As the UN General Assembly begins, education must be top of the agenda

Other issues grab more attention, but education is the key to a better world, says Justin van Fleet, president of Theirworld.

This article was originally published in PR Week.

In this cacophonous media age, the demands for our attention never cease. Advertising presents us with the latest face cream to erase our worry lines, the newest phone to replace last year’s relic, or the hippest show to binge watch.

We’re also bombarded with messages about important causes to support: donate to an animal shelter, attend a climate change march, or sign an online petition. With a few simple swipes, we process the information, make a quick decision about the cause’s worthiness, and move on.

Of course, the complexity of many causes is difficult to convey in a few seconds on a small screen. Making these issues easy to understand — while inspiring meaningful action — is a tall order.

In principle, it’s hard to disagree that education is one of the most important of the 17 global aspirations in the United Nations’ 2015 Sustainable Development Goals.

Yet, when we are communicating to advance this cause, it’s a challenge to convey the seriousness of the problem and the immediacy of the need.

Going hungry or fleeing from violent conflict or a natural disaster are such immediate risks to children that anyone can understand the need to act. The visuals tell a clear story.

The concept of a child suffering gravely from a lack of education is far more difficult to communicate. But make no mistake. The suffering is real.

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Justin van Fleet is president of Theirworld and executive director of the Global Business Coalition for Education.