Media

OTTAWA, March 4, 2011  —  The University of Ottawa, in collaboration with the Canadian Global Campaign for Education, the Canadian Commission for UNESCO and the Canadian International Development Agency, will host the Canadian launch of the 2011 Education for All (EFA) Global Monitoring Report and the EFA Learning Forum on Monday, March 7, 2011.

UNESCO’s Report crafts an agenda for change to combat systemic failures in meeting the six EFA goals adopted internationally for conflict-affected countries, including steps to address significant shortcomings in the area of protection, provision, reconstruction and peace-building.

The keynote speaker is Kevin Watkins, director of UNESCO’s Global Monitoring Report. His presentation is titled The Hidden Crisis: Armed Conflict and Education.

The panellists are:
- Hellen Inyega, assistant professor, Department of Educational Communication and Technology, University of Nairobi
- James Roberts, former deputy minister of education, Liberia
- Prachi Srivastava, assistant professor, School of International Development and Global Studies, University of Ottawa.

WHAT: UNESCO 2011 EFA Global Monitoring Report launch and Learning Forum

WHEN: Monday, March 7, 2011, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

WHERE: University of Ottawa, Desmarais Hall, Room 12102 (55 Laurier Avenue East)

9:00-11:30: Official welcome and UNESCO GMR launch and panel
1:00-4:30: Break-out sessions on education and development and plenary

Armed conflict is the hidden crisis in education. It undermines economic growth, aggravates poverty and reinforces inequalities, trapping countries in cycles of violence. For children cornered in these contexts, armed conflict violates every human right, including the right to care and protection, to the full enjoyment of health and to full and free education.

Conflict-affected countries account for a staggering 28 million children out of school, 42% of the world’s total. In addition to gross human rights abuses, armed conflict systemically diverts public funding from education into military spending. And yet, it would take just six days of military spending by rich countries to close the financing gap of $16 billion (US) needed to provide education for all the world’s children.

For more information, visit www.cgce.ca.