Our World's Reality

Nearly half of the world's population--more than three billion people--live off of less than $2.50 a day. More than 1.3 billion live in extreme poverty and live off of less than $1.25 per day. According to UNICEF, 16,000 children die every day due to poverty. Although these statistics may be hard to comprehend, it is the harsh reality of our world today. These situations of extreme poverty have a detrimental effect on the way a society operates, and that includes the society's education system.  According to the Global Partnership for Education, education is ''one of the most important investments a country can make in its people and its future, and is critical to reducing poverty and inequality.'' Not all countries are in a situation of poverty, however. In China, there is a real hunger for education, which helps to explain the development that can be seen in their nation. Nearly every Chinese person under the age of 25 sees education as a key issue. More importantly, a strong, education populace will ultimately overpower an illegitimate regime. An educated majority means greater participation towards positive democratic change. Contrastingly, an uneducated majority gives dictators and autocrats a more secure position in their government system, which is reason enough to fight for education as a basic human right. 

Knowledge truly is power. There is simply no development without education. Thankfully, the world community has long since realized this fact and has made conscious decisions to implement greater educational systems in our world to increase the success of the global society as a whole. 

The Value and Importance of Education

The phrase "knowledge is power" is key to understanding the difference between underdeveloped and developed nations. The United States have a 99% literacy rate, while Yemen's literacy rate is about 49%. This contrast is astounding; however, even more astounding is the difference in each country's living situation. Education is what makes the difference between a thriving country and a country that is in extreme poverty. This is because education can lead to better paying jobs, technology, and medical practices. All of these factors help lead to a more improved society because of the power that education can have to help gain a better understanding of our world, which leads to new and successful developments. One of the most famous quotes of the late revered Nelson Mandela is that "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.''
Nelson Mandela was one of the leading advocates for a better education system worldwide. He emphasized that education is more about bringing others together through commonalities while also showing strength in differences. We, as a local and global community, should seek to highlight the individualistic qualities we each hold in order to grow together as a whole. Education is not limited to the boundaries of a classroom; the ideas and values of learning are limitless. It is important that we all note the impact that education can have on our world and what success can ultimately result from a more educated society.

Birth Rates in Various Countries

Yemen
Yemen has a very large percentage of the population that is under the age of 25 and a very low percentage that is older than 25. this is cause by high birth rates and a high rate of premature death. high birth rates lead to an increase in population size.



China vs. India
China represents a developed nation, while India represents a developing nation. they differ in average age of citizens. A majority of China's population is between the ages 20 to 40 years old as apposed to India where a majority of the population is between ages of 0 to 20 years old.

Greece
Greece is an example of a country that has higher death than birth rate, this leads to a declining population.

Four countries compared
This compares four developed countries. The rectangular shape represents a population that is remaining the same.

President Obama on the Importance of Education

This is a great example of how impactful education can be on each of our lives! It is a speech given by Mr. Barack Obama at Booker T. Washington High School back in 2011. This is just a small portion of this commencement speech, but it speaks to the audience in a meaningful and relatable manner. In this video, you see it is truly incredible to see the power and capability of such a valuable part of our society.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hOp408Ib5w

Our Local Connection: Global GU

It is amazing to see what an impact our own community is making on the world today. Gonzaga's Comprehensive Leadership Program hosts a summer long study-abroad program in Zambezi, Zambia. There, Gonzaga students will spend three weeks completing a wide variety of service projects, including educational literary projects, a health education program and teaching basic computer skills. There is a Gonzaga run blog that follows the experiences and service completed in Zambia. While certainly rewarding for the Gonzaga students abroad, this experience is extremely beneficial to those in Zambia that will receive both international and intercultural lessons in education. This is only one example of the limitless number of ways that we as a community can assist in educating others in underdeveloped nations.

Malala Yousafzai: A Modern Day Hero

"The content of a book holds the power of education and it is with this power that we can shape our future and changes lives"

Malala Yousfzai is an eighteen year old Pakistani women who has made leaps and bonds in the realm of female education. She is known as a human rights advocate for the women in the northwestern region of Pakistan. Her primary reason for focusing on this area is because the Taliban has banded girls from attending school. In 2009 Yousfzai wrote a blog and sent it to BBC. In the blog she explained the difficult situation the Taliban put the girls under and she also outlined her goals to promote education for girls.

In 2012 Yousfazai was shot three times in the head by a gunman associated with the Taliban. This sparked a global uproar. A week after the shooting Gordon Brown, a member on the United Nation Special Envoy for Global Education, created a petition that contained three demands in Yousfzai's honor called "in support of what Malala fought for":

• We call on Pakistan to agree to a plan to deliver education for every child.
• We call on all countries to outlaw discrimination against girls.
• We call on international organisations to ensure the world's 61 million out-of-school children are in education by the end of 2015

On October 10, 2014, Yousafzai became the co-recipient of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize for her struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education.

Call to Action!

Now is the time to make a change. Every day that we wait more children become more susceptible to death. As a society we need to do all we can to help provide education to people in countries in poverty. So, we encourage you to get involved by volunteering in your community and in the global community. That could include anything from tutoring in a local school to donating to UNICEF and traveling to countries in need. Organizations such as:

• Developing Country Partners  -- a global partnership for education that works closely with partner developing countries to help develop and implement quality education sector plans 
• Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) -- main purpose is to promote and support the optimal education, development, and well-being of children worldwide
• UNESCO -- mission is to aid in the building of peace, eradication of poverty and lasting development 

These all strive to help make our world a place full of educational opportunities in regions far and wide. All change starts with one small step, and you can be the guiding force behind what you would like to see in our world today.