Philippa Karsera Christodoulides: My priority is to uphold the right to education for everybody (video)

First Lady, Philippa Karsera Christodoulides, underlined her commitment to education at a recent international event in Doha.

She was speaking at the Fifth Observance of the International Day to Protect Education from Attack, taking place under the initiative and hosting of Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned, the mother of Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The event was also attended by heads of state, First Ladies and UN representatives.

Cyprus' First Lady was a speaker at a high-level panel on 'Education at Risk', in which she explained the importance she places on education personally and the role of Cyprus’ Independent Social Support Body.

Philippa Karsera Christodoulides' full speech can be read below, and viewed in the accompanying video.

“Your Highness, Excellencies, distinguished guests. First, I wish to extend my sincere gratitude to Her Highness Sheikha Moza, a true visionary and inspiring champion in the field of education. Thank you so much for the gracious invitation. I'm really delighted to be at the state of Qatar today and deeply honoured to be amongst the distinguished guests of Your Highness.

In my capacity as a First Lady, I have committed myself to serve through initiatives beneficial to children, youth and vulnerable groups. As a strong believer in the transformative power of education, my priority is to uphold the right to education for everybody.

Chairing an independent social support body I'm proud that within a year we raised money in Cyprus and achieved to offer scholarships to more than 1,000 students from financially and socially vulnerable families, a significant number for Cyprus.

Distinguished guests, in Cyprus we know first-hand the devastating effects of war on children. In 1974, my country experienced war that led to the violent displacement of one third of its population.

The Turkish invasion took place in July and August 1974. Children experienced suffering and trauma no child should ever face. In the autumn that followed, children had no schools to attend. They were taught in tents guided by their heroic teachers. They persevered in resilience; however, they had lost their childhood. I come from one of these refugee families.

My story is the story of thousands of children around the world. I was taught that nothing is more valuable than education, because it is your personal key to rebuilding your future, because education is the one thing that cannot be taken away by war.

The Secretary-General of the UN, António Guterres, noted that education is not only a basic human right, it is essential to the fulfilment of all human rights and Her Highness Sheikha Moza added, and wisely, education is the backbone of everything. That's totally true. A few days ago, my youngest daughter wrote, it was the first homework of the year, her vision for this world-No more wars. Children speak the truth plainly, honestly, truthfully, and we ought to listen.

This vision can only materialise if we all join forces and through multilateralism, respect for the UN Charter and international law, mobilisation of political will and resources in ensuring that armed conflicts do not have a long-lasting negative impact on children. And this is what we are doing today.

Esteemed guest, we have heard it before today, but it's also one of my favourite quotes. ‘Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world’- Nelson Mandela. Schools should remain safe havens for all children under any circumstances.

Only through equitable education that champions peace and mutual respect, will we pave the way, the path for the brighter for the fairer, and of course, for a more inclusive future.

Thank you very much.”

Meeting with the Emir of Qatar

During her trip, the First Lady also had a private meeting with the Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned, and informed her about the work of the Independent Social Support Body and the help it provides to students and their families in Cyprus.

She also had a meeting with the CEO of the Education Above All Foundation, at the headquarters of the Qatar Foundation. The Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus to the State of Qatar, Andreas Nicolaides, also sat in on the meeting.