2007
2007 CTAUN Conference
Friday, 2 February 2007
Responding to Children and Youth in Crisis: Educators in Partnership with the UN
Summary of Conference Proceedings
Welcome—Anne-Marie Carlson
Conference Chair
The conference was opened by Mrs. Anne-Marie Carlson, Conference Chair and Chair of CTAUN, who extended a welcome to all those present. She announced that 420 people had registered for the conference and that they had come from all over the United States, as well as Canada and Mexico. Among those present were a group of thirteen Fulbright teachers and scholars representing ten countries from different parts of the world and a group of twenty-five United Nations interns who were assisting throughout the day. She also introduced a group of twenty future educators from upstate New York who were attending with their teacher. Finally, Mrs. Carlson welcomed a group of students, parents and staff from the Overlake School in Redmond, Washington. The Head of School and one of the students were scheduled to speak on the afternoon Literacy Panel.
Mrs. Carlson stated that, of the many crises facing children and youth, those singled out for particular attention at this conference were issues related to health and nutrition, literacy, security, and the rights of the child. Attention was drawn to the list of exhibitors at the conference Information Fair.
Opening Address
Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury
The opening speaker, Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury, has served
for the past five years as the United Nations Under-Secretary-General
and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Small Island Developing States.
Ambassador Chowdhury, who is also a special friend and honorary patron of CTAUN, warmly welcomed the assembled educators.
He spoke of his own excitement at arriving every day in “this house of peace, the world parliament, the place in which we endeavor—day in and day out—to make this world a better place.” He expressed his whole-hearted appreciation and thanks to the educators at the conference. “It is you who are truly part of the process. You are the key part of today’s meetings, which wouldn’t happen without you. Not only you, but educators everywhere…who have the …dedication to tell about our work.” The main concern is to respond to the magnitude of the crises and to be even better prepared for their effects on the next generation.
One of Ambassador Chowdhury’s roles is to advocate and mobilize support for a particular group of least-developed and developing countries at the U. N., and he devoted much of his talk to the difficulties facing these nations that are particularly vulnerable because of special deficits in development, location and geography. He pointed out that on paper they are doing well, but they need much more in terms of what the U. N. can do. Each is hardworking and making its best efforts, and once on their own feet they will be partners in globalization. However, we cannot leave them behind because otherwise they will slow down the progress of all. Ambassador Chowdhury said that achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 is a reality only if we concentrate on these under-developed countries and that there is a way to go to get the indicators up.
During this session Ambassador Chowdhury used these nations to illustrate critical characteristics and special concerns of youth in crisis, noting especially the high proportion of attention needed for countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. At the heart of their problems are the young people under the age of eighteen, who make up 49 percent of the population in these countries, compared to only 21 percent in industrialized nations. In every area these countries have the worst indicators, and in each of them the young people are the most burnt. They are the ones most apt to suffer from HIV/AIDS. Forty percent of the population lives on less than one dollar a day. Child mortality is highest in eighteen of the least developed states. Where there are armed conflicts, currently half of the U. N. peacekeeping operations are in underdeveloped or emerging countries. Their young people are most likely to be conscripted as child soldiers or be affected by issues of unemployment and economic instability.
Ambassador Chowdhury asked, therefore, that we educators focus on issues that affect young people. “We like to say they are our future…I believe it is very important to remember that they are our present. Their issues, their concerns, will continue to affect us today and tomorrow. So it is very important that we involve them…. We also, and first, need to involve young people in discussions about children and youth in crisis…. Without their engagement we will not be able to make our future stable and secure.” He went on to point out that in many countries, both developed and developing, there are youth parliaments, and from these we can see what are their own interests. It is very important that the young people grow up with a sense of their own communities and how they can contribute to the running of their own communities. It is also very important to let the young people to grow up with a sense of human solidarity. In spite of our differences, we are all part of the human race. Ambassador Chowdhury continued, “We use the term ‘the global village.’ That is, I believe, the most essential element in ensuring a better future for all of us, and when we have that sense of human solidarity amongst us, we also should remember that understanding, tolerance, respect for diversity are absolutely essential to build a world where there is a culture of peace.”
He concluded by saying that the United Nations works in partnership with what educators do, and that it is essential to let people, whether in schools or in other settings, know what the U. N. does. The universal goal of good is aligned with the principles of the U. N., making one entity of all of us striving to make the world a better place. “I greet again all of you for participation in this conference, and I convey greetings from all of us, from the Secretary General down to the youngest of our colleagues and from my own self.”
Morning Panel
Health and Nutrition
Carolyn Donovan
CTAUN Second Vice-Chair and NGO Representative for the American Association of University Women (AAUW), Panel Coordinator.
The panel coordinator, Carolyn Donovan, opened the session by pointing out that United Nations agencies are encouraged to partner with NGOs and civil society to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, which are time-bound and measurable. It is important to recognize how issues related to health and nutrition have become increasingly important for achieving these goals. She then introduced the speakers.
