Latin America – Word from CPAL: #BillionsOfVoices
We have just celebrated the Global Action Week for Education (SAME/2021) whose main task was to highlight the fact that the pandemic is affecting the education of more than 1.5 billion people in the world, and the global funding crisis negatively impacts the progress of the Sustainable Development agenda in its goal n.4: "ensure inclusive, equitable and quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all".
SAME, promoted annually since 2005 by the Global Campaign for Education, is a peoples' cry for governments to involve civil society organizations in education budgeting, and to uphold the strategic intention to fulfill the commitment made on domestic financing (SDGs 2030 Framework for Action) by allocating at least 4% to 6% of gross domestic product (GDP) and/or at least 15% to 20% of public spending on education.
As stated by its president Refat Sabbah: "GCE reaffirms its commitment to continue campaigning for free, equitable and inclusive publicly funded quality education for all, as well as for the need to improve and closely monitor national and international education financing mechanisms. This includes a call for strong publicly funded education systems that meet internationally agreed education financing benchmarks, advocating for tax justice as a fundamental instrument for financing public education and an effective response to the increasing commercialization of education, and the development of so-called innovative financing mechanisms.
CPAL, with the leadership of the EduRed alliance - Flacsi, FyA, Ausjal, was present at SAME/2021 with three initiatives:
- a message of adhesion and support from the president on behalf of the entire conference,
- four videos of collaborators of the Society of Jesus mission (Fe y Alegría -Peru, Centro Gumilla de Caracas, Asistencia de Educación de la Provincia de México and Red Jesuita de Educación de Ecuador), and
- a virtual discussion entitled: "Educating in times of Covid: initiatives that inspire", in which current experiences of educational creativity in Paraguay, Mexico, Brazil and Panamazonia were presented; this webinar is available on the Youtube channel Somosjesuitas.
Educating has always been, is and will always be for us, collaborators of the mission of God in the Society of Jesus, an essential part of any apostolic activity, because the authentic educational act corresponds -perhaps like no other- with the salvific will of God over every creature. Whoever does not educate oppresses, subjugates, disrespects, destroys; whoever educates cares, whoever educates values, whoever educates liberates, whoever educates builds. To educate is to co-create, whether in an indigenous parish, in a radio station, in a school, in a laboratory, in the arts, in daily relationships, etc.
The Global Education Pact (GEP) to which Pope Francis invites us, therefore, involves all persons and institutions of goodwill without distinction. Thus, as we close this Global Action Week for Education, I invite each one of the members of the apostolic body and the people who read this reflection to review our own attitude before the urgency of converting our lives to be (embody) educators and to commit ourselves (effectively and efficiently) in the construction of new EDUCATIONAL COVENANTS that will change the face of the globe we inhabit.
* By Roberto Jaramillo, SJ (President CPAL)
Source: CPAL
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