Other News Stories
GLOBAL FORUM FOR INCLUSION 2008: Transforming Rights into Action. 17-26 Nov 2008.
Inclusion International would like to congratulate its Ethiopian members on the change of its name
Christa Schönbächler, from INSIEME represented Inclusion International at the Human Rights Council Special Event on the entry into force of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol
"Different, but together” receives The Greatest Award at the Civil Society Gala in Romania
Inclusion Europe Champions Supported Decision-Making
Search the Site
|
News
Presentation to President Putin by Diane Richler
[Last updated Wednesday, July 12, 2006]
 |
President Putin |
 |
President Putin |
Civil G8, Moscow
July 4, 2006
President Putin
Thank-you and congratulations for providing an opportunity for civil society organizations together with educators from Russia, G8 countries and other countries around the world to met together to discuss professional education: partnerships and possibilities.
Education is a fundamental human right. A highly effective education system which includes ALL children and youth and provides opportunities for lifelong learning helps to reduce poverty and promotes economic growth.
The G8 countries have an important role to play in education, both within G8 countries and in countries which receive international cooperation.
The working group on professional education therefore recommends the following to the G8 leaders.
1. Establish an expert working group including educators, civil society and business representatives to develop standards and evaluation criteria in the areas of post-secondary and adult education.
We recognize however that post-secondary education is open only to those completing primary education and that today there are over 100 million children out of school.
Therefore:
Recognizing the commitment of all G8 countries to achieving Education for All by 2015 as a fundamental human right; and
Recognizing that the only way to ensure education for all, including those most likely to be excluded, is to include them in the mainstream education systems; and
Building on the commitments made by the G8 leaders at Glen Eagles in 2005, which endorsed free, compulsory, good quality, primary education for all children by 2015 and which made explicit reference to the Fast Track Initiative (FTI),
We recommend that at the meeting in St. Petersburg, the G8 leaders agree to:
2. Further support the achievement of Education for All and the UNESCO Salamanca Declaration, which called for education to be inclusive of all children, with special attention given to the inclusion of children who are vulnerable to exclusion such as children with disabilities, children with HIV/AIDS, orphans and other institutionalized children, street children, children of ethnic minorities and immigrants and child-carers;
3. Commit $10 billion per year to the Fast Track Initiative of Education For All and ensure that the FTI is inclusive of all children.
4. Promote more civil society participation in education by calling on all countries to form governing bodies made up of the school community who would ensure an inclusive education for all students and to create opportunities for such bodies to share experiences
5. In order to demonstrate leadership and commitment to Education for all, commit to eliminating the exclusion from school of children in G8 countries and to report at the 2007 G8 meeting on the steps taken to accomplish this.
6. Establish an ongoing process whereby civil society within G8 countries can continue the productive dialogue on education initiated by the Russian government
Finally, we ask President Putin to honour us and show his support for Education for All by agreeing to wear this pin produced by the Russian group Perspectiva which says “Education, a Right for All”.
Thank-you.
Response from President Putin:
• Education has been on the G8 agenda for several years
• There are particular challenges in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union, notably the exclusion for school of children with disabilities, orphans and homeless children
• The recommendation regarding the $10 billion investment in Education for All is “doable”
• It would be difficult to include the proposal on creating a civil society body in the final communiqué but president Putin will bring the recommendation to his colleagues and include it in his remarks.
• It is important to implement previous commitments before taking on new commitments
Mr. Putin Joins the Movement to Make Education Accessible for All On July 3-4 at a meeting of 500 NGO leaders from more than 30 countries - the Civil G8 Forum in Moscow, President Putin put on an "Education – A Right For All" pin that featured 2 disabled and one non-disabled child going to school. The button is a symbol of the inclusive education campaign being run by Perspektiva - a Russian disability NGO and Am Cham member of 4years - and its 15 regional partners. Since February, 2006, one of the key topics of the Civil G8 proceedings has been inclusive education - the process and practice of educating students with disabilities in the general education classroom of their neighbourhood school. Inclusion also implies that, where necessary, education is provided with the use of supplementary aids and services.
Perspektiva calls this a huge step in promoting inclusive education as the concept "education is a right for all" was translated all over Russia through the mass media. Finally, Perspektiva and its partners hope that the logo will become a recognizable symbol and concept in Russia within the next few years.
Moscow, July 5, 2006 President of Inclusion International, Diane Richler and President of Inclusion Europe Ingrid Koerner were surprised to be treated as celebrities at the Moscow Airport today as they prepared to return home after attending the Civil G8 Meeting at which over 600 representatives of civil society organizations prepared recommendations for the G8 Meeting scheduled for St. Petersburg later this month.
Two Russian children eyed the badges they were wearing which proclaimed in Russian, “Education is a human right for all”. Their mother then explained, “They are excited to see you because they saw you on television yesterday presenting that badge to President Putin.”
Diane Richler had given the badge to Mr. Putin when she presented recommendations on inclusive education as part of a two-hour meeting at which the Russian President met with civil society representatives. Perspectiva, a Russian organization that promotes the rights of people with disabilities, had developed the badges and ensured that Inclusion Europe and Inclusion International were invited to the meetings.
In her remarks to the President, Richler drew attention to the children who are currently out of school both within G8 non-G8 countries. She called on the G8 to commit to achieving inclusive education for all children with special attention given to the inclusion of children who are vulnerable to exclusion such as children with disabilities, children with HIV/AIDS, orphans and other institutionalized children, street children, children of ethnic minorities and immigrants and child-carers. She also asked for a $10 billion per year investment by G8 countries in the Fast Track Initiative designed to help countries in need of support to achieve the Education for All targets agreed to by the United Nations. “A highly effective education system which includes ALL children and youth and provides opportunities for lifelong learning helps to reduce poverty and promotes economic growth,” Richler stated.
Putin responded by acknowledging that there are particular challenges in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union, notably the exclusion from school of children with disabilities, orphans and homeless children. He further stated “The recommendation regarding the $10 billion investment in Education for All is “doable”. He agreed to wear the badge as a sign of his commitment.
For more information:
Diane Richler
President, Inclusion International
dianer@inclusion-international.org
|
