The world today faces three generation-defining and interconnected challenges: Covid-19, poverty and injustice, and the climate crisis. This year offers a number of opportunities for world leaders to make meaningful progress in addressing these issues, including the recent G7 summit, the Global Education Summit in July and the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in November. At STiR Education, we understand the importance of responding to these crises today, in order to provide a better future for the children that we serve around the world. That’s why we’re pleased to be part of two important movements aiming to influence world leaders on these crucial areas.
The first of these movements is Crack the Crises, a coalition of nearly 100 NGOs in the UK and representing 12 million UK citizens. STiR joined the coalition in January 2021 and we’ve been pleased to support efforts so far including the #WaveofHope for the G7 summit.
The second is the Earth Day campaign for Climate and Environmental Literacy. This campaign seeks to ensure that every school globally offers education on climate and environmental issues, with a strong civic engagement component. STiR is one of more than 550 organisations to sign the letter to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and we strongly agree that education has a crucial part to play in tackling the climate crisis.
STiR CEO Girish Menon said: “We’re not encouraged by the commitments made by the UK and other countries so far. STiR already has first-hand experience of the damaging cuts made to the foreign aid budget, with the UK government choosing this moment to recede from its global leadership role, directly contradicting its own manifesto commitment and the Prime Minister’s stated priority for girls’ education. We’ve also seen an underwhelming commitment from the UK to the Global Partnership for Education, and a missed opportunity from global leaders at the G7 to meaningfully address the key priorities of vaccine distribution and climate finance. We’re therefore proud to be part of these two vital campaigns, and will continue to support efforts to influence global leaders to create a fairer, healthier and better future for children everywhere.”
