The mission of the Global Partnership for Education is to galvanize and organize a global effort to provide good quality education to boys and girls, prioritizing the poorest and most vulnerable countries.
The Global Partnership for Education was established in 2002 as the Education for All Fast Track Initiative (FTI), and is the only dedicated multilateral partnership focused on education.
Its mission is to galvanize and organize a global effort to provide good quality education to boys and girls, prioritizing the poorest and most vulnerable countries. GPE does this through a partnership of developing country governments, donor agencies, civil society organizations and private organizations. In sum, the Global Partnership for Education has transformed international cooperation in education, achieved specific results for children and young people, and significantly improved the overall global aid and finance for education by intensifying investments worldwide.
Copyright: ConstantinosZ
Malala Yousafzai Becomes Champion for the Global Partnership for Education
Malala Yousafzai is the valorous Pakistani teenager who was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman in 2012. Her crime was to have spoken up for the right of girls to be educated.
The terrorists thought that 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.
Malala has been credited with bringing the issue of women’s education to global attention.
I wanted to speak up for my rights, she says.
The teenage activist also did not want her future to be imprisoned in four walls like most women in Pakistan, who are fettered to antiquated values of just cooking and giving birth to children.
After winning the Nobel Peace Prize for her undying bravery and advocacy, Malala was publically congratulated by the Global Partnership for Education. GPE then offered her the position of “GPE Champion,” a role that Malala gratefully accepted. A champion acts as a diplomat for GPE, traveling around the world to over 60 different countries on behalf of children in need of education, urging these nations to pledge and donate to this urgent cause. Due to Malala’s powerful rhetoric and fortitude, she will undoubtedly make a great champion and serve as an intrinsic piece in the fight for global education.
Malala; Copyright: JStone
Stephen Colbert & Twitter Invade Norway for Education
This lofty goal has thus prompted TV/News personality Stephen Colbert to create a video in which he pleads for greater funding from Norway; a country which he acknowledged as already being a “leader in funding education world-wide.” Colbert implores Norway to donate $100 million per year for the next five years to the Global Partnership for Education. He argues that due to Norway’s past involvement in education and current financial stability, increased funding from Norway will serve as an impetus for countries around the world to get involved. Colbert refers to Norway as a “trendsetter,” joking that the ancient Norwegian Vikings were, “into ridiculous beards way before Brooklyn.”
To further buttress his plea and argument, Colbert enlisted the help of the public, creating a clever twitter hashtag, #educationfjorall. The hashtag creates a connection between the word “for” and “fjord,” a long and narrow inlet between cliffs typically found in Norway. The Prime Minister of Norway, Erna Solberg, responded quickly to Colbert’s video with one of her own. Although she did not commit to the $500 million request, she offers some reassuring words that Norway will continue to support the issue and that it is of utmost importance.
Copyright: ISchmidt
The attention that Colbert’s campaign brought to the issue is invaluable. Due to his plea, Norway has since asked for an increase in assistance from private corporations and countries around the world, and has verbally committed to making women’s education its first priority in the coming years. Additionally, people around the world, especially the US, are now aware of the Global Partnership for Education and are actively supporting it. Ways to be involved include tenacious tweeting and spreading awareness and advocacy. Unfortunately, as of now GPE does not accept donations from individuals.
The Global Partnership for Education instead, depends solely on the support and donations of countries and private corporations from across around the world. For GPE to remain steadfast and impactful, it is crucial that worldwide monetary and social contributions continue to grow. Ingenuity is the linchpin of this organization’s success in bringing education to even the most remote parts of the world. By 2018, GPE hopes to have acquired over $3.5 billion via donations from governments globally. Campaigns like Colbert’s do an amazing job of increasing awareness for GPE, leading to the big investments the company needs to make a difference.