Dr. Peter Salama
Moderator/Speaker for the Panel, is Chief of the Health Section of UNICEF
Dr. Salama began by stating that the greatest crisis for children today is that ten million children under five die annually, largely from preventable causes, and forty percent of those die in their first month of life. Under-nutrition accounts for about fifty percent of those deaths. In fact, 146 million children are underweight around the world.
Fifty million children in India alone are underweight. There are two additional factors that are overturning whatever progress has been made—the HIV/AIDS pandemic and armed conflict. In southern Africa, HIV/AIDS has reversed all of the gains made in under-five mortality. Dr. Salama said that he had worked in Afghanistan and saw first-hand what it is like for children to live in a country that has undergone years of civil war.
There is progress, as a strong evidence base shows what is required to reverse this trend in under-five mortality. Advances such as the use of medicated bed nets to protect against malaria, re-hydration treatment for diarrhea, HIV treatments, vaccinations against measles, and the addition of vitamin A to the diets, all have helped to decrease the number of deaths. In addition, there is unprecedented interest in and funding for global health. Many governments, foundations (such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) and NGOs are financing these advances as well as supporting the health education of women, who are in the forefront of safeguarding children. These efforts have decreased the incidence of the mortality of children under five by twenty percent in a number of developing countries. UNICEF is one of the main players in this effort, spending over one billion dollars a year on children’s health, and is devoted to careful evaluation of the effectiveness of its investments. UNICEF also needs the support of civil society to continue to develop successful programs and of institutions like CTAUN to educate the public about its efforts.
Nicole Johnson Baker
Miss America 1999, an international diabetes advocate, serves as the first Ambassador for the International Diabetes Federation’s “Life for a Child” program and co-hosts the weekly CNBC diabetes talk show “dLife”.
Ms. Baker, herself a victim of Type 1 Diabetes, told of her own experiences as a young person with diabetic symptoms that were continually misdiagnosed. She spoke about the effects of diabetes on later complications, and the cost both to the sufferers and their communities. There are no statistics as to the number of Type 1 sufferers in the world, as they do not survive very long, but there are possibly 246 million diabetics in the world today, which will increase to 400 million in 20 years. There are 21 million diabetics in the U. S., and 40 million with pre-diabetes symptoms. Fifteen percent of the population in the United States is overweight, a number that is expected to double in the next two decades. Some populations, including African Americans and Native Americans, are particularly vulnerable.
What can be done? There are several interventions that are helpful: losing weight, even a modest amount; walking for five days a week for thirty minutes; eating meals that are lower in calories. Fifty to sixty percent of possible sufferers could avoid becoming diabetic and experiencing future consequences such as amputations and heart and kidney diseases. Schools have the responsibility to change their cafeteria menus, offer more physical education and health classes, including lessons specifically about diabetes. There needs to be a re-invigorated approach to understanding diabetes on the part of educators. Ms. Baker’s story about an administrator who pulled an insulin pump off of a girl student because she mistook it for a cell phone and intended to confiscate it vividly illustrated this point. Finally, it is necessary for educators to keep in mind the feelings of children, who may be self-conscious and embarrassed about a diabetic condition. It is necessary to help them cope and realize that they can become self-sufficient.
Dr. Victor Mari Ortega
Deputy Director, New York Office of the Joint United Nations Program on AIDS (UNAIDS)
Dr. Ortega pointed out that 40 million people worldwide are infected with HIV and 4.3 million were added to that number in 2006. One half of this number are young people in the 15-24 year old age range. If we were to include sexually transmitted infections other than HIV, the number would rise to 100 million episodes annually. More time needs to be given to education about these diseases. The aim of the 2001 U. N. Declaration of Commitment in fighting AIDS, that 90 percent of young people should understand ways of preventing AIDS by 2005, has been nowhere near achieved. When the program was evaluated in 2006, no country had achieved the goal of 90 percent. In fact, the highest number achieved by any country was 50 percent. Overall, for males, only 33 percent achieved that degree of understanding. For females, the number was even fewer. For example, in twenty-one African countries, 60 percent of the young women had not even heard of or had misconceptions about HIV.
Teachers play a key role. The United Nations has come up with lofty goals, but it is necessary for education to achieve them. Teachers must go beyond the risk of infection and address changes in behavior. When there is HIV/AIDS education, the age of sexual debut becomes later. Sexual relationships are difficult to discuss whether they lead to delay in sexual activity or the promotion of the use of condoms. Schools and other institutions need to provide youth-friendly services such as discussions and information giving. Young people themselves are creative and enthusiastic and can help towards the solution of these problems.
