Integrating Youth and Students Voices for Improved Advocacy: GCE Youth and Students

GCE believes that Youth and Students must be recognised as equal and active partners within the civil society movement for education, and youth voices must be included as co-architects of the future. Education policies will be strengthened by encouraging the active participation of youth-led organisations in strategic and decision-making processes within GCE and globally. GCE further deems that youth and students are the experts on their own contexts, challenges and solutions to these challenges facing them and their futures. There is an urgent need for a paradigm shift – one that moves from tokenism to one that truly engages young people as full partners in the design, implementation, and evaluation of strategies and programs and policies on challenges facing education. The genuine and meaningful participation of youth and students in advocacy, campaigns, and research is necessary for the education agenda and the achievement of SDG4. Youth and students should not be included as neutral participants but must be a driving force engaging in the general work and structures as equal partners of the movement to truly learn from their perspectives. Together, GCE aims to shape a better and more sustainable future for equal access to free, inclusive, public, quality education for all.

Carmen

Carmen is working on Communication and Social Media within the GSF. She got involved with the student movement in Spain for the first time in high school. Since then she held multiple leadership positions on the local, national, continental and global level.

Priyanka Pal

Priyanka Pal - the Youth Coordinator at Asia South Pacific for Basic and Adult Education (ASPBAE) - is mainly responsible of designing, planning, coordinating and implementing a variety of youth-led activities, programs, events, and initiatives.

Ester Simon

Ester Simon, daughter of the land of the brave-Namibia. She serves as the President of Pan African Female Youth leaders, a continental organization represented in 27 African countries.

Marwan Umar Gwamba

Marwan Umar Gwamba is a Youth Development Expert and Student Union Leader, based in Nigeria. He is a certified public health Advocate and Climate Change Advocate. He previously held many positions in activism and Advocacy at both Civil engagement and volunteering organizations among which include Secretary Young African Leaders Initiative, Project Manager Kebbi Community Action, Members Steering Committee Kebbi State Open Government Partnership (OGP), Commonwealth Alliance for Cervical Cancer Aw

Busiso Khanye

Busiso Khanye serves with the The Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) is an umbrella body of the students unions composed of 46 institutions of higher learning found in all the 10 political provinces of Zimbabwe. ZINASU exists to defend academic rights and freedoms in Zimbabwe and works towards the democratic realization of all fundamental freedoms and liberties including, political, social, economic and cultural rights of the students and youths in Zimbabwe.

Rawan Ayyash

Rawan Ayyash is a Program Coordinator at Arab Campaign for Education for All with five years of experience in program management. She holds a BA in English language with minor translation from Birzeit University in Palestine. Rawan is credited with her works and contributions to the success of her work.

Diana Ayala

Diana Ayala is a youth leader with the coalition Foro Dakar, based in Honduras. Her work is centered in the creation and strengthening of capacities with civil society in different topics such as Agenda 2030, SDG4, Free quality education and the Financing for education as our main topics for 2022-2023.

Pierina Anton Lopez

Pierina Anton Lopez (she/her) is a Global Campaign for Education-US Fellow and a Master’s candidate in Global Human Development at Georgetown University in Washington, DC where she is a 2021 USAID Donald M. Payne Fellow. As a GCE-US Fellow, Pierina assists with global and national advocacy, communications, and mobilization efforts surrounding the global right to quality, inclusive, education for all.

Dinithi Anurika Alahapperuma

Dinithi Anurika Alahapperuma currently works as a Youth Associate of Asia Pacific organization for Basic and Adults Education (ASPBAE).  and she is involved in promoting youth participation in education policy reforms in the Asia Pacific region.

Abideen Opeyemi Olasupo

Abideen Opeyemi Olasupo is the founder and executive director of the Brain Builders Youth Initiative (BBDYI) based in Nigeria, and a professional technology consultant and campaigner with a proven track record in the Development, Innovation and Strategy sector.

Vilma Chilundo

Vilma Chilundo is a member of the Finalist Students of Mozambique Association.

Carelle Kaze

Carelle Kaze is a youth advocate with Africa Network Campaign for Education for All (ANCEFA) and is based in Cameroon...

Lutfiyya Dean

All Africa Student Union (AASU)

Lutfiyya Dean,is a member of the All Africa Students Union and is a continental youth activist and policy advisor in the advocacy of students’ rights, womens’ rights, childrens’ rights and pan-African values.

David Alejandro Gómez Arriaga

David Alejandro Gómez Arriaga from Mexico, runs the Center of Afromexican Studies Tembembe (Centro de Estudios Afromexicanos Tembembe)...

Anny Lin

As a first-generation university student and youth education advocate, Anny Lin collaborates with young people to collectively champion global leaders to actively commit...

Half of the world’s population is estimated to be younger than 30 years old. Still, young people are one of the most marginalised groups on a global scale. Youth struggle to access education: the UN estimates that 142 million young people of upper secondary age are out of school and the upper secondary enrolment rates average only 14 per cent in low-income countries. Youth are at higher risk of unemployment and many live in poverty despite being employed. Youth will live with the consequences of decisions made by the generations before them, however they are still excluded from decision making processes and from shaping education policies from local to global level.

Meanwhile, students and youth are leading some of the most progressive movements all over the world fighting for quality education, fairer societies and human rights. Youth and students must be recognised as equal and active partners within the civil society movement for education. Youth involvement is key to a sustainable world and youth voices must be included as co-architects of the future. Policies will be strengthened by encouraging active participation of youth led organisations in the Global Campaign for Education and in the decision-making processes. Together we shape a better and more sustainable future for equal access to free, inclusive, public, quality education for all.

Why Join?

In January 2015, the World Assembly of the Global Campaign for Education formally recognised the need to represent and include youth-led movements more formally in its structure. Many of our members already work in partnership with youth-led organisations, and it is time to give them the place they deserve in the global education civil society movement.

As a youth or student led organisation member of GCE, you will get the possibility to connect, exchange and work together with other young activists, advocates, students and youth-led organisations from across the globe. You will have a chance to be heard in the international discussions where topics relates to education are debated. As a GCE member you will participate in a strong movement working to achieve SDG4, advocating for everyone’s right to a free, inclusive, quality public education. Together we can strengthen the youth voice worldwide!

There are many benefits to becoming a member of GCE:

• Your organisation will be part of a truly international movement with members in 100 countries.
• You will have access to a network of like-minded organisations and professionals working for the same objectives, with opportunities to develop skills, share knowledge and increase the impact of your work.
• You will connect with other youth and student-led organisations to strengthen the youth voice globally to work together to achieve our 2019-2022 strategic plan.
• GCE is led by its members: the way the campaign develops is down to you!

International youth events help understand the various solutions that exist in other countries and are a source of inspiration to better contribute to improving the education sector at the country level. Osvaldo, Mozambique

How To Become A Part Of The Movement?

Join the National Coalition for Education in your country

As a youth led organisation working in education you can join the GCE national coalition in your country. You can see if there is a national coalition in your country here. If there is no education civil society national coalition in your country, you are welcome to form a new one (more on how to form and qualify as a national coalition here).

As a part of a National Coalition for Education you will be joining a great network of youth and student led organisations working at national, sub-regional, regional and global levels!

The Youth Constituency

As an international or regional youth led organisation for education you can directly become a member of the GCE movement and join the youth constituency, which represents the GCE youth voice globally. Ready to apply? Please fill out this application, which will be reviewed by our Board. In case of acceptance a formal acceptance letter will be issued.

As a member of the GCE Youth Constituency, your organisation can become a candidate to be elected in the GCE Board as a representative for the Youth constituency. To know more, have a look at our Constitution here.