Fe y Alegría’s work on the global challenge of the right to education

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The official launch of Fe y Alegría’s new U.S.-based initiative, Friends of Fe y Alegría in the United States left some important statements on the right to education and on the work that Fe y Alegría’s movement has been doing for over 60 years to promote learning opportunities for all.

Along with Fr. Daniel Villanueva, Executive Director of Entreculturas-Fe y Alegría Spain, Fr. William Kelley, S.J., Secretary for Social and International Ministries and President of Magis Americas and Carlos Vargas, Executive Director of Fe y Alegría Ecuador,  Lucía Rodríguez, FIFyA Public Advocacy Coordinator made several relevant points on the global challenge of the right to education that we now have to face by giving a brave response to the Sustainable Development Agenda that have been just signed a few weeks ago and which will set the global goals for a more sustainable, free of hunger world.

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“Seventeen major global goals were agreed upon to address the universal challenges we face today such as extreme poverty, the growing inequality of opportunities, and climate change. It is a global agreement for the next fifteen years that demands that every State around the world take certain concrete steps towards the commitment of human rights, peaceful coexistence and environmental sustainability.

According to Goal Number 4 of this important international “agreement”, by the time we reach 2030, every person around the world should enjoy quality education and life-long learning opportunities.

Since 1948, lifelong education for every person has been recognized as a Fundamental Human Right in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is not an insignificant right, given the fact that it is one that enhances the access to the rest of the human rights and it also enables the practice of fundamental freedoms.  And yet, reality shows us that this right is systematically violated in every corner of the world.

It is hard to believe that in the twenty first century there are still almost 800 million youth and adults who cannot read nor write while at the same time the other part of the world population can access the largest library through an internet connection and just one simple click. (…)”

“(…) Almost 50,000 people, Jesuits and collaborators from around the world work every day so that the right to education becomes a reality for every person and in every society without discrimination of any kind due to race, social class, language, culture, religion or sex. We strive for an education that builds people committed with the transformation of their communities, countries and the world,  with creativity, skills and values.

How do we do it? In the first place, by directly serving more than 3 million children, youth, and adults in 112 countries. More than half of those 3 million belong to the most vulnerable groups, to the most impoverished, to those who live on the margins of society. But we are not content by proclaiming the right to education and providing direct educational services, although these activities are much needed.(…)”

You can find the whole interview on the EduJesuit website by clicking here

Fe y Alegría U.S. Initiative is presented at the U.S. Jesuit Conference

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Global right to education and the Fe y Alegría education model headline events

Fe y Alegría, an international popular education non-governmental organization, was presented on December 2nd and 3rd as a Jesuit response to the global challenge of the right to education. The events, hosted by the Jesuit Conference of the United States and Canada, highlighted Fe y Alegría’s six decades of experience providing quality, inclusive education to the most vulnerable communities in Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa.

“One of the most impressive things about the Fe y Alegria model is their capacity to actively involve the entire community in the education process,” said Fr. William Kelley, S.J., Secretary for Social and International Ministries and President of MAGIS Americas. “Parents are involved, fiercely defending and supporting their children’s education.

Fr. Kelley, who attended both events in Washington, D.C. and New York City—the latter of which was hosted by the Northeast Conference of the Society of Jesus—went on to say that Fe y Alegría communities are different in that “children and families are the main protagonists in their own development.”

The events also served as the official launch of Fe y Alegría’s new U.S.-based initiative, Friends of Fe y Alegría in the United States. Fr. Daniel Villanueva S.J., Executive Director of Entreculturas-Fe y Alegría Spain, leads the new venture, which is a collaboration between Magis Americas and the International Federation of Fe y Alegría (FIFyA).

Friends of Fe y Alegría in the United States aims to create strategic alliances with U.S.-based institutions and Latino communities, as well as raise awareness about the importance of defending the right to a quality education.

“Our goal is that individuals and institutions in the U.S. can say ‘I am part of a network that is changing the world through the power of education’,” said Fr. Villanueva.

Lucía Rodriguez, FIFyA Public Advocacy Coordinator, kicked off both events by highlighting the need to provide quality education globally. Citing the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals—released earlier this year in New York—Rodriguez called for individual action and responsibility to ensure the 59 million children out of school worldwide receive a quality education.

Following Rodriguez, Carlos Vargas, Executive Director of Fe y Alegría Ecuador, provided a case study of how Fe y Alegría is locally defending the right to quality education by highlighting various new collaborations the organization is implementing with the Ecuadoran Ministry of Education to offer inclusive education programs for traditionally marginalized populations.

Fe y Alegría was first started by the Jesuit priest José Maria Vélaz on the outskirts of Caracas, Venezuela in 1955. Fe y Alegría currently works in 23 countries, providing education programs to over 1.5 million individuals. The Office of the International Federation is based in Bogotá, Colombia.

For more information on Fe y Alegría and its new U.S. initiative, please visit www.feyalegria.us.

Join us in NY and DC: The global challenge of the right to education

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What are the Jesuits doing at the global level to defend the right to education? What are some of the main educational challenges facing the international community in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals?

Next week, November 2nd and 3rd, Friends of Fe y Alegría in the U.S. will host events in New York and Washington DC that aim to share the experience of Fe y Alegría and its commitment to fighting for the right to education for all, especially for those living at the margins. We will also highlight other Jesuit international responses in the struggle for the right to education and social justice.

Fe y Alegría  has been around for over 60 years, and is one of the largest Jesuit educational NGOs in Latin America, with growing presence in Africa and Europe. Through these events, we will share about the main educational mission and identity of Fe y Alegría, its reach and impact, as well as its goals for the future. We will also highlight what individuals and institutions from the U.S. can do to get involved in our mission.

During the event, we will count with the presence of:

  • William Kelley, S.J., the Secretary for Social and International Ministries, the Society of Jesus, in Canada and the United States.
  • Lucía Rodríguez, Coordinator of the Public Advocacy Program at the International Federation of Fe y Alegría, and Coordinator of the Global Ignatian Advocacy Network for the Right to Education.
  • Daniel Villanueva, S.J., Executive Director of Entreculturas – Fe y Alegría Spain and Coordinator of Friends of Fe y Alegría in the United States.
  • In New York, Nick Napolitano, Assistant for Social Ministries, Maryland and Northeast Provinces of the Society of Jesus will moderate the event.

Register now and join us next week!

Wednesday, December 2, 2015 NYC event registration
Thursday, December 3, 2015 Washington DC event registration