Education Above All Foundation Marks 5th International Day to Protect Education from Attack at Global Forum in Doha

Global leaders call for action to protect education in conflict zones at EAA Foundation event.

DOHA, QATAR, September 10, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In a world where conflict often usurps the most fundamental human rights, a gathering of global leaders convened to mark the 5th International Day to Protect Education Under Attack to address a critical issue: the urgent need to protect education in conflict zones. Led by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of EAA Foundation, the event was held on the fifth anniversary of the International Day to Protect Education from Attack (IDPEA).

More than 72 million children worldwide are currently out of school due to conflict. According to this year’s report by the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack, attacks on education increased by 20% in 2022 and 2023. In just two years, over 10,000 students and educators were killed, injured, abducted, or harmed in such attacks, with explosive weapons used in one-third of these incidents. Palestine, Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Myanmar are among the most affected countries.

This year’s event "Education in Peril: The Human Cost of War” featured a keynote address from Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser and a high-level panel discussion. The panelists of global leaders included His Excellency Mr. Ahmad Awad bin Mubarak, Prime Minister of Yemen; Her Excellency Mrs. Fatima Maada Bio, First Lady of Sierra Leone; Her Excellency Mrs. Fatoumatta Bah-Barrow, First Lady of The Gambia; Her Excellency Dr. Wan Azizah binti Wan Ismail, Spouse of the Prime Minister of Malaysia; Her Excellency Rosângela Lula da Silva, First Lady of Brazil; Her Excellency Mrs. Mirela Bećirović, First Lady of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Her Excellency Mrs. Philippa Karsera-Christodoulides, First Lady of Cyprus; Her Excellency Dr. Varsen Aghabekian, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the State of Palestine; Her Excellency Mrs. Saida Shavkatovna Mirziyoyeva, Advisor to The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan; Her Excellency Mrs. Sara Beysolow Nyanti, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Liberia and Her Excellency Mrs. Virginia Gamba, UN SRSG for Children and Armed Conflict.

These global leaders are united by a shared vision: education is not a privilege but a fundamental right of all children and must be safeguarded, especially for those caught in the crossfire of war and violence.

In her remarks, Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser said: “Education is the vessel that will carry children to a bright future. But attacks on education destroy the lives of teachers and students, leaving nothing but emptiness, annihilating their future. There is no doubt those who target education know what they are doing and do so with premeditation.”

EAA Foundation has supported over seven million out-of-school children affected by conflict across 25 countries. The Foundation has active projects in Ukraine, Gaza, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Sudan—regions where conflict and inequality severely hinder access to education. To date, EAA Foundation has supported over 19 million children and youth worldwide, achieving an 89.5% retention rate, and reaffirming education as a universal human right.

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About the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation
The Education Above All (EAA) Foundation is a global foundation established in 2012 by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser. EAA Foundation aims to transform lives through education. We believe that education is the single most effective means of reducing poverty, creating peaceful and just societies, unlocking the full potential of every child and youth, and creating the right conditions to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Through our multi-sectoral approach, unique financing models, focus on innovation as a tool for social good, and partnerships, we aim to bring hope and real opportunities to the lives of impoverished and marginalized boys and girls. EAA Foundation is comprised of the following programmed: Educate A Child (EAC), Al Fakhoora, Reach Out to All (ROTA), Protect Education in Insecurity and Conflict (PEIC), Innovation Development (ID) and Together project.

About the International Day to Protect Education from Attack
The International Day to Protect Education from Attack was established through a resolution spearheaded by the State of Qatar and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 2020. Supported by 62 countries, the resolution declared September 9th the UN International Day to Protect Education from Attack, a day dedicated to acknowledging and addressing the global need to safeguard education in conflict zones and against other barriers.

Mohamed Al-Amri
EAA
msalih@eaa.org.qa

Education in Peril: The Human Cost of War