1 GOAL - EDUCATION FOR ALL MARCH: 10 JUNE 2010
Labelle, ♥ girls daughter, has been coordinating this march for the last couple of months sometimes using our dining room table as a command-post. The march was originally banned by the Metro Police as the powers that be did not want any protests and marches so close to the World Cup opening event. Labelle, radical activist that she is, went to the papers and god knows who else and the march is now going ahead tomorrow.
Cynical me feel that the aims of the march will be lost in all the razzmatazz of vuvuzella blowing, star soccer players, big name international musicians and celebrities arriving for the World Cup. Cynical me also don’t see our dear Minister of basic education pitching up to accept and listen the legitimate and very real concerns of the participants about the sad and sorry state of education in South Africa.
Unfortunately I have a board meeting tomorrow at that time, otherwise I would have joined them. Heidi, you do deserve a special mention in this gallery of maniacs, visionaries, and wide-eyed dreamers.
Can I have the dining room table back now?
1GOAL - EDUCATION MARCH
WE CALL ON ALL CIVIL SOCIETY AND CONCERNED CITIZENS TO JOIN US IN A MARCH FOR AN EQUAL AND QUALITY PUBLIC EDUCATION FOR ALL OUR CHILDREN.
“1GOAL - QUALITY PUBLIC EDUCATION FOR ALL”
10th June 2010
Johannesburg: From Pieter Roos Park to Constitution Hill
11h00-14h00
With 72 million children across the world out of school, and millions more struggling to get a good education, this march is bringing civil society and concerned citizens together to shine light on the state of education.
Education remains deeply divided and unequal in South Africa, and the engagement of a united civil society, all communities, teachers, parents, and students is critical for educational redress. This march also feeds into a significant global moment: the ‘1GOAL: Education for ALL campaign’ --- a global campaign which is looking to use the power of football to ensure that all children are able to access their right to a quality education.
Through the march we are saying that a quality and equal public education should not be a commodity for a few, but the right of everyone; both here in South Africa and across the continent. With the world descending on South Africa this is also a crucial moment where South African civil society and citizens can stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters around the world denied their right to an education.
Giving energy to 2010 being the year for education, an Education Summit was announced by President Zuma, to be hosted by the South African Presidency during the FIFA World Cup. The Education Summit is a critical moment which provides a platform for world leaders to ensure that education rights are committed to. Recognising that these moments are made powerful if they are supported by independent civil society mobilization, a unified voice of civil society is embarking on a peaceful march in a call for a quality public education for every person in South Africa.
The march will end with presentations from leading voices committed to education and social justice. We also ask all marchers to “yellow card” their educational concerns and hopes: to write down, on a yellow card, our burning concern(s) and hopes around education. These will be collected at the march and handed over to Heads of State.
Contact: Heidi-Jane Esakov - cell: 084 475 4760 office: 011 447 4111 email: esakov.hj@gmail.com