality education that promotes peace.
Join the global debate and see our report
Where Peace Begins at
www.savethechildren.net/rewritethefuture
this way to the future
In addition to countries’ own resources,
approximately $9 billion basic education aid
is needed to allow all children worldwide to
go to school. Assistance is particularly needed
in conflict-affected fragile states.These countries
are home to half of all the children out of school
worldwide – but these children receive less than
one-fifth of basic education aid.
Save the Children estimates that of the $9 billion
basic education aid needed worldwide each year,
$5.2 billion should go to children living in
conflict-affected fragile states. This means that
on average just $45 per school age child is
needed in basic education aid for conflict-affected
countries. Donor governments need to take
action today to support education for all.
But anyone can make a difference to children’s
lives by supporting education. For $8 you can buy
a school kit to help a child start school in Congo.
For $16 you can give a class of children in Somalia
a blackboard.Together with you, we can rewrite
the future for millions more children.
Get involved - Watch films - Find our reports
www.savethechildren.net/rewritethefuture