#educationcannotwait

Angelina Jolie is concerned about the increasing number of refugee children missing out on an education. The award-winning actress penned an op-ed for CNN this week in response to an alarming report from the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, that stated that 4 million refugee do not attend school. In her op-ed, Jolie asks readers to stop feeling hopeless and to instead focus on how the global refugee crisis opens a door for change. “Refugees themselves are not passively waiting for help, but are actively searching for ways to be part of the recovery of their countries. Education is a key to helping them to do this,” Jolie writes. Addressing the outcome of mass population displacements is part of Jolie’s role as UN special envoy. Here, Jolie talks to a young Syrian refugee at Za'atari refugee camp in Jordan. Go here to read more about Jolie's op-ed and to take action by encouraging leaders to pledge to the Education Cannot Wait fund for children in crisis. 

Protection of Children from the Ground Up - Enhancing Localised Approaches in Conflict and Crises

From the 3rd to the 5th of June, 841 participants from across the globe—including practitioners, donors, academics, policymakers, youth and child advocates, and community leaders—came together for the 2025 Annual Meeting for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, hosted by the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action.

Keeping the spotlight on Africa’s child soldiers

"As violence and instability rise, African countries must reaffirm their commitment to protecting children and support DDR initiatives."

"Globally, in 2021 alone, 6 310 children were drawn into conflict zones, with Africa accounting for 40% of the global child soldier population. And from 2005-22, over 105 000 children were documented as recruited by armed forces and non-state actors in conflict zones worldwide."

Myanmar: Stop Recruitment, Use of Child Soldiers

"The Myanmar military’s recruitment and use of child soldiers has surged since the 2021 coup, including a significant number recruited after the junta enacted a conscription law in February 2024, Human Rights Watch said today. On June 19, 2025, the United Nations Secretary-General reported that the UN had verified 2,138 grave violations against children in armed conflict in Myanmar in 2024, including recruitment of children, with about 1,200 additional violations pending verification."

Bangladesh plans new ‘protected area’ for elephants in its conflict-prone northeast

"In response to rising human-elephant conflicts, Bangladesh is planning to declare the elephant habitats in its northeastern parts a protected area for the species."

Collaboration, Capacity-Building and Conservation in East Africa: Rangers Trained on Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants

"The initiative brought together wildlife rangers from five East African elephant range States, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania. Its primary purpose was to strengthen the skills and knowledge of rangers in combating wildlife crime, with a specific emphasis on elephant mortality data collection and reporting as well as introducing them to crime scene management techniques."

IFAW: Room to Roam

"Room to Roam is an ambitious and urgent vision for Africa’s surviving savannah elephants and the human communities with which they share the land and its resources. Backed by 20 years of science and engagement with local communities, Room to Roam is securing and connecting habitats, creating safe passages for wildlife to travel freely through their home ranges in East and southern Africa. The positive outcomes of this far-reaching initiative will be greater biodiversity, natural resilience to climate change, and a future where animals and people can coexist and thrive."