Youth leaders to hold #UpForSchool rally and launch petition

Up for School or #upforschool campaign

15 Sep 2014

Youth leaders from more than 100 countries will hold a rally in New York on September 22 to call for urgent action on behalf of 58 million children out of school.

As world leaders gather for the 69th United Nations General Assembly, the young activists will launch the #UpForSchool movement and petition.

They will be joined at the rally by United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown, rights advocate Graça Machel, Angry Birds marketing chief Peter Vesterbacka, Ricken Patel of the campaigns website Avaaz, Hadiza Bela Usman from the #BringBackOurGirls movement, UN envoy on youth Ahmad Alhendawi and CNN’s Isha Sesay.

The rally is co-hosted by A World at School and the Office of Special Envoy for Global Education in collaboration with the Office of the UN Special Envoy for Youth. It will be held at New York University’s Kimmell Center and will be followed by a public rally at 6pm in Washington Square Park.

Despite promises made by world leaders in 2000 to have every child in school by the end of 2015, 58 million are still being denied their right to education – and schools and school children are being attacked.

To drive action over the next 500 days, young leaders have created a global call to action – the #UpForSchool petition – to demonstrate unprecedented public support for education.

It will be launched at the September 22 rally and will be delivered to world leaders at the UN General Assembly in September 2015.

The #UpForSchool petition is being backed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and actor and comedian Rainn Wilson.

The event will also honour inspirational youth leaders on the front lines supporting education in their communities by announcing the recipients of the United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education’s Youth Courage Awards.