We partnered with RESULTS and Plan International, to fully replenish the Global Partnership for Education  funds to the GPE.

WHAT'S THE ISSUE?

Globally, 58 million children do not receive a basic primary education. If all children attended and left school with basic reading skills, 171 million people could be pulled out of poverty.

HOW DID GLOBAL CITIZENS RESPOND?

In the United States, Global Poverty Project partnered with RESULTS and Plan International, petitioning world leaders to commit funds to the GPE. The petition secured 40,000 signatures globally and was handed over to politicians on Capitol Hill ahead of the Thank You Festival.  

We secured 81 Congresspeople who co-signed a letter to their peers, known as a “Dear Colleague” letter, calling for world leaders to fully fund the GPE. Over 2,000 global citizens also tweeted Dr. Raj Shah, former USAID Administrator, supporting education.

WHAT'S THE IMPACT

These efforts influenced the US government’s commitment to GPE of US $40 million in 2014, which was made at the GPE replenishment conference in Brussels on June 26. At the conference, we also took the opportunity to present the Global Citizen petition again. Later on the same day, at our Thank You Festival in Washington DC, Raj Shah announced from the stage that he would work with Congress to raise the 2015 commitment to US $50 million. Fall saw this promise partially fulfilled, with the US Appropriations Committee confirming a budget for 2015 of US $45 million. We will continue campaigning to see the commitment met in full.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

In 2015,  we’ll focus on ensuring USAID’s target 2015 financial commitment is fulfilled. We will also work with GPE to ensure education has clear indicators in the SDGs,calling for the scaling up of GPE into a fully fledged Global Fund for Education to raise the billions required to achieve quality universal education.