Education Articles

by Jonelle Lemcke, AWC Denmark

The first major, independent purchase in my life was a set of books. The Great Books of the Western World, issued by Encyclopedia Britannica, was irresistible! Although it was expensive, my parents supported me in the purchase and had to approve my contract. Still in high school, I had a part-time job in one of our city’s top department stores and I believed in the future. I could and would pay for those books. Although many were duplicates of what we had at home, I wanted my own copies that were mine, for life! On top of that, the books in the series had been selected by top educators as an integrated system of the most meaningful books of Western Culture. Know them, understand them and one was equipped to understand life and the world as events changed it. What a dazzling idea! And…that’s what a book provides… the power of ideas. This brings me to my joy in promoting Project Gutenberg. Project Gutenberg today is an online library of over 60,000 free eBooks, available to download or read online.

As their website says, “You will find the world’s great literature here, with focus on older works for which US copyright has expired.” This means that wherever you are in the world, regardless of the availability of library facilities in English, a wealth of knowledge, philosophy and humor is available to you with a few clicks on the computer.

What about the reading plans that you’ve established in your life? What about those classics on your bucket list? What about those books that you’ve wanted to reread? What about those “other works” by authors whom you’ve enjoyed? What about those works that you half-read the first time around? What about those books whose truths have become more obvious and relevant with time? What about those books which in our day are considered to be so provocative that they are subject to being banned? What is this about?

The community of FAWCO members can claim to be more worldly and open than most. Life itself provides an education. Our international experience… with exposure to other mores… gives us an advantage in understanding the world. We are charmed, thrilled and excited by the power of ideas. Libraries house them in abundance but the Gutenberg Project puts them at our fingertips!

List curated by the Education Team

Searching for a unique way to express your love or appreciation for someone special this holiday season? Look no further than the list below, which highlights charities and books that focus on equal access to literacy and education in a variety of contexts around the world. From our homes to yours, the Education Team wishes you peace and good health as we close out 2022, and hope as we embrace 2023.

The FAWCO Foundation (TFF) – Designate your funds to the new Envrionment Target Project, Education Awards, Development Grants or the General Fund, and TFF will send a card to the person you are honoring! (The FAWCO Foundation is the philanthropic arm of FAWCO.)  https://www.fawcofoundation.org/ 

More libraries!! During the fall of 2022, the Education Team has been focusing on libraries and the essential services they offer to increase equal access worldwide. Read about two more library memories from Education Team members Mary Adams and Nancy Lynner in this new article. Do libraries hold a special place in your heart? Here are two opportunities to keep that feeling alive for current and future generations:

**The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled: To honor a life-long friend of an Education Team member gone too soon, we recommend this branch of The Library of Congress that “administers a free national library program that provides braille and recorded materials to people who cannot see regular print or handle print materials. Established by an Act of Congress in 1931 to serve blind adults, the program was expanded in 1952 to include children, in 1962 to provide music materials, in 1966 to include individuals with other physical disabilities that prevent reading regular print, and in 2016 to permit NLS to provide refreshable braille displays.”

To order: 

• Within the EU: €15 (plus postage). Contact Tharien van Eck at target-4health@fawco.org.
• Within the UK: GBP15 (plus postage). Contact Nancy Lynner at LynnerPublishing@gmail.com. 
• Rest of the world: What is a Perfect World? (Amazon UK); What is a Perfect World? (Amazon).

Disclaimer: These resources are for information only. With the exception of the FAWCO-related options, there is no endorsement of the charities or products included in this review.

FAWCO Canva Pro photo 

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compiled by Carol-Lyn McKelvey, FAUSA/AIWC Cologne

The Education Team will never tire of sharing library stories from fellow FAWCO members! Libraries can offer a sense of magic, a sense of community, a sense of hope, a sense of belonging and a sense of being connected to worlds near and far. Read on for two stories that embody these senses!