Mark Fryars
Director, Program Services, The Micronutrient Initiative, Ottawa, Canada
Mr. Fryars stressed the devastating effects of malnutrition as a cause of reduced physical and mental development in children and adults. As a teacher he had seen children from sugar plantation villages who assuaged their hunger with sugar cane and were then unable to pay attention in class. While obesity can cause one kind of disease, the wrong kind of food can cause another. Proteins are essential for energy, but the “hidden hunger” of lack of vitamins and minerals—micronutrients—can cause critical damage to the development of thought and the life cycle in general.
Two billion people suffer from iron deficiency anemia, thirty babies are born every minute with mental deficiencies, an enormous burden on communities. For example, 8 percent of Gross Domestic Product is lost in Bangladesh due to disease. So what can be done? People can be educated on the importance of the right kind of diet. Women, the primary care givers for children, need to be educated, empowered, and the health of mothers protected. Simple measures such as encouraging breast-feeding, the addition of iodine to salt and of zinc and vitamin A to the diet are not costly. Big food companies can add those nutrients to the food they sell, and governments and the media, as well as consumers, can insist they do so.
First Afternoon Panel
Literacy
Dr. Rita King
CTAUN Advisory Council Chair and Primary NGO Representative for The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, Coordinator
Dr. King opened the afternoon panel session by referring to the Information Fair materials that attendees had been collecting during the noon recess. She pointed out that although we take for granted that all of us and our colleagues can read these materials—that literacy is just taken for granted in our lives—for many people in the world this is not so. The afternoon panel, chaired by Dr. Carolyn Makinson, would address issues of literacy.
Dr. Carolyn Makinson
Moderator/Speaker for the Panel, is Executive Director, Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children, an independent affiliate of the International Rescue Committee
Dr. Makinson opened her remarks by pointing out that educators help children realize where their countries fit in the world, what their roles are, and how other countries perceive them. She described the Women’s Commission as an advocacy organization affiliated with the International Rescue Committee that tries to change laws and policies regarding refugees. “The Women’s Commission tries to change the system” in ways that will benefit women and children. In this afternoon’s presentation, Dr. Makinson said that she intended to focus on their work in education.
She pointed out that there are currently more than 33 million refugees and displaced persons, 80 percent of them women and children. These are people who are fleeing armed conflict or persecution. Over two-thirds of the refugees are displaced for seventeen years or more. These children miss entirely their childhood opportunity to go to school. Refugees desperately want education for their children. Refugees state that they had to leave behind all their possessions. One woman from Darfur said, “The only thing we could bring with us is what we have in our heads, what we have been taught, our education.”
Education is a basic human right. It also is very important for child refugees because it provides a sense of security and structure. Older children are very vulnerable to being exploited, Dr. Makinson pointed out. The boys are often conscripted as child soldiers; girls are subject to trafficking and sexual exploitation. Along with basic education, older children can be taught important safety messages regarding such matters as land mine awareness and using sexual protection.
In general, only grades one and two are available even when there are schools. Only six percent of all refugee students are enrolled in secondary school. Dr. Makinson closed her remarks by raising a question: What do we do about the older children who have never had a chance to go to school? The Women’s Commission has created a Global Survey of a number of countries with large refugee populations so that institutions have empirical data to base their decisions on. Both UNICEF and Save the Children have launched large new initiatives to address the needs of refugee children. Also, the Women’s Commission is now looking at the needs of older children who have never had the chance to go to primary school to determine how their needs would be best addressed. Dr. Makinson closed by urging that teachers go to the Women’s Commission website for additional information and involve their students in learning about these issues.
Judith Chin
Regional Superintendent for Instructional Learning Division 3 in New York City, which includes 144 schools in Queens with a student enrollment of approximately 139,000
There are one hundred languages spoken in New York City schools, Ms. Chin stated. She herself was a daughter of parents who were immigrants from China and began by describing her own childhood experiences. She was one of five children, and only Chinese was spoken at home. Her mother did not speak English, and her father’s command of English was rudimentary. When she started school she was terrified, and described herself as “one of those children who kicked and screamed…. Luckily I had teachers who helped me.”
Ms. Chin said that there are 1.1 million students overall in New York City, and 140,000 of these are listed as English Language Learners (ELLs). Of these, 68 percent speak Spanish and 10 percent speak Chinese. There are currently three programs for non-English speaking students: English as a Second Language (ESL), transitional bilingual programs with approximately 75 percent of the instruction in the native language, and dual language programs with approximately 50 percent of instruction in each language.
Mayor Bloomberg has implemented new programs for ELLs, opened an ELL teacher academy, and provides translation and interpretation services for parents. Older children are much more difficult to transition in than those who are younger. There is a tendency for the older students to gravitate toward their own, and some young people gravitate to gangs. Ms. Chin stated, however, that she is encouraged that there is more public awareness of these issues. With the strengthening of the programs, the number of ELLs in the Regents program increased from 15 percent in 2004 to 37 percent in 2005.
