ASPBAE’s Fifth General Assembly
2008 was the year of the 5th General Assembly (GA) of ASPBAE. The General Assembly processes involved: a combination of country-level meetings and processes steered by accredited ASPBAE members, electronic and face to face consultations on proposed Constitutional amendments and electronic voting on the new ASPBAE Executive Council and Constitutional changes.
The elections to the Fifth General Assembly were virtual, conducted electronically from November 21 to December 05, 2008. Mr. Chij Shrestha as the Election Officer conducted the elections in a clear, impartial and transparent manner.
As in the past, this time too, ASPBAE created history with all the 12 proposed Constitutional amendments and the ASPBAE Bye – laws being unanimously approved by its members.
Gender Mainstreaming
ASPBAE’s Gender Mainstreaming efforts during the year mainly focused on the compilation of gender data from all events held by ASPBAE and the gender analysis.
The data revealed that there has been a substantial increase in the participation of women in all the events. The gender perspectives in education and capacity building is also getting due recognition. The process however needs to be accelerated and made more widespread.
The gender analysis and an assessment of gender mainstreaming in ASPBAE as an organization was presented to the Executive Council.
COMMUNICATION & INFORMATION DISSEMINATION
Policy Research & Policy Papers
1. Coalitions and Partnerships for Literacy and Non-Formal Education - Experiences from India, Bangladesh and Nepal by Amit Mitra
2. Still Missing an Education: Australian Policy Failure on Indigenous Education Participation and Outcomes
3. Policy Brief/ Position Paper on Indigenous Education in Pakistan
4. Civil Society Organisations Guide to CONFINTEA VI Participation
5. Policy Brief for CONFINTEA VI Asia and Pacific Preparatory Conference
6. National Position Paper/Policy Brief on Indigenous Education in India
7. National Position Paper/Policy Brief on Indigenous Education in Philippines
8. National Position Paper/Policy Brief on Indigenous Education in New Zealand
Publications
1. “Educating for a New Future” – A training Kit for Peace Educators in South Asia.
2. “Failing the Midterms: Half Chances Won’t Do”, an Asia Pacific Citizens Report Rating Governments Performance in EFA.
3. “Financing Education and Development: Banking on the Class of 2015” an advocacy handout on ODA for Education printed.
- Nepal – Tracking Public Expenditure on Education
- Bangladesh – Financing Primary and Secondary Education in Bangladesh
- Philippines – Mapping Out Disadvantages Groups in Education
- Indonesia – Indonesia Monitoring Research
- Papua New Guinea – Survey of Education Experience
- Solomon Islands – Educational Experience Survey : Education, Language and Literacy Experience
- Regional Synthesis Report
Following material was released by ASPBAE during the year
ASPBAE Plans 2008
Activity Report 2007
ASPBAE continues to maintain its website and regularly update the information posted.
Membership
During the year the ASPBAE Executive Council approved the membership of 20 member organizations and 3 individual members. ASPBAE‘s membership now stands at 141 member organizations, 16 individual members and 99 life members.
Audit
The audit of ASPBAE’s 2006 accounts was completed and approved by the Executive Council in its meeting in March 2008 in Lautoka, Fiji.
Resource Mobilisation
The past few years have witnessed an increase and diversification in ASPBAE’s grants base. These grants have supported ASPBAE’s national level capacity building work for education advocacy and have been very helpful in enabling the organization to expand its mandate to new areas of work.
ASPBAE was successful in securing funding support from the Myer Foundation in Australia to expand and sustain Education Watch work in PNG. This opened up new possibilities for co-operation and resource mobilization in the country and also led to a important development in the history of ASPBAE – the incorporation of ASPBAE Australia
Another successful partnership was established with the Open Society Institute Education Support Program, UK. The partnership is aimed at enhancing civil society participation in education policy across South Asia with a particular focus on Pakistan. This partnership is particularly timely since it enables ASPBAE to sustain its efforts in playing a direct role in shoring up the national and regional competencies for education campaign in South Asia in the wake of the conclusion of the Commonwealth Education Fund (CEF) in 2008.
Institutional Development