Congress Supports the Global Partnership for Education. Will President Obama?

On November 8, global leaders and civil society organizations will meet in Copenhagen for the first-ever replenishment conference for the Global Partnership for Education.

For the next three years, $2.5 billion for the GPE’s Education For All Fund is needed to meet new demands. The GPE will host the first-ever replenishment conference in Copenhagen, November 7-8. The GPE and civil society is urging the U.S. to make a three-year, $375 million pledge — just 15 percent of the $2.5 billion need. Every year the GPE can’t fund national education plans is another generation of children who will be left behind, perhaps permanently, and possibly erode the hard-fought victories around Education For All.

The United States, despite being a voting member of the Board of Directors, has never contributed to the GPE to support grants; as a result, tiny Romania gives more to the GPE than the U.S., the apparent global leader on Education For All.

For every additional $1 million invested in GPE:

• 74 new classrooms will be constructed,
• 8,000 more children will enter primary school,
• 500,000 textbooks will be distributed, or
• 1,000 teachers will receive a year of training.

The replenishment conference is not only about commitments from donor countries, but calls upon all members of the Global Partnership to pledge to accelerate efforts to achieve Education For All. Developing country governments are called upon to increase the percentage of GDP committed to education, and civil society organizations are urged to continue to monitor and support efforts by the Global Partnership.

Congressional Support

On October 27, Rep. Schakowsky (D-IL) sent a sign-on letter supporting a three-year, $375 million U.S. pledge to the Global Partnership for Education during its November 8 replenishment conference. 69 representatives signed! This is an amazing accomplishment because only RESULTS volunteers worked on this letter, they only had 2.5 weeks, and 1.5 of those weeks Congress was on recess! I’ve received amazing gratitude for RESULTS volunteers from other US and itnernational NGOs working on the replenishment and the Global Partnership for Education. We’re working to make sure the letter is shared widely with members of Congress, the adminsitration, and global civil society.

Signers: Andrews (D-NJ); Baldwin (D-WI); Bass, K. (D-CA); Berkley (D-NV); Bordallo (D-GU); Capps (D-CA); Carson (D-IN); Castor (D-FL); Christensen (D-VI); Clarke (D-NY); Conyers (D-MI); Davis, D. (D-IL); Davis, S. (D-CA); DeGette  (D-CO); DeLauro (D-CT); Ellison (D-MN); Eshoo (D-CA); Farr (D-CA); Fattah (D-PA); Filner (D-CA); Frank (D-MA); Garamendi (D-CA); Gonzalez (D-TX); Green, G. (D-TX); Grijalva (D-AZ); Hastings (D-FL); Heinrich (D-NM); Himes (D-CT); Hinchey (D-NY); Holt (D-NJ); Honda (D-CA); Jackson-Lee (D-TX); Kildee (D-MI); Lee (D-CA); Levin (D-MI); Lewis (D-GA); Lofgren (D-CA); Lujan (D-NM); Maloney (D-NY); McDermott (D-WA); McGovern (D-MA); McNerney (D-CA); Miller, B. (D-NC); Miller, G (D-CA); Moore (D-WI); Moran (D-VA); Napolitano (D-CA); Norton (D-DC); Pallone (D-NJ); Pascrell (D-NJ); Payne (D-NJ); Peters (D-MI); Polis (D-CO); Price (D-NC); Richardson (D-CA); Rothman (D-NJ); Rush (D-IL); Ryan, T. (D-OH); Schakowsky (D-IL); Sires (D-NJ); Speier (D-CA); Stark (D-CA); Towns (D-NY); Van Hollen (D-MD); Waxman (D-CA); Welch (D-VT); Woolsey (D-CA).

Media Around the Country

RESULTS volunteers have accumulated 48 pieces of media in support of Education for All and the Global Partnership for Education, including 4 editorial and 14 op-eds, including one by a retired military officer from Afghanistan. Check it all out in our media packet.

Growing Support

Members of the Global Campaign for Education Global are all working in their own countries to raise the drum beat for next week, and we are working with parnters in the US to build support, including ONE. Check out this great blog and policy brief by ONE.