Hollywood, Fla.
Whereas the American labor movement has a long and proud record of support for universal free public education, a pillar of our democracy and the source of enormous advancement and opportunity for working men and women and their families; and
Whereas for a variety of economic, cultural and religious reasons, more than 100 million children throughout the world, especially girls, are denied the opportunity to go to school; and
Whereas UNESCO estimates that more than 860 million adults, two-thirds of them women, are unable to write or read and are trapped in a life of limited opportunity and poverty; and
Whereas last year, the governments of the world pledged to close the gender gap in education by 2005 and achieve universal education for all children by 2015; and
Whereas the Global Campaign for Education, a worldwide coalition of unions, charities and other organizations, has called on world leaders to keep their pledge to provide equal access to education to both boys and girls; and
Whereas the Global Campaign for Education is organizing a Week of Action, April 6-13, 2003, and is coordinating a worldwide effort on April 9th to break the world record for the Largest Simultaneous Lesson by having a single lesson about the importance of education for all
taught simultaneously in more than 50 countries, and
Whereas the AFT has endorsed these efforts and is providing materials to their members to encourage their participation;
Be it resolved that the AFL-CIO supports the Global Campaign for Education’s Week of Action, including the effort to break the world record for the Largest Simultaneous Lesson on April 9th. We urge union members throughout the United States to support American educators and schools in their communities that are participating in this effort.
Further, we call on the U.S. government to provide leadership and support the efforts to encourage every nation to meet the needs of all their children and provide an education to every child by 2015.