Walter Bender
President, Software and Content for One Laptop per Child. This is the most reasonable (approximately $100 each) laptop currently available for the developing world’s children
Mr. Bender stated that written in upper case, One Laptop per Child is a non-profit association that spun out of MIT about a year ago. But one laptop per child written in lower case is a mission: to give the one billion school age children in the developing world an opportunity for learning. They have a particular strategy, and that is to give these children a laptop—not just any laptop but one designed for children learning.
In underdeveloped countries, however, there are three technological differences. 1) Power is not readily available, so the computers have to be very power efficient. Their laptops can be charged off a car battery or with a crank. 2) In many places schools are held outdoors, so on these laptops the display can be used in sunlight. And 3) They have added “bunny ears” to help laptops form a wireless network. All their laptops can talk to each other. In addition, Mr. Bender remarked, “If we’re going to do this it must be inexpensive. The laptops are sold at cost.”
Where the laptops are in use they are often taken home by the children. This means that parents have access to them and often use them for their own education. Finally, even in places where no teachers are available, the laptop is an expressive tool for the children. The laptop is part of their life, and that is where the real change is going to happen.
Dr. Francisco J. Grijalva
Head of School, The Overlake School, Redmond, Washington
Dr. Grijalva began by telling how in late August of 2001 he challenged his school community to raise the $15,000 needed to build an elementary school in rural Cambodia under the auspices of the American Assistance for Cambodia Rural Schools Project. [Donated funds are matched by the World Bank, and the schools are built by the Cambodian government. If desired, the Cambodian school may be given the name of its sister school in the United States.] Students responded to the challenge, and within a year had raised the $15,000 needed to build a brick five-room schoolhouse in Pailin, Cambodia. A group of Overlake students, parents, and teachers traveled to Cambodia in 2003 for the school’s dedication and to greet the 350 students enrolled in the school.
Another group visited in April of 2006, this group taking with them six computers and a satellite dish, and brought electricity to the school for the first time. The visiting parents from Microsoft thus connected the school to the rest of the world. The students spent five days teaching Cambodian students English, arts and crafts, music, games and sharing American culture. Kate Berry was one of the twelve students on that trip, and she was introduced by Dr. Grijalva to tell of her experiences.
Kate Berry
a junior at Overlake School, is a student government officer, Chair of the Washington State Legislative Youth Advisory Council and Director of Activism for Junior State of America. She was one of twelve student participants in the pilot Global Service Project to Cambodia.
“He who opens a school door closes a prison,” said Miss Berry, quoting the words of Victor Hugo. She said that these words ring true for a five-room school in Cambodia, which has the potential to shut out isolation, poverty, and the unspeakable horrors of the sex trade. “Education is the golden ticket for students like these in Cambodia.” She told of the trip she and other students took to Cambodia, preparing to help teach the students basic reading skills and computer literacy and to establish personal relationships with their sister school. While there, they established a school library and computer lab. “Imagine the joy in all of us when, for the first time, we hit the ‘send’ button and were connected to the rest of the world.”
They learned about one another’s culture, sharing sports and games. The American students taught the Cambodian students songs and dances like the Macarena, “Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes,” and the Hokey Pokey, and the Cambodians shared with them traditional dances. She said that they were surprised at how happy the Cambodian children were with very little in the way of material possessions. “The Cambodian students challenged us to overlook our stereotypes, and exuded an attitude of graciousness and contentment.” Miss Berry spoke eloquently of the importance of cultural exchange in increasing global understanding for herself and other students, saying that by the end of their stay in Pailin they came to realize that, “sometimes the Hokey Pokey is what it’s all about!”
Miss Berry closed by quoting Victor Hugo’s words again, and added that it is not only the prison of ignorance that can be closed. “Through these same school doors,” she said, the American students were freed from insularity and reliance on material possessions. “We learned that it is not only great acts from powerful people that can create positive change. Equally important are the small acts of individuals, including us, done with great love.”
Afternoon Speaker
The Rights of the Child
Dr. Nancy Brown
Chair of the Rights of the Child Session, is the Director of the Center for Early Childhood Education, Research and Community Partnerships at Florida Atlantic University’s College of Education
Dr. Brown pointed out that while some of our children come to school in good health, well nourished, appropriately dressed and eager to learn, other children from disadvantaged backgrounds struggle to succeed in school. All concerned citizens recognize the differences between rights and privileges, particularly the rights of children and youth. Children’s rights are directly related to our conference theme today. Dr. Brown invited all present to consider what they can do to promote the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Professor Jonathan Todres
Acting Assistant Professor at the New York University School of Law. He also teaches at the Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University. He currently serves as Chair of both the Subcommittee on the Rights of the Child and the International Health Law Committee of the American Bar Association. He is co-editor of The U. N. Convention on the Rights of the Child: An Analysis of Treaty Provisions and Implications of U. S. Ratification. (Transnational Publishers, 2006).
