Quito, Ecuador. October 22, 2024. Fe y Alegría International has officially launched its new global campaign: ‘For the Right to Learn.’ The announcement comes at the close of the XLIX International Congress of Fe y Alegría, entitled “Challenges and Opportunities of Popular Education”, held in Quito, Ecuador, on October 21 and 22. This initiative aims to mobilize efforts among governments, civil society, businesses and other key actors to ensure that all people, without exception, have access to quality education.
The launch of the campaign was divided into two moments. The first was the Festival for the Right to Learn, which brought together nearly 400 participants, including students, families, and representatives of the 22 Fe y Alegría organizations around the world. Young people were the protagonists of this event, raising their voices through artistic expressions to remind the world that education is a universal right that knows no borders.
The second key moment took place at the Ministry of Education of Ecuador, where Minister Alegría Crespo; the General Coordinator of Fe y Alegría International, Father Daniel Villanueva S.J.; and the national director of Fe y Alegría Ecuador, Carlos Vargas, signed a commitment to promote the right to learn. This agreement was supported by the Conference of Provincials of Latin America and the Caribbean (CPAL), the Association of Universities entrusted to the Society of Jesus in Latin America (AUSJAL), the Latin American Federation of Jesuit Schools (FLACSI), the Jesuit Refugee Service in Latin America and the Caribbean (JRS LAC), together with important partners of the mission of Fe y Alegría, the World Union of Jesuit Alumni/ae (WUJA), the Latin American Union of Jesuit Alumni/ae (UASIALAC), the Latin American Campaign for the Right to Education (CLADE) and DVV International.
Young students of Fe y Alegría delivered to the Minister of Education of Ecuador a manifesto, that had been written collectively, in which they expressed their proposals in response to the challenges that jeopardize their right to inclusive and quality learning. They emphasize that they do not want to be passive receivers of knowledge, they want a transformative education that allows them to be true protagonists of their realities.
Alegría Crespo, Ecuador’s Minister of Education, called for reflection on education and stressed the importance of schooling and comprehensive education. She invited those present to work together, sharing the responsibility of the effort, with families, civil society and active participation of the community. “Together we can ensure that no child is left behind in learning. The power of education is the real transformation,” the minister commented.
“At Fe y Alegría we defend essential and integral learning for everyone, throughout all stages of their lives,” said Dani Villanueva, general coordinator of Fe y Alegría International. “We want this campaign to highlight the educational gaps that restrict the potential of children, youth and adults as they strive to build an equitable and united future”.
What does this campaign advocate?
The campaign addresses five lines of work: ensuring education for all which promotes access, permanence, growth and quality; educational financing that will guarantee quality public education; public policies that promote education from early childhood; flexible official curricula that encourage innovation; and promoting teacher training.
During the International Congress, educators identified pedagogical practices implemented in 22 countries where Fe y Alegría is present. These practices contribute to reducing gaps, improving the quality of learning and promoting educational transformation.
The urgency of this campaign can be seen in alarming data points from around the world. For example, in low-income countries 70% of children do not understand simple texts (World Bank, 2022), which highlights the impact poverty can have on learning. Furthermore, according to Unesco (2024) more than 750 million adults around the world do not know how to read and write. Finally, there is a global crisis of teachers leaving their profession leading to a worldwide need to add 44 million new teachers by 2030.
“Education is a fundamental human right that enhances the possibilities of everyone. We need collective action to ensure that all people have access to quality education, regardless of their circumstances,” Villanueva emphasized.
These facts are a call to governments, civil society, companies and other stakeholders to ensure that future generations have the basic capabilities to participate fully, freely and critically in society.
Fe y Alegría International calls attention to the importance of education not only as a means to acquire knowledge, but also as a vital space for the socialization, protection and care of children and young people. Be part of this campaign and take action! www.derechoalaprendizaje.org
About Fe y Alegría International
A popular education and social promotion movement with almost 70 years of history and present in 22 countries throughout Latin America, Africa, Asia and Europe, Fe y Alegría International impacts nearly one million individuals in contexts of great economic and social vulnerability annually. This global movement has a positive impact on educational and social action, promoting the international growth of Fe y Alegría, its institutional sustainability, and its global impact. In light of all of this, the movement motivates reflection and strategic action around key initiatives including Ecology, Innovation, Early Childhood Care, Migration, Youth, Inclusive Education, Citizenship and Training for Work.
In the words of its founder, Jesuit Father José María Vélaz, “Fe y Alegría begins where the asphalt ends, where the drinking water does not drip, where the city loses its name”. This continues to be the educational goal: to reach vulnerable students and communities in order to promote the integral development of the participants, generate new opportunities for their future, provide tools to become agents of change and promote the construction of a just and fraternal society.
