CIVIL SOCIETY PUSHES THE WAY FORWARD In recent years, non-governmental organizations have established themselves as fully recognised partners in the Education for All movement. Focus, a four-page dossier, reports.
	EDITO - It is no secret that the Education for All (EFA) movement cannot succeed without the necessary political will and efficient use of existing skills already present in local communities, countries and the international community. We often discuss what governments or donors need to do to ensure that every child, woman and man has access to education by 2015.

This edition of Education Today focuses on another critical part of the EFA equation: the important role played by civil society and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). One of the pledges of the Dakar Framework for Action was to “ensure the engagement and participation of civil society in the formulation, implementation and monitoring of strategies for educational development.” Over the past six years, we have witnessed how very diverse civil society groups – from NGOs to teachers’ unions, women’s and parents’ associations, faith-based organizations and others – have formed unprecedented national and international coalitions to jointly advocate for the right to EFA. They also monitor progress, debate policy, provide innovative learning opportunities and raise new and alternative perspectives on education and development. A recent evaluation concludes that in many countries, “UNESCO has taken a lead in facilitating the role of [Civil Society] and NGOs within the EFA planning process, often advocating and financially supporting their participation in consultations.” But in order for communities around the world to participate in educational governance and management, UNESCO and other partners need to know what NGOs do best and help them do it. UNESCO must strive to support NGOs better by giving them comprehensive information in a timely manner. We also need to recognize the considerable – and often costly – efforts they make to sit at our table and participate in our conferences. The Norwegian playwright Heinrik Ibsen once said, “A community is like a ship; everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm.” UNESCO and Civil Society are navigating this ship together, along with our other partners in the EFA community. Peter Smith Assistant Director-General for Education