Professor Todres opened by saying that it was a great honor for him to be present at today’s conference because he would not be where he is today, and would not have the overwhelming opportunities he has had in his life, without education. He emphasized statistics also presented by earlier speakers: that at any given time 250 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 work for a living, many full time; approximately two million children are trapped in the commercial sex industry; in 2002 alone, 150 million girls and 73 million boys experienced some form of physical or sexual violence; at any given time, roughly 300,000 children are forced to fight as soldiers in the armed conflicts around the world. More than ten million children the world over die before the age of five, largely due to preventable causes, every year. Roughly 115 million school age children are out of school, and the majority of these are girls.
Although not sufficient in itself, Professor Todres stated that he believes that the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) provides the beginnings of an answer to all of these issues. It is the most widely ratified international human rights treaty. It is the first legally binding international instrument aimed at protecting the rights and welfare of children. The CRC encompasses a broad range of civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights and offers a significant protection for children around the globe. The CRC, which was adopted in 1989 and entered into force in 1990, has fostered positive changes in law, policies, and attitudes toward children in numerous countries. Every country in the world has agreed to the ratification of the CRC except two—the United States and Somalia, and the latter has not been able to do so because it has not had a recognized government. So the United States stands alone as the only state in opposition.
The CRC is based on four key principles: 1) non-discrimination or any sort; 2) commitment to the best interests of the child in all acts concerning children; 3) the belief in the child’s rights to life, survival, and development; 4) respect for the views of the child, keeping in mind the evolving capacities of individual children. Professor Todres said that he was not able to go into all of the provisions due to lack of time, but he would say that, although it is not perfect, it provides “extraordinary protections for children.”
During the drafting of the Convention, the United States made more proposals for more provisions than any other country. However, there appear to be a number of misconceptions and misunderstandings about the Convention by some people in this country that impede our ability to ratify it. Professor Todres discussed a number of these issues and concluded that, in his view, “Nothing in this Convention rises to the level of preventing U.S. ratification.” He stated that if we were able to “cut through the rhetoric” and ratify the CRC, our country would be in a much stronger position around the world to improve the lives of children and that ratification would also empower child advocates and government officials in this country to work for positive change for children in the United States.
Professor Todres closed by commenting on his feelings as he looked out from the podium over the conference room full of educators, and said that to him the view was “Inspiring… because tomorrow you can go back to your communities and talk about the CRC and what the U.S. role should be. You can talk to youth about their rights and the situations in other countries, and about working together. To me this is truly inspiring.”
Second Afternoon Panel
Security
Narin Stassis
First Vice-Chair of CTAUN and ESL teacher, Panel Coordinator
Ms. Stassis, before introducing the panel, reminded the audience that none of the policies advocated by the previous speakers could succeed if there was no security. She observed how all the speakers had stressed children’s ability to understand the conditions around them and take the leadership in dealing with them.
Shamil Idriss
Acting Director of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (AoC), which aims to advance an action-plan involving multi-lateral agencies, governments and civil society organizations to improve Islamic-Western relations
Mr. Idriss pointed out that children are the primary victims and participants in violence, yet they can take the initiative in conflict resolution. He told of working with Tutsi and Hutu young people in Burundi who had been on opposite sides in militias and had tried to kill each other. They discovered a bond in their common experience and in how they had been manipulated by the adults to fight.
They developed a program of sports to bring them together, and wrote a book of cartoons that has been accepted by schools. These previously violent young people, whose families are often afraid to take them back, have skills of leadership in organizing peace-building programs. They also need employment to be re-integrated into society, as well as continuing support in conflict resolution. The Alliance of Civilizations engages young people in Muslim and non-Muslim societies to avoid conflicts of cross-cultural polarization. Connecting young people with each other is the most hopeful way towards achieving their security.
Elina Palm
Liaison in New York for the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR) and the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Ms. Palm described how the purpose of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) is to build local and national risk reduction strategies. The year 2005 was the year of the worst natural disasters: the Asian tsunami, the India/Pakistan earthquake, and the Katrina hurricane. The damage was over $210 billion, and the total number of people killed was in the hundreds of thousands.
She pointed out that human settlements would become increasingly vulnerable as short-sighted development expands into fragile environments. The report of the 2007 meeting in Paris on Climate Change indicates that future disasters are even more likely. However, national disasters can be handled if communities learn the skills of recognizing their preliminary signs and organizing the movement of people to safer areas.
Children can be the agents of awareness. Ms. Palm told of two instances when grandparents with past experience had taught children the signs of an approaching disaster, and how those children had then moved their community to safety. After a disaster, the first structure to be rebuilt is always the school, as having a school is the community’s first sign of normalcy. Disaster awareness should be part of the curriculum, and children should play their part in protecting the community.
Bol Riiny
a student at Concordia College, Bronxville, New York, was one of the “Sudanese Lost Boys” noted for their survival
Mr. Riiny described fleeing from attacks to his village in Sudan when he was still a child, his living in refugee camps without adequate food, security or education, and his final arrival in the United States. Arabs from the North attacked his village in South Sudan, and the few children who survived banded together to walk to Ethiopia where there were U.N. refugee camps. Attacks by Arab soldiers during the day and wild animals at night made the journey extremely dangerous. In the camps the children were grouped by age and told to build their own houses with grass and trees. They also built a school where he learned English and Arabic, even though there were no books and too few teachers.
