Campaigning for “Education for all”

Book excerpt: Civil society organizations have risen up the global education agenda since the international community adhered to the 'Education For All' Action Framework in the 'World Education Forum' that was held in Dakar in 2000. With the foundation of the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) civil society advocacy has sought to ensure that national governments, donors and international organisations make the necessary efforts to guarantee quality education for all children in the world. This book explores the strategies and actions, as well as the challenges and impact of civil society organizations in the achievement of the 'Education For All' international commitments. It does so by specifically focusing on seven national coalitions affiliated to the GCE. From Africa, to Asia to Latin America the book shows how these coalitions work and manage the differences between their different types of constituencies, explores their varied tactics and strategies, and explains their successes and failures after more than a decade of coordinated action. The book also provides a concise and comprehensive synthesis of findings from the distinct case studies and offers a series of lessons learned that are vital for education practitioners, academics, activists and policy-makers committed to more equitable and relevant education systems around the world.