【慈幼通訊社 ─ 2014 年 01 月 30 日德國波恩訊】 – 第九屆「鮑思高論壇」於1月19日舉行，與會者達六百人。前德國聯邦總統霍斯特•克勒博士，以及洪都拉斯 Tegucigalpa總教區羅德里格斯樞機，均呼籲為發展中國家青年增加教育投資及創造就業機會。

論壇在波恩大學舉行。羅德里格斯樞機以「沒有新發展模式，世界貧窮問題決不能根除」這句話，呼籲採取新方法應對全球貧窮問題。他表示：「我們所知的全球化，只是把市場全球化，卻沒有在世界上各個地區減少貧窮問題。」

教宗方濟各為改革教廷而成立的樞機議會，由羅德里格斯樞機帶領。他與前德國聯邦總統霍斯特•克勒博士共同參與圓桌討論，題為「教育改變一切？─ 2015年後青年展望」。

霍斯特•克勒博士的答案為「教育是發展的關鍵」。2012年聯合國秘書長潘基文委任霍斯特•克勒及一行27人的高層專家團，為2015年後的全球發展框架提供意見，該年亦是「千禧發展目標」(MDGs)的最後限期。

克勒博士在2014鮑思高論壇的討論中，指出過去十年來，有關教育方面所達成的各項目標。「很多學校建成了，亦聘用了很多教師。在量方面基本上成功了！然而在很多貧窮國家，教育的質方面仍未達到滿意水平。」

因此，聯合國高層專家團建議，把教育質的方面，以及終生學習，列入2015年後發展目標之中。

羅德里格斯樞機是非政府組織「鮑思高世界」信託委員會成員，亦是鮑思高慈幼會會士，他表示聯合國為了在2015年前，把世界貧窮人口減少一半而制訂的千禧發展目標，距離達標尚遠。「制訂千禧發展目標是好事，然而只有很少數政府視之為首要國策。」羅德里格斯樞機指出，教育方面所投放的資源太少。「假如教師所賺得的，也不能夠供養他們的家庭；假如學生空著肚子上課，我們怎能期望有質素的教育呢？」克勒博士及羅德里格斯樞機均同意，教育及職業培訓仍未視為社會發展的基礎。

克勒博士指出，雖然資金不足，推動教育及職業培訓的工作亦不應有所差池。他建議全球徵收二氧化碳排放稅，作為發展中國家的教育經費。他亦建議商業機構，通過推廣職業培訓，直接於發展中國家投資。

「鮑思高世界」及「鮑思高福傳」兩個組織，已遊說多個國家，發展實用為本的教育及培訓，為使青年能賺取生活所需。此外，在師資培訓上，以及入學機會方面，尤其對貧困家庭的青年而言，亦有待改善。

Without a new development model we will not succeed in eradicating poverty in the world.

(ANS - Germany –Bonn, 30 January 2014) – On 19 January at the 9^thDon Bosco Forum, in the presence of 600 people, the former German Federal President Prof. Dr. Horst Koehler and the Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Cardinal Óscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga, together called for increased investment in education and the creation of jobs for young people in developing countries.

"Without a new model of development, we cannot eradicate poverty in the world." With these words, Cardinal Oscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga called for a new approach to tackling global poverty. Speaking at the Don Bosco Forum at the University of Bonn, he went on to say that "globalization as we know it has globalized the market, but has not reduced poverty in many parts of the world."

Cardinal Rodríguez Maradiaga who heads the Council of Cardinals set up by Pope Francis for the reform of the Curia, took part in a roundtable discussion with former German Federal President Prof. Dr. Horst Koehler, on the theme "Education Changes Everything? - Prospects for Young People post-2015."

"Education is the key to development" - was the answer of Horst Koehler. In 2012, the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, appointed Horst Koehler and a group of 27 high-level experts to give an opinion on the global development framework after 2015, which is the deadline for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

In the discussion at the 2014 Don Bosco Forum, Koehler pointed out various achievements in the education sector that have been accomplished over the past ten years." Many schools have been built and many teachers have been hired. This is essentially a quantitative success!" However, the quality of education remains unsatisfactory in many poor countries."

For this reason, the group of high level experts of the United Nations has proposed the inclusion of the quality of education and lifelong learning in the post-2015 development goals.

Cardinal Rodríguez Maradiaga, a member of the Board of Trustees of the NGO Don Bosco World, and a member of the Congregation of the Salesians of Don Bosco, said that the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of the United Nations that aim to reduce poverty in the world by half by 2015, are far from being achieved." The setting of the MDGs was a great idea, but few governments have made it a priority of national policy." Cardinal Rodríguez Maradiaga pointed out that there are too few resources allocated to the education sector. "What quality can we expect if teachers earn so little that they are not even able to feed their families, and if students come to school on an empty stomach?" Both Koehler and the Cardinal agreed that education and training have not yet become the basis of social development.

Koehler pointed out that the promotion of education and training should not fail because of lack of money. He proposed a global tax on carbon dioxide emissions for the financing of education in developing countries. He also suggested to business companies to make direct investment in developing countries through the promotion of vocational training.

 Don Bosco Mondo and Don Bosco Missionhave persuaded many countries to make education and training more practice-oriented, in order to enable young people to earn a living for themselves. In addition, the training of teachers needs to be improved, as well as access to education, particularly for young people from disadvantaged families.