When civil war broke out in Ethiopia the children again fled, with the same kind of dangers to their journey. Once, when they had to cross a river pursued by soldiers, those who could not swim drowned. They finally reached Kenya where there were refugee camps, but these camps also had limited resources. The children got one meal a day, but because it was difficult to sleep while you were hungry, they saved it for the night. But as the villagers around them were also poor, they would come after dark to attack them for the food. The school was a bit better, but again, there were not enough teachers.
In 2002 the U.S. offered asylum, and through a Lutheran organization Mr. Riiny was eventually able to come to America where he lived with a family in Boston. He described how his biggest surprise was seeing snow for the first time! The family taught him how to live in this new country, and now he is able to complete his education at Concordia College. Mr. Riiny concluded by saying that he wants to help the Sudanese people who have suffered 20 years of war. “Two million have died in Darfur,” he said. “Where is the U.N.? Where is the U.S.?”
Closing Keynote Address
Mme. Helene-Marie Gosselin
In her opening remarks, Mme. Gosselin referred to the previous speaker, Bol Riiny, speaking about the tragic situation that affects youth in his country, Sudan. She noted that his experiences remind us that “any discussion on education also has a profound personal and human dimension every day, for students in every part of the world.” She stated that the issues the conference had addressed today brought us back to the founding of UNESCO, and that “Our founders clearly understood very well the necessity of preventing wars and contributing ‘to peace and security by promoting collaboration through education, science, and culture.”
“Indeed, education is not just a fundamental human right but it is also fundamental to our personal and social development,” remarked Mme. Gosselin, and will thereby enable us to reduce poverty, racism, oppression, and war. She then outlined the six essential recommendations needed to address the core issue we face every day in meeting this challenge:
- We need to give children the best possible start. Early childhood care and pre-primary education are needed to provide a healthy and stimulating environment so that children, especially disadvantaged children, are ready to get the most out of school.
- We need to accelerate access to formal schooling for the 77 million children not in school—a figure probably way too low due to poverty and hunger in spite of new initiatives.
- We need to alleviate the financial burden on the poorest by working with administrations to abolish school fees at primary level as well as facilitating budgets, teacher training, and taking many languages into account.
- We need to give serious attention to adult literacy especially for women.
- We need to address gender issues throughout education.
- We need to improve educational quality worldwide.
Ms. Gosselin remarked that the quality of education is a major issue, and that it is an issue in the United States and in her own country, Canada, and well as in the developing world. “We are putting the bar quite high in the Millennium Development Goals, and we will need a great deal of financial resources.” In addition, we need to address the need for teachers and administrators. Eighteen million new teachers will be needed if we are to achieve the MDGs. In-service preparation is also very important, and is a priority concern for UNESCO.
Working with the World Bank and other partners, the EFA Fast Track Initiative (FTI) is a major global partnership between donor and developing countries, providing technical assistance for developing national education plans for universal primary education. “All low-income countries that demonstrate a serious commitment to achieve universal primary completion can receive support for donor financial mobilization through the EFA Fast Tract Initiative.
Although the target is high and coming soon, Ms. Gosselin pointed out, it is not just money but best practices that must be tapped. Large member countries such as China and India have much expertise to offer. Financing is always critical, but so is faculty building. Rich and poor countries deal with the challenges of maintaining standards and preventing dropouts. UNESCO welcomes educational discussions between experienced and less experienced educators and is very concerned with recruiting, training and retaining well qualified teachers in the profession through better financing and conditions.
Ms. Gosselin spoke of the many agents and agencies involved in the improvement of education. She highlighted the role of First Lady Laura Bush, who spoke at the opening of the General Assembly on the global crisis in education—how to pay for it and the consequences of adult illiteracy. UNESCO is also interested in further issues of education, such as sustainable development as part of the curriculum, the cultural issues concerning HIV/AIDS and condom use, and strategies to combat terrorism and education for peace and human rights. Issues of development, relevance, and multi-cultural incentives toward learning to live together in peace are central to all countries, as is teacher training for the new generations to become productive citizens. The world is learning that without education it is difficult to improve the lives of people.
In conclusion, Ms. Gosselin said, the U.N. needs to work a lot more openly with civil society and with the private sector. “Many of you work day-in-and-day-out as educators within your communities…. You are precisely the type of people UNESCO must seek to work with and learn from.”
Other Highlights
CTAUN’s 2006 Best Practices Award
Phyllis Hickey
CTAUN Director-at-Large
Ms. Hickey announced that one award was presented for this year for a Best Practice based on the 2006 Conference topic: “The Global Challenge of Water”.
