The Morgan Library and Museum
New York, NY
Monday, September 24, 2007
Thank you, Secretary Rice, for your kind introduction. A special welcome to all of the First Ladies - and to one very brave First Gentleman - who've come from around the world. Members of the diplomatic corps, administration officials, business executives, leaders of NGOs, philanthropists, and distinguished guests: Thank you for coming.
Every September, world leaders gather in New York for the opening of the U.N. General Assembly. They come to advance the United Nations' historic mission. It's a mission that a first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, helped to shape. Mrs. Roosevelt was an author of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, crafted in the aftermath of World War II. The Declaration enshrined the rights that belong to every human being, regardless of gender, religion, race, or class. Among those fundamental rights is one that's important to each person in this room. "Everyone," the Declaration states, "has a right to education."
Fifty-nine years later, the challenges facing our world have changed. The importance of education has not. Research shows that educated women raise better-nourished, healthier families. Citizens who can read can follow the instructions on a medicine bottle. They understand warning signs. People who read are more likely to know how HIV and malaria are transmitted - and so they can make informed decisions that will keep them safe.
Many nations, and the private sector, are forming strong partnerships to promote global literacy and health. I've seen the power of these partnerships. Last year, representatives from 67 countries, 39 education ministers, and 30 first ladies - including many here today - attended the White House Conference on Global Literacy.
That conference has generated regional literacy conferences, organized by UNESCO. In Qatar, Sheikha Mozah launched three new literacy partnerships in Mauritania, Mali, and Sudan. In Beijing, Madame Liu convened experts on literacy's role in rural development. At the UNESCO Conference in Bamako, Mali, President and Mrs. Touré brought together 27 education ministers and 15 first ladies.
That conference in Mali reunited two presenters at our White House Conference: Dr. Perri Klass and Maria Keita [KAY-ta]. Dr. Klass is the medical director of the Reach Out and Read program. Reach Out and Read works with pediatricians and nurses to give young children books during their medical visits. Maria leads Mali's Institute of Popular Education.
When they met again in Bamako, Dr. Klass gave Maria books for her pupils. And Maria told Dr. Klass that she trained 15 students to bring Reach Out and Read to Mali's rural villages. As the 15 facilitators distribute books, they'll immunize children and teach basic hygiene to mothers. Because of the partnership between Maria and Perri, young children in Mali will enjoy better education and improved health. [Recognize Perri Klass in the audience.]
In Afghanistan - where infant mortality rates are among the world's highest - I visited the Women's Teacher Training Institute in Kabul. The Institute is a joint initiative of the Afghan and U.S. governments. It receives private-sector support through the U.S.-Afghan Women's Council.
At the Institute, women from the provinces have a safe dorm to stay in while they're trained to be teachers. So far, the Institute has trained nearly 400 women to be community literacy instructors. Then these teachers go home and train more teachers in a cascading effect. The goal is to open and staff as many Afghan schools as quickly as possible. Over the last five years, Afghanistan's primary-school enrollment rate has increased nearly 500%. At the same time, Afghanistan's infant and child mortality rate has dropped nearly 20%. [Recognize the wife of Afghan Ambassador to U.S., Shamim Jawad, and members of the U.S.-Afghan Women's Council in the audience.]
In Senegal, Madame Wade and I saw the benefits of the Africa Education Initiative. The Initiative was launched in 2002 to provide scholarships to girls across Africa, and to train 900,000 teachers by the end of the decade. Through the Initiative, six American universities have partnered with six African countries to produce and print primary-school textbooks. These books are tailored to African nations' cultures, curriculums, and languages.
Some of these books are going to Dakar's Grand Medine Primary School. At Grand Medine, the new texts are improving families' health. As children learn from their books, they teach their parents how mosquitoes transmit malaria. They pass along lessons about basic first aid. They show their families hygiene practices that halt the spread of cholera. Mrs. Wade and I met Grand Medine's vice principal, Mrs. Ba, who explains: "The books are benefiting the whole community." [Recognize Mrs. Wade in the audience.]
In Zambia, more than a million people are infected with HIV. More than 700,000 children are AIDS orphans. The First Lady of Zambia, Mrs. Mwanawasa, is fighting this epidemic as president of the Organization of African First Ladies Against AIDS.
