Message for the EU Development Days Prepared by Rolando Jr. C.

Villamero, Member, Global Education First Initiative Youth Advocacy Group (GEFI-YAG)

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. In April this year, I had been given the chance to travel in one of the countries in Asia to learn more about inclusive education. As part of the learning experience of my trip, I was asked to meet one of the ministers of the Ministry of Education in that country. We, indeed, had an interesting conversation. He first asked me, Whats your name? I answered, Rolando, Sir. He added, How old are you? I said, 24, Sir. Then he raised the last question which struck me, Are you married? I responded, No, Sir. Do you know what his response was? He said, Ah, youre just a boy. That scenario looks funny but if you really come to think about it, it speaks a lot about how people in the community in general perceive youth sector. In fact, there are communities who do not recognize the perspectives of the said sector especially in the aspect of development. That is why, it always feels rewarding to see young people like me to have been given this colossal opportunity to share our perspectives in issues that directly affect us. This is such an empowering occasion that we, young people, shouldnt miss. Today, I represent the Global Education First Initiative Youth Advocacy Group of the UN Secretary General. Furthermore, I also represent the voices of my fellow advocates for special and inclusive education. The Global Education First Initiative or GEFI was launched in September 2012 by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. This initiative has three straightforward aims: (1) putting every child in school; (2) improving quality of learning and; (3) fostering global citizenship. The Secretary General before the initiative was formally launched recognized the critical role of young people in meaningfully realizing the initiative. It was in that reason that the application process for the Youth Advocacy Group was opened. More than 500 applied from 152 countries around the world. After a rigorous screening process, 12 young people from 12 countries were selected to compose the group known as Global Education First Initiative Youth Advocacy Group (GEFI-YAG). The members of the group represent the voices of the marginalized young peoples sectors in their respective communities. There are those who directly work with indigenous people, children and young people in conflict areas, and girls in developing countries. Our thematic expertise within the education context is diverse sexual and reproductive health education, secondary and higher education, livelihood education, and environmental education.

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Message for the EU Development Days Prepared by Rolando Jr. C. Villamero, Member, Global Education First Initiative Youth Advocacy Group (GEFI-YAG)
The existence of YAG under GEFI has been considered a huge milestone because it brings the voices of young people from the grassroots to the global level. By bringing the voices in the global level means that we want all young people to be involved in all the decision-making processes that contribute to a world at school. We want the global community to give this same opportunity to all the youth in their respective communities. Because by listening to the voice of young people you are listening to the people who are and who will be directly affected by the decisions you make from now until 2015 and beyond. I would like to highlight that YAG has been critical in: 1. facilitating consultations with other youth in their countries, regions, and globally; 2. providing strategic advice on the education priorities of young people; 3. promoting the priorities and voices of young people in the advocacy messages and activities of GEFI and; 4. mobilizing young people and governments to make pledges in support of education and hold them accountable to their commitments. These have been concretized through the passing and signing of the Youth Resolution entitled The Education

We Want: Young peoples call for a response to the education emergency on the 12th of July 2013 at the UN
Headquarters in New York as part of the Malala Day celebration. It was addressed to all governments, individuals, organizations that plan, finance, and deliver education. The Malala Day Community has been established as well to support, promote, and materialize the stipulations of the youth resolution back to the grassroots level. Indeed, young peoples voices should be meaningfully included in all the development issues that directly affect us. But we do need your help. We need your help to help us enable the worlds poorest and most disadvantaged young people to be the strongest advocates against the injustices that they face in the world. Please trust in us. Please trust in the youth. And as what we, young people, always say especially if we are very much excited to make things happen, Lets bring it on. Thank you very much and once again, good afternoon. ###

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