The award winner was Eileen Venezia, Science Teacher, Grades 5-9, in the New York City Public Schools for her project, “Understanding Water Sustainability—The LifeStraw.” The objective for this project was to raise students’ awareness of global water issues and their own role as water stewards. After discussing the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, the children selected the topic of water sustainability as an ongoing unit of study for the year.
Ms. Venezia described the project. The children read many articles and researched statistics on water-related diseases in underdeveloped nations. They began to see the link between poor sanitary conditions and their effects on children like themselves. They were encouraged to compile their own research and stories to be shared as a group. Sixty children participated in an “Eco-Toon” portrayal of Vestergaard Frandsen’s “LifeStraw,” an individual portable water-filtering device (www.Lifestraw.com). They decided to email Vestergaard Frandsen individually to learn more about this fascinating tool. One by one they began arriving in class with their own LifeStraws. The teacher then received a call from Frandsen himself, encouraging the students and offering support as she described the details of the project.
The resulting product was a collection of cartoons in book format. The titles covered all areas of concern including: The effect of water-borne disease on children; the resulting lack of education – primarily for girls—who must make the daily walk, very often for miles, to the water well; and problems arising from the lack of proper sanitation and hygiene (See also the WASH project at (www.wsscc.org). The students’ interest in the “LifeStraw” as an effective purifying tool led a group of them to enter their work in the Dept. of Environmental Protection Agency’s annual contest in April 2006, where six of the seven entries were New York city-wide winners on the topic of “Water.”
Ms. Hickey drew the attention of the audience to the display at the rear of the room illustrating the Best Practices Award project. Further information regarding the LifeStraw may be found in the program summary for the 2006 Conference on the CTAUN website. See this website also for further information regarding the annual Best Practices Award.
Info Fair ExhibitorsThis year’s presentation was put together by Toni Giangrande, CTAUN’s Info Fair Chair.
Twenty-four exhibits of materials from various groups were on display from 12 to 1:30. The materials provide information that can be used in schools and communities, including books, posters and leaflets that explain projects and provide teaching ideas. Representatives of the various groups were on hand to discuss their activities further. Many of the Info Fair participants were from the organizations that panel discussion speakers represented. The Info Fair list is presented below, and includes websites of the various groups and speakers.
Cabbage Hill Farm Foundation – Mimi Edelman, Director, “Edible Education Project”
(www.cabbagehillfarm.org). A 200 acre organic farm in Mt. Kisco, NY, doing intergenerational and after-school programs and hosting day-long field trips involving sustainable agriculture, green energy and aquaponics; they also work in schools, and run a summer camp.
The Christian Foundation for Children & Aging – Dan Pearson, Project Director (www.cfcausa.org). A lay Catholic organization committed to upholding the dignity of every person and building a community of compassion through relationships between sponsors in the U.S. and children and aging persons in 27 developing countries; provides food, clothing, medical attention and education to sponsorees, assists families with home repairs, and provides scholarships.
Earthbox – Molly Philbin, Educational Director (www.earthbox.com). Produces mini-environments in which 50 lbs. of tomatoes or greens can be grown 3 times a year with a minimal amount of water; has sent 300 earthboxes to a refugee center in Kenya, and has built a curriculum for schools around FAO’s Growing Connection Programme and Earthbox.
International Foundation for Education and Self-Help (IFESH) – Momodou Mambouray, Director, Teachers For Africa (www.ifesh.org). Places accredited teaching professionals in sub-Saharan African countries to help improve local educational systems; sponsors an International Fellows Program assigning recent graduates and graduate students to community-based projects overseas for nine months, and fosters a self-help school construction project.
International Reading Association – Beth Cady, Public Information Associate (www.reading.org). A professional organization providing resources and support for literacy teachers worldwide; advocates for policy, curriculum and educational reform. Individuals can volunteer as technical advisors or trainers.
Joint U.N. Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) – Dr. Victor Mari Ortega, Deputy Director, NY office (www.unaids.org). Coordinates the efforts of 10 U.N. organizations working for prevention and eradication of AIDS worldwide; focuses on advocacy, tech. support, tracking, monitoring and evaluation, civil society engagement, and mobilization of resources.
Literacy Resource Group of Rotary International – Eileen Gentilcore, General Coordinator (www.rotary.org). Rotary International offers a broad range of humanitarian, intercultural and educational programs designed to advance the goal of world peace; supports international exchanges for students, teachers and other professionals; supplies volunteers to assist in the eradication of polio; and addresses issues such as children at risk, poverty and hunger, the environment, illiteracy, and violence.
Makindu Children’s Program – Winnie Barron, Director (www.makindu.org). A grass roots organization in Kenya serving 120 orphans by placing them with foster parents and grandparents, and paying their fees at local public schools; provides food, bathing facilities, and medical checkups at a local center, where they are taught nutrition, AIDS awareness, how to grow crops to help defray expenses, and receive job training to become self-supporting.
