(September 22,
2008) 262 of authors, playwrights and screenwriters from
49 countries have
signed up to a joint letter demanding United Nations Secretary-General, Ban
Ki-moon, and world leaders take action to ensure all children have the
opportunity to attend school.The letter, initiated by Save the
Children, targets world leaders who will meet on September 25th 2008
in New York
to discuss how to accelerate action towards achieving the MillenniumDevelopment Goals. The Millennium Development Goal on education - that
by 2015 every child is receiving primary education - will be missed unless urgent action is taken by
those with responsibility,
power and political will."781 million
people are illiterate worldwide. Those 781 million people cannot
understand a voting form, or the label on a medicine bottle. They cannot read anewspaper. They are denied the dignity the ability to read and write brings to
people's lives," states the joint letter.72
million children are missing out on an education, and the
opportunity to become
literate. Over half of these children, 37 million, live in countries affected
by conflict. War in these countries has destroyed schools, forced teachers to
flee, and caused
education systems to collapse. "As writers, we know the power of words. We
believe it is unacceptable for anyone not to have the opportunity to become
literate. As a global
community we must ensure that all children are guaranteed
the opportunity to attend school," declared writers such as Philip Pullman."It
is a rare occasion that the world's
writers come together with such a passionate
call to action," said Charlotte Petri Gornitzka,
Secretary General of the International Save the Children Alliance. "With
hundreds of writers
taking a stand to demand education for all children, it demonstrates
the global urgency and importance of this issue."Save
the Children has been inviting writers to speak out on behalf
of children as
part of its Rewrite
the Future campaign which aims to change the lives of the
many children missing out on
education simply because they are born in
countries affected by armed conflict. Save the Children has taken direct action
to improve the quality of education for 5.7 million children affected byconflict, and has brought the issue of education in situations of emergency and
conflict onto the international agenda, calling on the international community to
take action.The
writers'
support is reminiscent of 1919 when Eglantyne Jebb, the founder of
Save the Children, persuaded writers such as George Bernard Shaw, Thomas Hardy
and Sigmund Freud to speak out for the injustices
suffered by children.
Notes
For media queries at the Millennium Development Goals Call to
Action in New York on 25 September, contact Sue Rooks
sue.rooks@save-children-alliance.org
+1 212-370-2462
Save the Children is the world's leading independent children's
rights
organisation, with members in 27 countries and operational programmes in
120. Save the Children fights for children's rights and delivers lasting
improvements to children's lives worldwide.
Find out more at www.savethechildren.net
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
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