FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Alexandra Humme
ahumme@globalpartnership.org
CEO MAKES ANNOUNCEMENT AT NYC CENTRAL PARK MUSIC CONCERT IN SUPPORT OF ENDING GLOBAL POVERTY
New York City, September 28, 2013 - The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) announced today plans to raise billions of dollars as part of its replenishment campaign to help educate 57 million children who are currently not in school.
Alice Albright, Chief Executive Officer of the Global Partnership for Education made the announcement alongside actor and education advocate Gerard Butler, at the Global Poverty Project’s Global Citizen Festival in Central Park in front of a crowd of 60,000 people. Timed to coincide with the United Nations General Assembly, the Global Citizen Festival aims to focus the attention of world leaders toward the goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030.
"Our goal is that no child be denied the right to go to school. Girls are being killed for going to school. Kids are trying to learn how to read without a single book. There is unprecedented need for money. US$26 billion per year to get every child in school by 2015. But donor funding for education is in freefall. That is a betrayal of the world’s children,” Albright said. “Today, the Global Partnership for Education is launching its second replenishment campaign aiming to mobilize billions of dollars for basic education in the world’s poorest countries. We are calling on world leaders to pledge billions of dollars to the Global Partnership of Education at our pledging conference in June 2014 so every child can get a quality education. Join the movement to support full funding for education worldwide.”
The free-ticketed concert, sponsored by the Global Poverty Project, celebrated the progress of anti-poverty efforts to date and called for accelerated progress around education, women’s equality, global health and global partnerships. It featured performances by Stevie Wonder, Kings of Leon, Alicia Keys and John Mayer. World leaders, including the U.N Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Jim Yong Kim, World Bank President and Joyce Banda, President of Malawi joined the call to end poverty. “We will work with all our partners to mobilize the necessary funds to ensure that every child has access to a good education so they can be healthier, have higher incomes, and have an opportunity to change their lives for the better,” Albright said.
The Global Partnership for education is the only multilateral partnership solely devoted to getting all children in school for a good quality education. Its partners include developing countries, multilateral organizations, donors, the private sector, teachers, civil society/NGOs, and private foundations. GPE’s approach is different because it convenes and builds consensus on education issues – at the global and country levels – to help its nearly 60 developing country partners develop effective education sector plans, and promotes aid that is coordinated and aligned with these plans.
More information about the Festival can be found at www.globalfestival.com