PRESENTATION

OIDEL is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation, with consultative status with the United Nations, UNESCO and the European Council. It is legally recognized as a public interest association under Swiss law. The primary objective of OIDEL is the promotion of the right to education as a fundamental human right. Such a right cannot exist without the presence of State benefits and the protection of individual liberties. The action of OIDEL is mainly based on article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural rights.

Foundation

OIDEL was created in 1985, by forty political personalities, educational experts and parents. It has consultative status with the United Nations, UNESCO and the European Council, and collaborates with the European Union and international non-governmental organisations.

Founding members

Lluis Alegre, (E) ancien Parlementaire et Ministre catalan du Commerce. Emilio Colombo,(I) Ancien Président du Conseil des ministres, ancien Président du Parlement Européen. Ramón Durany, (E) Ancien Président d' Institució Familiar d'Educació. Concepció Ferrer, (E) Adjointe Ombudsman, ancien Membre du Parlement Européen. Antoine Humblet, (B) Ancien Ministre de l´Education, Président honoraire de l´OIDEL. Kurt Malangré, (D) ancien Parlementaire Européen, ancien Maire d´Aix-la-Chapelle. Joseph Michel, (B) ancien Ministre de l´Education. Alberto Michelini, (I) Ancien membre du Parlement Européen. Juan Antonio Ortega y Díaz-Ambrona, (E) ancien Ministre de l´Education. Jacques Python, (CH) Avocat, Président honoraire de l´OIDEL. Rosa Russo Jervolino, (I) ancienne Ministre de l´Intérieur et de l´Education. Stuart Sexton, (GB) Directeur de IPSET. Mario Viscovi, (I) ancien Président de l´Association européenne des parents d´élèves. Frank Monagle, (AUS) Directeur d'établissement.

Executive Comitee

President: Diego Barroso, Former Director of EPA ( European Parents Asociation)

Vice-Presidents: Charles L. Glenn,Professor and Former Dean of School of Education, Boston University. Ernesto Rolando Marín Coto, Former Minister of Education, El Salvador.

Secretary of the Committee and President of the Permanent CommissionAngel Sánchez, General Corporative Director, IFE.

Members: Joan Curcó, General Director of Fomento. Francis Delpérée, Professor Emeritus, University of Louvain, Deputy in Chamber of Deputies, Belgium. Claire de Lavernette, Chair of NGO Working Group on Human Rights Education and Learning. Bertrand Doncieux, Executive Director of AEFLIB. Joan Gallostra, President of IFE. Santiago García, General Director of COAS education group in Spain. Arja Krauchenberg, Project coordinator in the EPA, and vice-president of the LLLP (the Lifelong Learning Platform. Georges Haddad, President of University Paris 1 Panthéon- Sorbonne, and former director of investigation and prospection in UNESCO. Luisa Ribolzi, Professor Emeritus, University of Turin, Former vice-President of the National Agency of Education and Research Institutes.  António Sarmento,  President of AEEP and ISU, Vice-president of CNEF. 

Members and funding

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION
Institutional subscriber: US$ 1000.-/ Euro 1000.-/CHF 1000.-
Individual subscriber: US$ 300.- / Euro 300.-/CHF 300.-

OIDEL depends on subscription fees and conference and research subsidies for its income.

The members of OIDEL are individuals or legal persons (associations, school groups, NGOs):
OIDEL is represented in the following countries:

AFRICA
Angola, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Zaire

AMERICAS
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, United States, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela

ASIA
Brunei, India, Japan, Pakistan, The Philippines, Turkey

EUROPE
Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Spain, France, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, United Kingdom, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Czech Republic.

OCEANIA
Australia, New Zealand

Objectives

OIDEL pursues the following objectives:
To achieve its goal, OIDEL collaborates with many experts, and works with international organizations and governments to promote the right to education and freedom to education. It aims to:

  • STUDY educational policies according to an approach based on human rights.
  •  INFORM the public of progress and violations of the right to education and freedom of education.
  •  PROVIDE training and information on the right to education and freedom of education to stakeholders in the field of education.
  • COLLABORATE with international organizations and bodies for the protection of human rights to defend and promote the right to education and educational freedoms.

Main Activities

International Organizations.
– UN Commission on Human Rights
– UN Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights
– UN Economic and Social Council
– UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
– International Conference on Education (UNESCO/IBE)
– General Conference (UNESCO)
– Parliamentary Assembly (Council of Europe)
– European Parliament
– European Commission
– UN World Conferences

A network of experts

OIDEL manages a worldwide network OF experts: jurists, economists, academics, government representatives and managers of independent schools. Among the countries represented are Argentina, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Peru, the UK,the United States.