National Institute for Literacy – Sandra Baxter, Director (www.nifl.gov). Works to strengthen and expand adult literacy services and to help children and youth learn to read by disseminating scientifically-based reading research on highly effective classroom practice and policy.
Nicole Johnson Health Care Consultants – John Swanston, Vice-President (www.dlife.com). Produces a half-hour weekly TV program on Diabetes Awareness, Sunday nights, 7:00-7:30 on CNBC, and has begun a “Life for the Child” initiative, bringing mobile health care units of diabetes medications to rural villages in developing countries.
NY Red Cross – Christophe Lobry-Boulanger, Volunteer Program Mgr. for Int’l Services (www.nyredcross.org). Provides classes for children in the five boroughs and upstate on first aid, CPR, emergency contacts etc., and workshops for adults on creating disaster emergency kits. The international division has programs on Exploring Humanitarian Law for 8-15 year olds, and sponsors a White House initiative involving school children in raising awareness and funding for measles and malaria prevention in developing countries.
One Laptop Per Child – Walter Bender, President, Software & Content, Samuel Klein, Director of Content (www.laptop.org). Working to revolutionize the way the world’s poorest children are educated; in collaboration with academia and industry, they have designed an efficient, low-cost ($100) laptop that uses wind-up power to do all but store huge amounts of data.
The Overlake School – Dr. Francisco J. Grijalva, Head of School (www.overlake.org). A high school in Redmond, WA, affiliated with American Assistance for Cambodia (www.cambodiaschools.com ); raised $15,500 to build a school of the same name in Cambodia, and more to pay the salaries of computer and English teachers (www.overlake.org/cambodia ). Students at Overlake continue to fund computers and other support, and have made trips to visit the school in Cambodia.
Save the Children – Charles MacCormack, President, Save the Children USA (www.savethechildren.org). An international alliance of 27 national organizations working in more than 110 countries to ensure the well-being of children; has programs in education, emergencies, health, HIV/AIDS, hunger, malnutrition, and saving newborns. A new program called “Rewrite the Future” targets children in danger of military conscription, trafficking etc.
Slim Kids – Laura Kraemer, Director (www.slimkids.com). Works to fight childhood obesity with a weight-loss program specifically designed to help children and teens develop healthy lifestyle attitudes over the long term.
United Nations Dept. of Public Information (DPI) – (www.un.org). The communications arm of the United Nations, providing U.N. documents, press releases and a video lending library of U.N. films. Educational Outreach includes: Cyberschoolbus – Bill Yotive (www.un.org/cyberschoolbus). An online resource disseminating information on international issues and the U.N. through teaching materials and activities for use at primary, intermediate and secondary levels, and for teacher training. UN Chronicle – Belal Hassan (www.un.org/chronicle). The magazine of the United Nations, with articles on issues on the U.N. agenda, economic and social development, the arts in a global context, etc. UN Works – Carmel Mulvany; Jenna Arnold (www.un.org/works). Produces emotionally gripping videos, using celebrity narrators, on global issues from the perspective of children in the countries featured, with lesson plans, and a website featuring the stories of people who have benefited from the work of the United Nations.
United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) – Suzanne Bilello, Information Officer (www.unesco.org). Its educational division works to promote education as a basic right and builds networks to introduce modern approaches in curriculum design, to improve practical skills, and to promote international dialogue on education policy and reform; has student program: “World Heritage Sites in Young Hands.”
US Fund for UNICEF – Kate Weber, Deputy Director, NGOs, and Guirlaine Belizaire, NGO Coordinator (www.unicefusa.org). UNICEF works in 161 countries and territories in the areas of disease prevention, safe childbirth, nutrition, sanitation and education; provides emergency response to global crises; sends School in a Box to disaster areas where schools don’t exist. They also have lesson plans for grades 6-12 at www.teachunicef.org.
Universal Peace Federation – Alan Saunders, Director/ HIV/AIDS Prevention (www.peacefederation.org). A global alliance dedicated to building peace in all sectors of society, including sports, the arts, government, business, the media and education. Education focus includes an AIDS curriculum and a Character Education Initiative.
Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children – Carolyn Makinson, Executive Director, Jessica Hansen, Communications Director (www.womenscommission.org). Works to improve the lives and defend the rights of refugee and internally displaced women, children and adolescents.
World Bank – Gaspard Curioni, Assoc. at the Office of the Special Rep. to the World Bank at the U.N. (www.worldbank.org). A U.N. development organization owned by 184 countries that provides low-interest loans, interest-free credit and grants to developing countries for education, health, infrastructure, and communications; does research in development economics, and advises countries on health, education, nutrition, finance, justice, law and environment.
World Health Organization (WHO) – Andre Pirigov, Asst. Director-General and Exec. Director, WHO at the U.N. (www.who.int). The U.N.’s specialized agency for health; works to insure health as a basic human right; disseminates information on health through its on-line catalogue of material published since 1948.