Nobel call for education action

The Nobel Prize winners signed a letter by Save the Children

Thirty-one Nobel Peace Prize winners are calling for action to improve education and build peace in war zones.

Former US President Jimmy Carter, the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi are among those who have signed a joint letter.

They want world leaders to help an estimated 37 million children in countries affected by conflict who cannot go to school.

The charity Save the Children is behind the campaign.

In the letter, the 31 Nobel winners say: "War and conflict are perpetrated by adults. But every adult was once a child and grew up with experiences and guidance that shaped their lives.

"At the heart of this lies education. But if more than 70 million children do not even have the chance to go to school, and more than half of these children live in countries affected by armed conflict - what are these children learning?"

Child soldiers

Before fighting intensified in the Democratic Republic of Congo, it was estimated that five million of the country's 9.6 million children of school age were unable to go to school.

A spokesman for Save the Children said: "Without adequate protection from the escalating conflict in recent weeks, even more children have been forced to flee their schools.

"Some schools have even been targeted to recruit schoolchildren as child soldiers.

"An analysis of civil wars of the past 50 years showed that each year of formal schooling attended by boys reduces the risk of their becoming involved in conflict by 20% - yet children trapped in this spiral of conflict continue to be denied education."

Former US President Carter said: "I have seen the beneficial impact of education in promoting peace.

"It would be a mistake to underestimate the influence that children can have in shaping the opinions and decisions of adults."

The secretary general of the International Save the Children Alliance, Charlotte Petri Gornitzka, added: "We are delighted that these champions of peace have chosen to speak out with a united voice for the first time.

"Their support shows that if the international community is serious about ending conflict and building lasting peace in countries like Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Afghanistan, then education has to be a top priority."

She said when parties joined together to negotiate peace agreements it was a key opportunity to improve education systems and help foster peace.