From Mary Adams, AWC The Hague – Summer Reading: When I was growing up in the 1960s, I spent two weeks of every summer in Beaumont, Texas with my Great Aunt Mary Edna, or “Auntie” as we lovingly called her. Auntie was a high school English teacher. Auntie and Uncle’s house was right down the street from the high school. The high school, which was built in 1898, was a grand building to me. I often wondered what it was like during the school year and what Auntie did inside. Her yard had a tended sweetheart rose garden with a fig tree forest behind. She grew mint in the flower beds, which I could pick to drop into a glass of cold iced tea. The screened-in porch was a perfect reading nook. I could read Shakespeare and poetry with Auntie’s class notes written right on the pages! Since my birth, Auntie bought me a book every year, signed and dated it. I learned to read at an early age. By the time I reached elementary school, I felt an insatiable need to read. During my summer visits, Auntie took me to Beaumont Public Library every week. I remember it as a fairytale castle – big stone blocks and turrets on the outside and a treasure trove of books on the inside. The library sponsored a summer reading program. They provided a list of books and reader’s certificate. I yearned for that certificate! I read biographies of all the early presidents and first ladies. I learned that Dolly Madison was more than just a bakery brand. As First Lady (1809–1817) she spearheaded the concept of bipartisan cooperation by inviting members of both political parties to her social events. From First Ladies, I went to lady detectives and fell in love with Nancy Drew and the Bobbsey Twins. When I came to the end of the published series, I thought my library card was broken. Where were they hiding the next installment? Those summer memories haven’t faded. I remember holding Auntie’s hand as we walked up the library steps. I remember the sound of the fan on the porch while I was reading. These were the lazy, long days the seemed to last forever when reading was the most glorious way to spend the entire day.

As a child, I didn’t realize that the Tyrell Library was originally constructed in 1903 as a Baptist church. Twenty years later, the congregation outgrew the church. Captain William C. Tyrell purchased the building and donated it to the city of Beaumont as a public library. In 1975, the library became a historical research facility and underwent restoration in 1990. But for me, it will always remain a majestic castle filled with books and memories.

From Nancy Lynner, AWCC Scotland – Growing with the Library: The library in my childhood neighborhood looks small to me now. It’s no longer a library; it is a store front. Decades ago, it was a destination with wonderful stories waiting to be discovered. Ludwig Bemelmans’ Madeline’s Rescue, the Caldecott award winner in 1954, was on display in the Beaverdale Branch of the Des Moines Public Library, and I checked it out. The allotment of three weeks was not long enough for our family, and we bought a copy. The books of Beverly Cleary, who wrote the Henry Huggins series, brought out-loud laughter to my brother, so I had to read that one next.

Best of all, our librarian recommended the Betty MacDonald books about Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, which use common sense, some wisdom and some magic to solving children’s and parents’ growing pains. The librarian hung a poster of Charlie Brown, by Charles M. Schulz, so I borrowed that book and began a lifetime of laughing at all the Peanuts characters and their squabbles. A short, three-panel cartoon of Peanuts was free in the daily newspaper, but the books gave sustained merriment.

In college, I didn’t study at the library until my final year. It was then that I sat down at a study carrel and realized how much this desk with a shelf in front of me was a terrific aid to help me stay focused. The distractions of being in my own dorm room were gone. Just the books and me…

In 2001 I was hired by the Providence Public Library to create children’s programs. Finally I was in a position to give back to the public and to help each visitor in their search to find new ideas, illustrations, poems, prose, facts and more. Like many FAWCO members, our family had to move a few years later. Although I had to leave the library position, the experience enriched me forever.

Read the first in this series: Libraries, Libraries and More Libraries!

compiled by Carol-Lyn McKelvey, FAUSA/AIWC Cologne

* Can’t get enough of libraries? We're here for you! Check out the award-winning Magdalene College in Cambridge. Built to stand for the next 400 years, this blend of form and function is a true gem.

* Did you miss the UN’s Transforming Education Summit in September 2022? Click HERE for the Summit follow-up, complete wth resources and videos. From the UN website: 

Education today is in turmoil. More than 90 % of the world’s children have had their education interrupted by COVID-19 – the largest disruption of education systems in history. For many students, especially girls and young women, this break may become permanent, with potential consequences for their future and for future generations that follow. The pandemic has also exposed large disparities not only between countries, but particularly between different learner groups within countries.

The Transforming Education Summit was convened in response to a global crisis in education – one of equity and inclusion, quality and relevance. Often slow and unseen, this crisis is having a devastating impact on the futures of children and youth worldwide.

* Looking for a way to get more involved? Look no further than Graduate Women International and their 34th Triennial General Assembly and Conference: 

Graduate Women International is proud to be hosting the 34th triennial General Assembly and Conference virtually on November 11–13, 2022 in collaboration with the Indian Federation of University Women’s Associations.

