Thank you for your welcome and for this great honour.
The ILO has been a beacon for social justice and it is a privilege to be here this evening and share my dream for the future—a dream I believe goes hand in hand with your vital work.
As a child in Colombia, I witnessed extreme poverty, injustice and inequality that denied children the chance to realize their potential, to have a better future and to contribute to the development of our society.
Witnessing so much despair shaped my dream and my vision of social justice: to see a world where every child can live a dignified life with the opportunity to reap the benefits of a good education and a chance to pursue their dreams.
Investing in a child means investing in our collective future. A child who receives quality education, nutrition and care early in life will have higher earnings, better health, stronger relationships and higher productivity throughout his or her life as an adult.
I’ve seen the impact education has on children and their families first hand through our Barefoot and ALAS foundations. We can’t stand by and let more young lives be wasted, more young dreams denied.
At the Barefoot Foundation we’ve developed a model that supports the whole child—and their whole community—in the most vulnerable parts of Colombia. We provide nutrition and higher quality education for more than six thousand children. Support and training for their parents and neighbourhoods. Our schools are more than just classrooms—they become the biggest support these communities have to thrive.
Through these comprehensive programs we are confirming every day that education saves lives and breaks the cycle of poverty. If we can do it, surely our governments can too.
Our work at Barefoot and ALAS is deeply tied to the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda and your commitment to justice and peace. By creating decent work for parents, protecting the working conditions of teachers and eradicating child labour. How? Through education which I see as the only path to peace and global stability.
The ILO has proven that it’s not afraid to speak up for the weak. You’ve always understood that social, economic and environmental policies and action must work together to create sustainable change.
Mahatma Gandhi said – “Be the change you want to see in the world”.
It’s not too late to keep our promise to our children, but we must act now. Together, we can make education and decent work for all a reality.
Thank you Mr. Somavia, ambassadors and distinguished guests. I am honoured and I humbly accept this award which I’d like to share with our partners and those who have helped shape our work and also with the dedicated teams at both Barefoot and ALAS, with Maria Emma Mejia, president of our Foundation who has been working tirelessly and hand in hand with me for all these years and in the name of all the children around the world who live in conflict or extreme poverty but who are still full of hope and fall asleep every night dreaming of a better future.
Let’s give those children the chance to build a just and peaceful future for themselves and many generations to come.
Thank you all.
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