The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) recently launched a global campaign centered on the right of children to receive and access education. The Adventist News Network reported earlier this month that the campaign is called “Every Child. Everywhere. In School.”

ADRA is a global humanitarian organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church that affects millions of lives through its humanitarian efforts in more than 130 countries. ADRA incorporates the world’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into its various projects and campaigns; the organization puts particular focus on SDG 4 (Quality Education).

The “Every Child. Everywhere. In School.” is a prime example of the efforts ADRA is taking to influence policymakers and world leaders to take action to ensure that children are not denied the right to education.

According to the article, “The campaign aims to collect 1 million signatures by 2020 through grassroots efforts in collaboration with the Adventist church, and petition world leaders to take action for children to receive a quality education, and live free from exploitation and the shackles of intergenerational poverty.”

The article mentioned that a UNESCO report in 2018 stated that 1 in 5 children worldwide are out of school, and there has been no significant progress in reducing the number of children that are not in school since the adoption of SDG 4. The UNESCO report also connected high poverty levels to out-of-school rates.

“The campaign is an urgent call to leaders around the world that all children, regardless of race, age, nationality, gender, religion or origin, have a right to earn and complete an education, and that being in school is a recognition of the value and potential of each individual child,” the article read.

Last year at the G20 Interfaith Forum in Buenos Aires, one of the sessions was titled “Children: A Common Imperative for G20 Engagement.” During this session panelists discussed that the G20 must prioritize the financial investment in early childhood education, and “early childhood programs and interventions will help ensure children attain full physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, moral and social development.”

The education of children worldwide has always been a focus of the G20 Interfaith Forum, and the 2019 G20 Interfaith Forum in Japan plans to tackle vital issues for human welfare and well-being, including a special emphasis on children and the role of education.

In order for the world to achieve the goal of having all children enrolled in school by 2030, it will take a global effort by all sectors of society, and ADRA is taking a step forward.

To learn more about the “Every Child. Everywhere. In School.” campaign or to sign the petition, visit https://inschool.adra.org/petition/support-the-campaign/out-of-school or watch the campaign video.

Read more at Adventist News Network.