education for all

· 1GOAL launches biggest ever mobile phone campaign for education
· Queen Rania, Shakira, Michael Essien and GSMA unite world’s mobile companies boosting campaign to give every child the right to an education

Thank you, Aase

Two years ago, I met a girl named Maha, from a village in Yemen.

In her world, few girls ever receive an education. But Maha dreamed of going to school… learning to read and write… making friends… maybe even going to university.

Her father loved her, but he was a traditional man. Girls didn’t go to school. If she went, the village wouldn’t understand; they would condemn and ostracize his family. Even her brothers were against it. Only her mother fought for her daughter, even though she had never gone to school herself.

I’m here to ask you to join one team and help us reach one goal.  

One goal:  To change the lives of children through education for all. 

And I’m honored to be introduced by a champion who won the Golden Shoe.  

Now that’s one, I don’t have!  But, seriously, I think it’s great to see stilettos and cleats lining up together… in support of a golden chance to make a lasting difference for the world. 

You can't write your own name or that of your child.

You started work, not at 16, 18 or 21, but at 5.

You earn so little – even after years of toil – that your own daughter, too, must work…

And so the cycle begins.

Millions of adults live this reality – 774 million… all illiterate … most of them women.

Millions of children will join them – 75 million … none with a day's schooling … most of them girls.

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department- Amman) – Under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, UNESCO Office in Amman launched today the Arabic edition of the organization’s flagship publication Education for All Global Monitoring Report, focusing this year on the theme of “The hidden crisis: Armed conflict and education”

(Office of Her Majesty Press Department- Amman) FIFA President Sepp Blatter will be the co-chair of the 1GOAL campaign which aims to make global education a global reality.

The announcement was made today during a press conference held after a meeting with Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, where Blatter accepted Queen Rania’s invitation to become co-chair of the 1GOAL campaign.

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department- New York) Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, on Tuesday, urged the music world to unite in support of the 1GOAL global education campaign, during the launch of VEVO, a new, premium music video and entertainment site, powered by Google Inc’s YouTube, and co-owned by Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Abu Dhabi Media.

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department - New York) Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah joined the Prime Ministers Gordon Brown, of the UK, and Kevin Rudd, of Australia, as well as other global leaders at the "Class of 2015: Education For All" pledging summit, in New York, Thursday to urge world leaders to refocus their commitments for universal access to primary education. At the event, a coalition of governments, charities and U.N. agencies pledged $4.5 billion to support efforts to get all the world's children in school by 2015.

Afterwards, I visited Dar Al Taliba and Dar Al Fatat, two girls’ hostels, funded by the King Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity- another of Morocco’s efforts to ensure equity and access to education for all.  For girls from rural areas whose family homes are far away from college, these boarding facilities are often the only way they can pursue their studies.  In Dar Al Taliba, I was touched that the girls had dressed up in traditional clothing from their regions.  They all looked different, and spoke with varying accents, but they had one thing in common: they w

(As it appeared in Slate)

It's not often that my morning starts with a really catchy tune, played live on a New York street corner by one of the coolest and most talented musicians around. But this one did. And it was all for a great cause. I can't wait to tell my eldest son, Hussein.