A new exhibit is on display now at the United Nations’ headquarters in Geneva, recognizing the importance of education in emergencies (EiE) to children and young people caught in crises around the world. The exhibit was officially launched on 16 June, alongside the presentation of a first-of-its-kind comprehensive report on global financing for EiE.
The members of the Geneva Global Hub for Education in Emergencies provided the images for this exhibit – 29 in all – to bring attention to the challenges faced by children and young people around the world who have had their education interrupted or stopped because of conflict, disaster and other crises.
Each image panel tells a short story and includes a QR Code link to further information about the work of an organisation supporting education in communities affected by conflict, disaster, displacement or protracted emergencies.
The photos, and the stories associated with each one, are grouped around six core questions about education in emergencies: Why are children out of learning? How long are some children out of learning? What happens to children who are out of learning? How important is Internet connectivity? How is education life-saving? And How is the need for education in emergencies being met?
The answers to these questions differ based on where children are, what they have access to, whether they are marginalised, and many other variables. But there is a common thread uniting all of them – consistently in crises around the world, children and their parents place enormous value on education. It is one of the core life-saving interventions, essential in any emergency, and should always be prioritised as such.
“I once met a 12-year-old boy called Malik who flew from his home because of an attack in his hometown that burned down his school,” said youth representative Charles Falajiki, introducing the exhibit as it went on display at the United Nations in Geneva. “But sadly, Malik’s story does not exist in isolation. In the last 4 years, I have met several more Maliks. I am excited to see how the Geneva Global Hub for EiE has curated untold stories of children at risk of being left behind because of lack of access to education.”
The exhibit will remain on display at the United Nations until the end of June. It will then be showcased publicly at la Rotonde du Mont-Blanc, by lake Geneva, from 1 July to 2 August 2022. To view the exhibit online, got to https://eiehub.org/geneva-global-hub-for-eie-photo-exhibit.