STATEMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL YOUNG CATHOLIC STUDENT

FOR THE INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY

IYCS IS MAKING A CALL FOR STUDENTS EDUCATION

Today the issue of human rights has become a major concern for the international community as
well as civil society. At the same time we note significant progress in human rights practices and
the hope of seeing the Universal Declaration adopted in 1948 becoming a reality without
economic or political calculation, but as an added value for each person individually in each of all
societies.

The International Young Catholic Students (IYCS) would like to take this opportunity of the
International Day of Human Rights celebration this December 10, 2010, to express its satisfaction
about progresses made in human rights through mechanisms such as the UPR (Universal Periodic
Review), the actions of Special Rapporteurs and Civil Society Actors, but sometimes also the will of
governments to alleviate the suffering of individuals and societies. Despite the progress, a huge
work and commitment is still needed to ensure the universality and indivisibility of human rights
for all men without distinction of social class.

Thus for this year, it seems appropriate for the International Young Catholic Students to attract
the attention of governments and educational institutions on the lives of students that are
deteriorated day by day aggravating thus the precariousness that characterizes them in this
time of economic, cultural, and social crises.

For those past two years, the media have been showing us young people and students in
particular who are in the streets to demand better conditions of access to education, research
and permanent formation for teachers. It is very unfortunate that despite the commitments made
under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by all world governments, sectors of health
and education are the first to suffer from the negative consequences of economic crisis which
could be considered as being caused by bank institutions.

National budgets are more and more under pressure and the financing of education is particularly
vulnerable1. Budget cuts in education in Great Britain, Italy, the deterioration and the rundown
state of formation spaces for youth/students in African countries, the lack of adequate teaching
materials in some countries of Latin America, the high cost of education in U.S., are the challenges
that directly or indirectly affect human dignity even of the students. Let us recall that in the Article

1
Introductory words of the Follow Up report of EFA 2010 by Ms. Irina Bokova, General Director of UNESCO
 26, paragraphs 1 and 2, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that "Everyone has the
right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental
stages. Elementary education is compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made
generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of
merit. And education must be directed to the full development of human personality and
strengthen respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms ... "

Aujourd’hui, pendant que les bourses et autres aides universitaires sont coupées les frais d’accès
aux études supérieures sont doublés voir triplés contraignant les étudiants à recourir aux prêts
pour financer leurs formations avec l’incertitude d’obtenir en fin de cursus un emploi décent afin
d’éponger la dette et mener une vie descente. D’où « les difficultés d’accès et de maintien à
l’école des jeunes surtout en zones rurales, dues parfois à des contraintes culturelles et/ou
financières »2. Les étudiants sont sous forte stress car devant associer simultanément travail et
études pour s’assurer une survie. Ceci affecte le développement réel de leurs capacités
intellectuelles, qui de plus sont parfois orientées vers les besoins de l’économie et du marché de
travail plus tôt que vers le développement des talents naturels de l’étudiant.

Today, while the university scholarships and other university assistance are cut, the fees for
access to higher education have doubled or even tripled, forcing students to use loans to finance
their formation with the uncertainty of obtaining at the end of their education a job to pay back
the debt and lead a decent life. There come "the difficulties of access and retention in school for
young people especially in rural areas, due sometimes to cultural and or financial
constraints."3 Students are under high stress because they must simultaneously combine work
and studies to ensure survival. This affects the effective development of their intellectual abilities,
which are sometimes more oriented towards the needs of the economy and labor market rather
than towards the development of natural talents of the student.

Poverty becomes a strong reality in student circles. In some Latin American countries like Bolivia,
for example, poverty pushes students to migration with all the consequences that this may
generate in the hosting country in terms of living conditions, work, health care, the security for
the immigrant, and finally the continuity of their formation.

In Europe, students demonstrations in the streets in many countries, sometimes with regrettable
incidents of violence, to demand more investment in education should not leave any government
and society as a whole unconcerned.

In many countries in Africa and Asia, even in Europe, poverty pushes students, especially young
girls to prostitution to finance their studies.4 For that matter, in the declaration of Burkina Faso,
the students pointed out and regretted "the lack of real space for civic values and human rights
education in the studies programs in general."5 Today this situation very strongly calls

2
Déclaration des étudiants lors de l’atelier de formation organisée par la JECI au Burkina Faso sur le thème
« Education de Qualité pour la Promotion du Leadership et de la Bonne Gouvernance » en Août 2010.
3
Students declaration from the workshop organized by IYCS at Burkina Faso in August 2010 under the theme:
“Quality Education for Leadership building and Good Governance”
4
We kept the anonymity of those testimonies and experiences we got.
5
IYCS workshop at Burkina Faso, August 2010
 governments to actions to solve this issue. Quality education and formation are an adequate
foundation for the development of societies.

- Considering that no development is possible without a significant investment in education as has

showed Korea

- Considering the deterioration of the living conditions of students and the need to improve
pedagogical resources for education

- Considering that higher education as public good, is the responsibility of all stakeholders,
particularly governments, facing current and future global challenges6

The International Young Catholic Students, while noting the efforts made to promote education
by governments and institutions, recommends:

 the person of the student is the primary concern of all measures to hit any education
system.

 the precarious situation that affects schools and universities should be the subject of
attention of all education stakeholders and especially governments and appropriate
solutions should be found.

 a detailed charter of the rights to education and for the education system should be
adopted in a short delay by the Council for Human Rights to protect students and ensure
their dignity in the frame of their formation.

 The education for human rights and civic values should be included as an absolute
necessity at all levels of training and education of young people.

In the minds of men are created conflicts, thus let us build peace in these minds through a quality
education under suitable conditions for the young student.

Paris, December 10, 2010

For International YCS

Edouard KOUTSAVA
Secretary General

6
Communiqué of the World Conference on Higher Education, July 8, 2009