World leaders join FIFA President to back the 1GOAL education campaign
Publicat pe 7 octombrie, 2009
By Sports Features Communications
World leaders today joined forces with footballers, fans and FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter to pledge their support to a campaign to provide an education for every child.
The 1GOAL campaign, which aims to make education for all a reality, heard via live satellite link-up from Mr. Blatter and the leaders of the UK (Gordon Brown), South Africa (Jacob Zuma), Spain (José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero), and the Netherlands (Jan Peter Balkenende) of the importance of achieving education for all. The United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and the leaders of Brazil (Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva) and Ghana (John Atta Mills) had made pre-recorded statements in support of the campaign, which were also aired.
1GOAL is aiming to recruit tens of millions of supporters through a mass sign-up campaign to achieve a school place for the 75 million children out of school globally. The campaign is pushing for:
• Governments to give more aid to education – an extra USD 7 billion is needed – and stand by their current pledges;
• Greater investment for more teachers, textbooks and schools in developing countries; and
• The millions of people in the developing world to understand the importance of sending their children to school.
The FIFA President addressed the international audience with the following words:
“Dear friends of the international football family, FIFA is delighted that the beautiful game – the game of football – is an integral part of the “1GOAL – Education for All” campaign. It is an immense honor to gather around football’s force for change so many of today’s political leaders and so many football legends, all motivated by solidarity and a strong desire for action. Together we can make universal education in Africa a reality and raise awareness of the challenges and needs of the continent not only in the lead-up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ in South Africa but long after the final whistle is blown. The 2010 FIFA World Cup – the first to be held on the African continent – represents a unique opportunity to mobilize support around the globe and to provide education, health and a better future for every child on our planet. What better legacy could the FIFA World Cup leave than to ensure that all children in Africa have the new hope and opportunities in life that an education brings? The “1GOAL – Education for All” campaign is a rallying point for concrete commitments by governments, the private sector, civil society and individuals to be true to our values of universality and to the values of football – an amazing school of life – with 2010 as the target date. Together we can make it possible. For education, for Africa. For the Game. For the World.”