Hope Starts With Us

Five reasons for hope: Why I’m inspired by the Global Education Community 

My first month as Director of Education Cannot Wait took me from the ground to global capitals – from schools turned into shelters in Lebanon to political capitals in Washington, D.C. and Ottawa.

Two very different worlds. The same urgent question in every room: Are we doing enough? 

Here is what I found – and what gave me hope. 

First, respect, kindness and goodwill still drive this work.  
In a period of rising pressure and shrinking budgets, I saw people choosing to listen, to collaborate and to find common ground. That is not a given. It is something we must actively protect. 

Second, our community is ready to step up, to become a movement.  
At the IMF Spring Meetings, in Congress, and across the Canadian government and civil society, I saw real engagement – not just interest, but intent. A deeper understanding of what is at stake, and a genuine willingness to do more, together. 
 

The movement for education in emergencies is stronger and more mobilised than we sometimes allow ourselves to believe. 

Third, education in crisis has moved from the margins to the centre. 
There is a clear shift. Education is increasingly recognized as essential, not only for protection in the short-term but for stability in the long-term. In a world rocked by crises, the debate is no longer whether education matters, but how we deliver it at scale.

Fourth, there is real openness to doing things differently. 
In conversations on innovative financing and new delivery models, I found a genuine attempt at rethinking old assumptions. Our community recognises that incremental change will not be enough – and they are willing to say it. That honesty is where real progress begins. 

Fifth, and most importantly: local actors are not waiting for us. They are leading.  
In Lebanon, I sat with teachers running classes under extraordinary pressure, and with local organisations keeping learning alive when every system around them had failed. Students, teachers and local organisations cannot wait. They are adapting, responding and finding ways forward under the most difficult circumstances. What they need from us is not direction, but partnership: support that matches their pace, follows their leadership and strengthens what is already working on the ground. 

Throughout the month, one message came through consistently: the need for hope – not as rhetoric, but as a strategy. A focus on what can be done. A reminder that even in crisis, progress is possible – and that relatively modest investments can transform lives. 

This is our moment. Our movement. And where Education Cannot Wait matters most – translating urgency into action and ensuring that children affected by crisis are not left behind. 

The challenges are real. But so is our commitment.  

The hope you have given me over these first 30 days isn't just a gift—it’s a blueprint. It will directly shape how I lead this community moving forward.