Under the theme, From Growth to Sustainability, the event will examine education and prepare participants to renew and rebuild Graduate Women International as a substantial contributor to the global, national and local acceleration and implementation of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 4.

Click HERE to register!

* Afganistan, Palestine, Myanmar, Colombia, Cameroon, Mali, Yemen. These are just a few of the countries that have seen an unprecedented uptick in attacks against education. Education Under Attack 2022 is a comprehensive report on the educational devastation happening around the world, and the disproportional affect it is having on girls.

In 2020 and 2021, the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) identified over 5,000 reported attacks on education and cases of military use of schools and universities. Over 9,000 students and educators were abducted, arbitrarily arrested, injured, or killed in these events. By comparison, in 2018 and 2019, GCPEA collected over 4,300 reported incidents of attacks on education and military use that harmed approximately 9,400 students and educators.

There are no easy answers or simple fixes. Spreading awareness is key, however, in the fight to end this oppression before another generation of girls is lost. Here is one key finding from the report:

Between the publication of Education under Attack 2020 and February 2022, nine new countries endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration, with a total of 113 countries now committing to protect education in situations of armed conflict. The United Nations (UN) observed the first and second International Day to Protect Education from Attack on September 9, 2020, and 2021. Global leaders, including the Secretary-General of the UN, highlighted the importance of the Declaration. The UN Security Council adopted a Presidential Statement on Attacks on Schools in September 2020 and a resolution on attacks on education in October 2021 with explicit mention of the Safe Schools Declaration.

Photo: Unsplash Akara Yoth Tat

by Mary Adams, AWC The Hague

Mary is proud to serve as the Education Team’s liaison to the FAWCO Human Rights team. As Founder and Director of the Sustainable Rescue Foundation, she is committed to helping organizations disrupt the human trafficking exploitation model by integrating existing business best practices, digital technology, academic concepts and legislation to facilitate collaborative work environments. This month, as the world turns its attention to the Global 16 Days Campaign against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Mary provides an insight on the role of GBV in victim vulnerability.

Human trafficking is the selling of human beings as commodities to exploit them for profit or personal benefit. It involves recruitment, transportation and harboring or receiving of persons through force, coercion or deception. Human trafficking is now the third largest crime industry in the world, behind drugs and arms trafficking. Unfortunately, 70% of human trafficking victims are women and girls.

Gender-based violence (GBV) is an umbrella term for any harmful act that is perpetrated against a person against a person’s will and that is based on socially ascribed (gender) differences between females and males.¹ GBV occurs in situations of inequity and emergency, is rooted in power imbalances and disproportionately impacts girls and women. The resulting violence is reproduced through a gender-based division of roles and reinforced by the persistence of stereotypes rooted in many social norms.²

Many of the factors that make women vulnerable to GBV, such as gender discrimination, poverty, natural disasters, conflict, poor education and health infrastructures, are similar to the root causes of human trafficking and serve as a push factor.³ That means that GBV is both an important driver of human trafficking and a tool to manipulate and control women, children and even men into both sex work and forced labor across all forms of trafficking. Exploitation includes sexual exploitation/abuse and forced prostitution, domestic violence, forced/early marriage, labor trafficking and organ trafficking.

The work of Winrock International in developing programs that address both GBV and human trafficking has demonstrated that female access to information, livelihood tools, life skills training and mentoring, coupled with sensitization and policy change, can empower women to make changes in their lives and rebuild their identities. This recovery path simultaneously promotes community understanding and protection of survivors and those at risk.⁴

Globally, we have made progress in addressing GBV. We are better at defining and understanding it. We are better at collecting data and evidence to identify and support effective interventions. Despite these gains, gender-based violence remains a challenge and catalyst for human trafficking. Are you ready to push for change? Then take action during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.

Check out the Global 16 Days Campaign, a strategy for individuals and groups around the world to call for the elimination of all forms of gender-based violence against women. Here are other ways to get involved: 
● Join FORUMCIV for a week of discussions and advocacy (November 22–26). Check out their web page for informative podcasts, online courses, methodological materials and seminars
● Turn 16 into 365: Become a member of the Generation Equality Forum’s Action Coalition against GBV #GenerationEquality #ActforEqual
● Find additional human rights resources on FAWCO’s website
● Eleven books to create awareness to eliminate violence against women
● Five human trafficking books everyone should read

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1 UNICEF, UNFPA, UNDP, UN Women."Gender Equality, UN Coherence and You". Cited in the UN Gender Equality Glossary
2 https://unipd-centrodirittiumani.it/en/attivita/On-womens-rights-between-violence-and-exploitation/1266
3 Winrock International, Addressing Inter-linkages between Gender-Based Violence and Trafficking in Persons to Prevent Reinforcement of Inequalities 2012
4 https://winrock.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Addressing-inter-linkages.pdf

compiled by Carol-Lyn McKelvey, FAUSA/AIWC Cologne

September is a month for celebrating libraries. From Ukraine to Finland and New York City to a creative baker, libraries and librarians have been in the spotlight and on the hotseat. Check out the library news and pictures as you read on!

