Raising our hands for the adventure of learning

American Jesuits International joins Fe y Alegría’s campaign For the Right to Learn, “raising our hands for the adventure of learning."

Raising our hands for the adventure of learning

American Jesuits International joins Fe y Alegría’s campaign For the Right to Learn, “raising our hands for the adventure of learning."

Fe y Alegría is an essential strategic partner of American Jesuits International. Our commitment to supporting their growth and success starts as early as 2005 during the earliest formulations of our organization. Furthermore, as strategic partners, we are proud join in Fe y Alegría’s global campaign For the Right to Learn, “raising our hands for the adventure of learning.” Together with our partners, we are committed to ensuring the right to education for all.


Bogotá D.C., January 24, 2025. At Fe y Alegría, we reaffirm our conviction that quality public education is key to building a more just and equitable world. In the spirit of International Education Day, we call on Ministers of Education and responsible authorities of the 22 countries where we are present, to recognize the essential role of learning in our communities and to renew their commitment to work together to guarantee this fundamental right.

Today, Fe y Alegría makes an urgent call to increase access, retention and progress of all students, as well as the quality of education to ensure that no one is left behind, paying special attention to girls, women, people with disabilities and migrants. Governments must take immediate action to fulfill their commitments by improving educational conditions, investing in infrastructure, connectivity and safe environments, and closing learning gaps.

It is essential to defend and strengthen our investment in quality public education because it stimulates economic growth: every dollar a government spends on education increases GDP by an average of $20. If all children and youth were in school and learning, global GDP would increase by $6.5 trillion a year.

“The 4th International Conference on Financing for Development being held this year is the opportunity of the decade to reach just tax commitments that will result in greater educational equity. At Fe y Alegría we will be following the negotiations and advocating for the common good and equitable redistribution,” commented Daniel Villanueva, general coordinator of Fe y Alegría International.

We demand that public policies effectively guarantee education from early childhood, starting progressively from the first year of compulsory and free preschool education. Achievements at early ages are essential in providing quality education into early adulthood. These early investments develop the capacities that allow for a dignified life and contribute to the transformation of conditions which create more inclusive, just and democratic societies.

To respond to UNESCO’s call to reimagine education, governments must allow official curricula to be flexible and foster innovation as principles of transformation in educational processes, adopting a new paradigm of quality. Focusing our attention on the individual as the holder of rights, comprehensive and inclusive learning must be enriched from our contexts. New content, resources, technology, methodologies and strategies can meet the current challenges; innovation must be available to all students and teachers, it cannot be a bargaining chip for the privatization of education systems.

Finally, it is imperative to reduce the deficit of teachers and guarantee their initial and continuous training, based on criteria of relevance and quality, so as not to compromise education, especially that of the most vulnerable and excluded populations. It is with well-paid teachers, who have adequate working conditions, that it will be possible to achieve quality education for all. As highlighted in the most recent UNESCO GEM Report, the educational leadership of teachers, trainers and other educational personnel is often the most influential factor in an education system, especially in terms of learning outcomes.

Fe y Alegría recognizes the need to address persistent gaps and is committed to continue working tirelessly to overcome the obstacles that prevent many groups from accessing the right to learn.

Within this framework, Fe y Alegría International is engaging in multilevel advocacy and dialogue with international organizations, networks, platforms and allies to generate links around the recently launched Campaign for the Right to Learn. Only with quality learning can education become a liberating and powerful tool for social change. In that way each person can realize their vocation to be an agent of change, building bridges to a brighter and more equitable future.


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.

Stories of Impact

Suzanne – United States

“Sometimes when you see it in front of your own eyes, it takes on a different approach and you feel it in your heart." Witnessing the work of Fe y Alegría first hand had a real impact on Suzanne Krudys.

Fe y Alegría Argentina

Jorge – Argentina

From poetry to soccer, nothing is out of reach for Jorge. Inclusive education programs at Fe y Alegría are opening doors despite his visual impairment.

Fe y Alegría Venezuela

Mariela – Venezuela

Investing in new sewing machines gives students at the San Javier del Valle vocational school the “right tool for the job” and the opportunity to gain hands-on experience.

Centros Loyola - Cuba

Leocadia – Cuba

Through the SIEMBRA and COMPARTE agricultural network, the Loyola Centers in Cuba are giving small farmers like Leocadia new opportunities for economic stability.

Samantha
LJSS - Malawi

Samantha – Malawi

Counseling services at the Loyola Jesuit Secondary School in Malawi are giving students like Samantha a safe space to feel listened to and accompanied.

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