The OAFLA has brought together 40 dedicated women to defeat HIV in their countries. The U.S. government is joining their efforts with a $300,000 contribution from the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. These resources will support the African First Ladies as they educate adults everywhere about their responsibility to protect themselves, and their children, from HIV and AIDS. [Recognize Mrs. Mwanawasa in the audience.]
The lack of education in my own country is also an obstacle to health, especially for women. Heart disease is American women's number one cause of death. Through the "Heart Truth" campaign, the U.S. government, media organizations, and the fashion industry have joined to raise public awareness of this disease. Nothing draws attention like a little red dress - so this is the "Heart Truth's" symbol. Over the last five years, this little red dress has saved thousands of women's lives. Be sure to pick up your red dress pin after lunch, so you can help tell the "Heart Truth."
Another major threat to the health of women in my country, and around the world, is breast cancer. To raise women's awareness, my friend, Nancy Brinker, established the Susan G. Komen Foundation in honor of her sister, who died of breast cancer. In the United States, women were once too embarrassed to talk about breast cancer. Twenty-five years ago, they didn't know to get mammograms. They didn't go for regular screenings. Because Nancy had the courage to speak out, women everywhere now recognize the pink ribbon. They benefit from early breast-cancer detection, which is the closest thing we have to a cure.
Two partnerships between the Komen Foundation ... the U.S. State Department ... American cancer hospitals ... and regional experts ... are raising global breast-cancer awareness. The Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness and Research of the Americas will reach women in Brazil, Mexico, and Costa Rica. In these countries, a huge number of breast-cancer cases result in death - because cancer is found too late. This partnership will educate Latin American women about regular screenings, so they can catch breast cancer in its earlier stages.
The U.S.-Middle East Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness and Research will educate women in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. Reports suggest that breast-cancer cases in the Middle East are increasing dramatically. Through the partnership, women in these three countries will learn about the importance of early detection. I'll visit the Middle East in October, during Breast Cancer Awareness month. And I look forward to talking with women there about this important issue. [Recognize Nancy Brinker in the audience.]
Last May, President Bush announced a new international education program: the Basic Education Initiative. Through this Initiative, the American people will partner with six nations: Ethiopia, Liberia, Honduras, Ghana, Mali, and Yemen.
These six nations have ambitious education plans, approved by the Education For All - Fast Track program. Fast Track education plans work. In the first ten Fast Track countries, the number of trained teachers increased by about 30%. In the Fast Track country of Niger, school enrollment has increased by 84%.
In the six countries we're announcing today, the Basic Education Initiative will support Fast Track plans to improve literacy and school enrollment. The Initiative's goal is to reach four million children over the next five years. Will the representatives of Ethiopia, Liberia, Honduras, Ghana, Mali, and Yemen please stand? Congratulations to each of you.
These nations offer great potential to coordinate the Basic Education Initiative with America's international health programs - like the President's Malaria Initiative, and the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. A new coordinator has been named to organize these efforts, and I'm so glad he's here today. Ladies and gentlemen, Dr. Thomas Corts.
Dr. Corts has had a distinguished education career in the United States. He brings to his new job extraordinary compassion and skill. Congratulations, Dr. Corts. Thank you for your commitment to the world's children.
And thanks to each of you. Through your governments, foundations, businesses, and congregations, you're improving education and health for millions of people. Your individual energy and compassion are touching millions of lives - including Alice Mwale's [Mwa-le].
Mrs. Mwanwasa and I met Alice at Zambia's Regiment Basic School. Alice, who is 15, was orphaned by AIDS at the age of 7. Today, she lives with her brother, who sells charcoal at the local market. Her sister braids hair to make money for their family. With a scholarship from the Africa Education Initiative, Alice can go to school. This AIDS orphan plans to become a doctor, so she can treat Zambians with HIV. Someday, she hopes to find a cure for AIDS. With her education, Alice says, "I want to save my people."
Alice reminds us that education is vital in every time and place - from Lusaka to La Paz, from the United Arab Emirates to the United States of America. By improving education, we can secure the human rights that joined the United Nations 59 years ago. And we can advance the goals that unite people in every country today: healthy lives, and a more hopeful world.
Thank you very much.
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