* September 8 was World Literacy Day, and FAWCO’s Education Team honored the day by hosting a Global Book Discussion centered on The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba. His school library and librarian played central roles in William’s success, offering books that powered his mind and ultimately, his village. Watch the video from the event!

* Started in 1987 by then Secretary of Education William Bennett, National Library Card Sign Up Month is still in full swing!! Click HERE to access the American Library Association’s website containing all the info you need to get your library card and maybe even win $100!

* Public and school libraries in the US are experiencing a surge of censorship unlike anything they’ve seen in the recent past. Setting their sights on books with either direct or tangential content relating to the history of slavery/race relations, abortion and the LGBTQIA+ community, ordinary citizens and politicians are organizing to ban books at alarming rates. This article from The Guardian details the genesis of the current movement and how it’s taken hold. Additionally, in response to book bans across the country, New York City libraries offered free digital library cards to people nationwide through May. Taking up where they left off, the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) is offering “young adults, ages 13 to 21, the chance to apply for a free eCard from BPL in order to get access to the library’s extensive collection of eBooks. The card will be good for one year and is designed to complement access to resources for teens in their local communities.”photo by Library Cake creator, Kathy Knaus

* Originally from Rochester, NY, and currently residing in Vienna, Kathy Knaus is the creator of the now iconic Library Cake. Created for her daughter’s 21st birthday, Kathy was shocked when pictures of the cake went viral. A library and book lover in her own right, read more about Kathy’s story HERE!

* Libraries around the world hold a special place in the hearts of FAWCO members. From childhood memories to more recent experiences, libraries continue to provide valuable and personal experiences for everyone. What's YOUR favorite library? Send us your photos and stories to education@fawco.org!

From Hollie Nielsen, AWC Central Scotland: 

Two of my favorite libraries span the range from large and grand to small and local. On the grand end is the British Library, located in London. The library moved to the new St Pancras building in 1998 and hasn’t looked back. The permanent display of Treasures of the British Library showcases fun and interesting items from the Magna Carta to Shakespeare and from Mozart to McCartney. Even more important to me than the books and other items on shelves are the programs, live and virtual. This month’s offerings include The Green Libraries Partnership, which brings together libraries to collaborate for a brighter climate future, and Books Without Borders, an initiative by Ukraine’s Olena Zelenska to distribute thousands of books to Ukrainian children displaced by war. On the local end is the Wright Memorial Public Library, located in Oakwood, a suburb of Dayton, Ohio. In the early 1990s, I took my three children here for children’s story hour. Mrs Mummy would cheerfully read stories and then give the children cookies. One summer, the children read through the Dewey Decimal System, giving them knowledge about a wonderful organizing system, as well as exposure to books that they wouldn’t normally choose. I feel Mrs Mummy and the library made a large contribution to making my children life-long readers and curious learners.

From Rainier Sielaff, AWC Finland: Described on its website as “the flagship library for a nation of booklovers” and “a venue for events, a house of reading and a diverse urban experience” the Central Public Library Oodi of Helsinki, Finland, is not only a work of art, but state-of-the-art as well. It did not dissappoint Ranier during her first visit. The first picture in the article is from Rainer and is of the Oodi Library and two more are below. 

From Mary Adams, AWC The Hague: Wiblingen, a former Benedictine monastery, is based south of the city of Ulm, Germany, in Upper Swabia. It was founded in 1093. An ambitious renovation and expansion project in 1714 turned building interiors into rococo masterpieces. I have one shot of the entryway: the Latin inscription reads “Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge.” (below right)

Libraries are community treasure chests, loaded with a wealth of information available to everyone equally, and the key to that treasure chest is the library card. I have found the most valuable thing in my wallet is my library card.  – former First Lady Laura Bush 

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