“Dear friends,

it will be necessary to overcome poverty to change the world “, launched Father Pedro in his opening speech at the 6th Plenary Meeting of the UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development.

Later, the Vincentian Priest of the Congregation of the Mission continued his speech,

 

 

“Until now and on too many occasions, the lack of convictions and the will to apply the proposals have led major international projects not to achieve the objectives they had set for themselves.

Today, the fight against poverty is suffering the worst setback in 25 years.

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing global crisis, the rate of extreme poverty around the world has increased for the first time in more than 20 years.

Between 2015 and 2017, it declined, according to the World Bank.

In 2018, 80% of the poor lived in rural areas, half were children.

Women constitute the majority of the world’s poor.

About 70% of the poor aged 15 and over have never been to school and have not received a basic education.

Half of the poor in Sub-Saharan Africa are concentrated in just 5 countries, including Madagascar, and understand its youth, culture and biodiversity.

These agonizing events lead to ambitious actions that are certainly needed to preserve the planet and the resources that make life possible.

It is not through education for sustainable development only in developed countries, once again bypassing poor countries, that the global goal will be achieved.

The ambition to put sustainable development at the forefront must also be meaningful for the poorest to occupy a new place in the world of tomorrow.

The abyss which separates the countries of the North and those of the South is a scandal that must be eradicated at all costs, knowing how to take the opportunity to change mentalities towards sustainable development and thus develop a solution ”.

 

This conference is a launching event for the new global framework Education for Sustainable Development: Towards Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals – ESD by 2030, and brought together different leaders who have made transformative commitments and produced structural changes in the society.

 

It was presented by Akpezi Ogbuigwe, Founder of the Anpez Center for Environment and Development Nigeria,

the speech of Father Opeka on

the AKAMASOA experience aroused the admiration of the participants