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Last year 14 year old James Simmonds won the Steve Sinnott award for Young Global Education Campaigner of the Year, along with fellow student Bethany Law, and had the chance to go on a fact-finding trip to Tanzania.

He will be at the G20 meeting of world leaders on Thursday 2nd April 2009 and will be writing a blog all about his experiences.

WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT?

James will be writing about the G20 from a very special bloggers’ tent just metres away from where world leaders will be sitting making important plans about the world economy.

James is the youngest official blogger inside the G20 summit and he is planning to grade world leaders on how they plan to keep their promise on education for all in the light of the global economic crisis.

For the first time at a major political meeting, 50 bloggers from around the world will have the same access as reporters from newspapers, television and radio.

WHAT IS THE G20?

Leaders from some of the world's richest countries are meeting in London on Thursday 2nd April to talk about the financial crisis and how countries should work together to help each other at this time.

The G20 summit will be attended by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, US President Barack Obama and leaders of the most powerful countries in the world who will be discussing a global response to the financial crisis.

In this crisis the poorest will suffer the most, so it's really important that G20 leaders keep their promises on aid funding for education and other areas.

WHAT ARE WE ASKING THE G20 TO DO?

We are calling for leadership and renewed aid commitments to education. The poorest cannot be failed – the world cannot afford it. Aid and pro-poor policies must be put in place to ensure that the progress towards Education for All is not lost. A failure to do so will result in millions of children, recently given the chance to go to school, being forced to drop out.

Public education is one of the best investments that can be made right now. A single year of schooling can increase a girl’s future income by 10-20%. Investing in education protects the poorest from some of the worst economic harm. Educated and healthy people have the best opportunities to participate in and make lasting contributions to their societies, and are the strongest line of defence for any country’s economic survival and comeback.

The G20 must act now to prevent the crisis from undermining the prospects for future generations to lift themselves out of poverty through education. Aid to basic education has already dropped to £3 billion per year, against the £11 billion needed to ensure ‘Education for All’. Shrinking domestic revenues will lead to falls in public investment in education services. Inflexible IMF policies further restrict governments’ ability to free up own resources whilst at the same time result in diversion of aid flows.

Rich countries have the resources to protect their own citizens from the worst impacts of economic disaster. Developing countries must also be given the resources and freedom to pursue policies that will protect their people from slipping further into poverty and ignorance.

Go back to view James' Blog.