global campaign for education

Everyone has the right to an education. But there are 72 million children out of school and almost 1 billion adults who cannot read or write.

Every year Global Campaign for Education campaigners all over the world are united for one week in April - for the Global Action Week.

The recent Global Campaign for Education’s World Assembly in Sao Paulo, Brazil reiterated its commitment to the fight for quality education for all and to mobilise as many people as possible for the 2008 Global Action Week.

2008 Largest Lesson

On April 23 this year, children and adults from all over the world will be attempting to break the world record for the Largest Simultaneous Lesson. This event is taking part in over 85 countries and is part of the campaign to get every child and adult needing an education in the world into school by 2015. It is expected that a coalition of charities, trade unions, parents and citizens’ groups worldwide will be part of this historical Guinness World Record attempt.

The record attempt will be part of the celebrations that will be held all over the world to commemorate Global Action Week from 21 - 27 April this year. It is hoped that this week will build on the past year's celebrations and increase awareness of the plight of the millions of children and adults who never got a chance to go to school. Unable to read or write, they cannot defend their rights and are mostly trapped in a lifetime of poverty. Around the world there are over 72 million children out of school and 800 million illiterate adults.

How to save our planet ??

Want a Lick?
A cone beats a cup. Why? "You're eating your silverware instead of using plastic," says Matthew Modine, a passionate promoter of earth-friendly policies. "It's all about consuming less, using fewer of the resources needed to make products and packaging."

Clean Without Chemicals
Natural cleansers like vinegar and baking soda do a great job without harming the planet. "And," Matthew says, "a little vegetable oil and lemon juice makes a great wood polish."

Bag It
Get reusable cloth bags for the grocery store and the dry cleaner. More than 100 billion plastic bags are thrown away every year.

Stop Junk Mail
Every year 100 million trees are chopped down for junk mail sent to American homes. Contact the direct marketing association at dmachoice.org/mps to remove your name from mailing lists of their members.

Recycled Toilet Paper

A Better TP
Recycled toilet paper is scratchier than three-ply, but it's much softer on the environment. "It's like switching from whole milk to skim," says O writer Aimee Lee Ball. "After a while the beloved original seems over-the-top."


How Many People Does It Take To…
Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) use four times less energy than incandescent ones. If every American family substituted five CFL bulbs for incandescent, it would be equivalent to taking eight million cars off the road for a year. Ball says "They cost a little more up front, but they last
up to 15 times longer."

De-Lint the Dryer
Lint builds up after every dryer cycle, reducing the machine's efficiency. Removing it does a lot to decrease its usually massive energy use.

Pick Safe Paints
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, architectural coatings such as paints and varnishes are the second-largest source of fumes from volatile organic compounds, substances that evaporate at room temperature and react in sunlight to form photochemical smog. Look for cans with "No VOC." We'll all breathe easier.

Shorten Your Showers
Low-flow showerheads would be a big improvement. "If they're well designed, the pressure should still feel good," says Laurie David, another prominent activist in Hollywood. "For every two minutes you shave off your shower, you save 10 gallons of water."

Shut Down
The average computer left on all day uses nearly 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a year, producing more than a ton of carbon emissions. So turn off your computer anytime you're not on it, and eliminate the screen saver function, which uses more energy than the sleep mode.