Inaugural Lifaka Lecture highlights key role for Commonwealth Parliamentarians in promoting global education at 66th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Ghana
The inaugural CPA Emilia Monjowa Lifaka Lecture has highlighted the key role of Commonwealth Parliamentarians in global education.
The Lifaka Lecture took place in the margins of the 66th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Accra, Ghana and was attended by delegates and the Ghanian diplomatic community.
The CPA Lifaka Lecture has been established in memory of Hon. Emilia Monjowa Lifaka, the late Chairperson of the CPA International Executive Committee and Deputy Speaker of Cameroon.
Hon. Monjowa Lifaka was a passionate champion of the CPA and served as CPA Chairperson from November 2017 until her untimely death in April 2021. The CPA Lifaka Lecture is intended to provide a fitting tribute to her work.
Above: The inaugural CPA Emilia Monjowa Lifaka Lecture took place in the margins of the 66th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Ghana. Images: CPA Headquarters.
The keynote address was given by Betty Abeng, Chief Executive Officer of the Commonwealth Education Trust, who spoke about the importance of education for all Commonwealth citizens and the key objective of achieving UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 on ensuring “inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all".
About 260 million children are not in school across the world, undermining efforts to achieve the 17 SDGs. She also highlighted the importance of effective communication skills for all children including the ability to read, understand and connect as this aids a young person’s journey in life. Her organization exists to curb ‘learning poverty’ by providing teacher support programmes to increase literacy among children below the age of ten.
The response came from Dr Leslie Casey-Hayford, Director of Associates for Change, West Africa and a Ghana-based international education development expert who highlighted the importance of a life of service and civic duty for all.
The Commonwealth has a youthful population – with 60% of its citizens aged under 30 - which holds the potential to shape and secure fair, peaceful and sustainable globalisation and leadership. She concluded that the Lifaka Lecture effectively conveyed the idea that serving constituencies and communities requires dedication, commitment and advocacy for the concerns of the people.
The Chairperson of the Lecture, Hon. Mary Muyali Boya, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Cameroon welcomed the Lifaka Lecture as a fitting tribute to Hon. Emilia Monjowa Lifaka and the session ended with a vote of thanks by Hon. Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, MP from Ghana.
The inaugural CPA Lifaka Lecture was also supported by the International Parliamentary Network for Education (IPNEd).
-ENDS-
Further information about the 66th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) can be found at the official conference website and also at the 66th CPC Hub.
On social media follow the hashtag #66CPC
Images of the 66th CPC are also available at the CPA's Flickr page.
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) organises its annual Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) to address global political issues and developments in the parliamentary system through conference workshops and sessions for leading Parliamentarians representing Parliaments and Legislatures throughout the Commonwealth.
The CPA is an international community of almost 180 Commonwealth Parliaments and Legislatures working together to deepen the Commonwealth’s commitment to the highest standards of democratic governance.
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