Mandated to campaign until the Education for All deadline in 2015, this World Assembly take place at the campaigns mid-way point. The meeting took place at Novotel Jaragua, in Central Sao Paulo from the 22 nd- 24th January, and was attended by 180 campaigners, with close to 300 attending the opening ceremony that was addressed by Luiz Dulci, Brazil's Minister for General Secretary of the Presidency.

The busy three days included workshops on the progress on each of the individual EFA goals, side-meetings on the work of regions, FTI, and a new initiative to work in the Arab states, and workshops on campaigning such as pressuring governments, growing coalitions and media strategies.

Key sessions of the World Assembly noted the work of GCE since the last World Assembly in Johannesburg in 2004, especially in the strengthening of the institutional capacity of the GCE, enabling more and better mobilisations on the demand for the right to Education for All. Since 2004 GCE's membership has more than doubled, with a growing number of campaigners taking part as with publications, working groups and communications.

There is no doubt that the growth and strengthening of a civil society movement - has contributed to progress in some aspects of the EFA goals, although much more progress is still needed as demonstrated by the Global School Report, published by GCE in December 2007. The number of out of school children fell from 100 million in 2000 to 72 million in 2007. Yet progress on the remaining goals has been drastically slow, and at a rate in which EFA will not be achieved within a generation's lifetime.

A dozen new motions on education issues were submitted, debated, amended and finally agreed upon by the members as priority areas of GCE's work until the next World Assembly in 2011. The member organisations also voted in GCE's new board that would lead activities to achieve the mandate as decided by the World Assembly.

The UN Special Rapporteur on Education Rights, Vernor Munez attended on the final day, and inspired campaigners with the need to fight more for the most marginalised from education, before launching GCE's Global School Report to the Latin American press.

The three days finished with a closing ceremony, a thanks and farewell to the leaving board members, including Rasheda Choudhury, of CAMPE, who has become the Minister of Education, and Women and Children's Affairs in Bangladesh, as well as Solly Mabusela from SADTU, Cleophas Mally from Global March against Child Labour, Nelida Cespedes from CEAAL.
 

Entreculturas coordinates the Campaign for Spain.