Desmond Tutu and President Johnson Sirleaf open proceedings

The INEE Global Consultation 2009 kicked off yesterday with video presentations to the 270 delegates from Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and the President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and comments from Dr Arslan, Deputy Undersecretary from the Ministry of Education in Turkey, and the Deputy Secretary General of the Commonwealth Secretariat Ms Masire-Mwamba.

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf spoke of her countries work since the end of conflict, the challenges of meeting the Millennium Development Goals and the importance of flexible and sufficient funding for education:

Archbishop Tutu’s address emphasized the importance of education in emergencies, particularly the crucial role that education can play in contributing to peace and justice.