UN CULTURAL AMBASSADORS CALL FOR EDUCATION FOR ALL

UN CULTURAL AMBASSADORS CALL FOR EDUCATION FOR ALL New York, May 21 2008 3:00PM A group of celebrity ambassadors with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (<"http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=29008&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO) today called for greater efforts to provide "education for all" at their annual meeting at the agency's headquarters in Paris.

"Education is a fundamental human right, yet millions of children and adults around the world are still deprived of access to basic education and technology" said Princess Firyal of Jordan and French musician Jean Michel Jarre on behalf of the 19 Goodwill Ambassadors present at the meeting.

In their statement, the ambassadors also said that respect for cultural diversity and languages is a key to social development and peace, and added that there should be a renewed focus on the environment. "Now is the time to face up to the challenges of an over-exploited planet and to take steps to preserve it for generations to come," they said.

The Goodwill Ambassadors committed themselves to work on raising awareness about global warming.

"2008 is the International Year of Planet Earth. This is a timely opportunity for us all to be less self-centred and to strive for a better future" added Jean Michel Jarre.

Meeting on the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development and during the International Year of Languages, the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors noted that half of the world's 7000 languages currently face extinction. They also made a plea to governments to promote bi- and multilingual education, and to respect mother languages in all countries.
2008-05-21 00:00:00.000

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