Bill Clinton: “We the Presidents of the United States and Brazil recognize that a new reality is reshaping the world and that our…”

“We the Presidents of the United States and Brazil recognize that a new reality is reshaping the world and that our citizens must be prepared to meet the challenges of a globalized world in the 21st century. Education is the key to the future. We recognize that working together we will harness inevitable change to the benefit of families in our countries. Literacy and a first-class educational foundation are critical determinants to the well-being of our citizens, the strength of our economies, and preserving the values we as democratically-elected leaders hold dear. Skilled and educated people are the foundations of strong democracies and market economies. We must, therefore, ask more of our educational systems than ever before. Our governments have similar initiatives promoting the development of modern information infrastructures that will facilitate economic growth and will be the foundation of new ways to teach and learn. Our students must be able to compete in a new and constantly-changing job market. This requires access to life-long learning programs and the ability to participate in and benefit from varied cultures outside our borders as well as to process and organize more disparate information than ever before. Education is needed to participate actively and knowledgeably in democratic, plural and diverse societies.…”