In 2024, the number of children not in education continued to rise, with 250 million children not in school. And for yet another year, a worldwide reduction in public spending on education has jeopardised the achievement of the 4th Sustainable Development Goal. This is something that we at La Silla Roja (The Red Chair), the Global Campaign for Education and Fe y Alegría’s For the Right to Learn campaign have been trying to change. We are helping to counteract this shift by allocating 40% of our mission funds to educational projects in Latin America, Africa, Asia and Europe. These projects include Generating Opportunities (GO) in conjunction with Inditex, and the Towards a Digital and Sustainable World initiative with Accenture.

We also monitor the progress of Spanish public administrations in the field of Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship via Movimiento 4.7, a platform that we support together with Alboan, InteRed and ONGAWA, and with the backing of AECID.

According to UNHCR, by mid-2024, 122.6 million people worldwide had been displaced from their homes due to conflict, human rights violations or serious breakdowns in law and order. The Jesuit Refugee Service was on the ground during many of the world’s major crises. These included receiving refugees in Chad and South Sudan during the conflict in Sudan, D.R. of Congo, continuing to promote the “One Proposal” programme in Ukraine on the second anniversary of the war, addressing the ramifications of Venezuela’s migratory crisis in Colombia, Brazil and Ecuador, and providing assistance to Syrian refugees in Lebanon and calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

In Spain, our aim is to raise public awareness of the concept of Aprender en Peligro (Learning in Danger) that is addressed through the Refugee School campaign. We have joined forces with some 20 other organisations to call for a European Pact on Migration and Asylum to prioritise protection for people affected by forced displacement.

The torrential rain and severe flooding in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul and in the Spanish region of Valencia highlighted the vulnerability of humans to climate change. In response to both catastrophes, we provided the most affected population with basic necessities and psychological support.

Via the Defensoras de la Naturaleza (Women Defenders of Nature) exhibition and the CHANGE Environment campaign, we invited students to ponder issues such as environmental protection and human migration caused by climate change.

The Plataforma por Empresas Responsables (Platform for Responsible Business) was granted definitive approval by the European Due Diligence Directive.

Gender is a central perspective in our mission, informing our citizenship initiatives such as training programmes, and the promotion of youth leadership through the Red Violeta network. It also informs our cooperation and humanitarian projects.

In 2024, the Cholitas climbers from Bolivia shared their story of empowerment and liberation all around Spain. Spanish dancer Sara Baras has joined our La LUZ de las NIÑAS (The LIGHT of the GIRLS) programme as an ambassador. With regard to the 8 March, International Women’s Day, we highlighted the violations of women’s rights experienced by those at the forefront of environmental advocacy. And, to create a fairer and safer working environment, we evaluated the second year of the implementation of our Equality Plan.

At the 9th Global Meeting of the Entreculturas Youth Solidarity Network, over 250 young people and teachers from 11 countries created an “Agents of Change Action Plan” to tackle, over the next two years, the key global issues in their communities. At the 24th Entreculturas Annual Meeting, we also reviewed our strategies and reflected on how best to build the future.

The 13th edition of our Run for a Cause solidarity race brought together 16,000 people and raised funds to support children’s education in Ukraine, the Central African Republic, and Colombia.

After just over two years of broadcasting, our Voces por una Causa (Voices for a Cause) podcast, hosted by writer and journalist Julia Navarro, topped 100 episodes.