/ NATIONALITY AND STATELESSNESS ARE NOT “TOO SENSITIVE” TO DISCUSS WITH STATES Just as statelessness is commonly misconceived as being “too complex”, it is often equally considered “too sensitive” to discuss, especially with governments. And while it is true that a thoughtful approach must be considered when determining the most constructive and impactful way to discuss the issue, a key takeaway from this project is that there are effective ways to engage state officials. In Iraq, a partner organisation facilitated a dialogue between local government officials and activists to address the challenges faced by nomadic communities at risk of statelessness, particularly their barriers to accessing education. The initiative spurred the development of an advocacy document that was endorsed by local government representatives, including the Director of Education. This approach was a useful one to pursue, as it helped to bring awareness and led to constructive dialogue around the issue which may not have been previously known or understood. In Pakistan, a local partner took a variety of approaches to engage government officials. They organised a letter writing campaign from children impacted by statelessness to a senior government official, which boosted agency and provided them an opportunity to advocate for themselves. Stateless children also participated in workshops on self-expression, the content of which was later transposed into a theatrical performance, which was attended by senior officials. This approach of using the arts and storytelling to convey the sentiments of impacted children and to break down difficult conversations often deemed “politically sensitive” can open doors for further dialogue, rather than shut them. / ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION PROJECTS ARE CRITICAL FOR STATELESS CHILDREN, BUT NEED MORE SUPPORT In response to the states’ dereliction of duty to ensure equal access to education for all children within their jurisdiction, local civil society organizations have been compelled to respond to the educational needs of stateless children. These organizations are chronically underfunded, given that they generally operate small community-based initiatives that are either off the radar or ill-equipped to attract a meaningful share of the large volume of funding being pumped into the education sector. In addition, such organizations lack the formal recognition necessary to offer a true alternative to formal public education, because their programs are not accredited by the state. 16 Yet, these organizations are the ones doing the “heavy lifting” to educate children who are excluded from formal public education systems. As long as stateless children do not have full and equitable access to education without disruptions, these organizations ought to be legally recognized and empowered to offer alternative education. The international community, including donors and development agencies, should be doing much more to support these organizations and find ways to ensure that the services they provide can be accredited. / ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF STATELESS CHILDREN IS KEY IF WE TRULY WANT TO LEAVE NO CHILD BEHIND As we observed during the global pandemic, learning loss due to inconsistent schooling significantly impairs the relationship that children have with education, how they value their studies and their ability to catch up. Frequent interruptions in schooling are also linked to increased school dropout rates, all of which are factors frequently experienced by stateless children whose studies are continually disrupted. Global efforts to mitigate learning loss since COVID-19 have been focused and determined. However, the same urgency has not been applied to addressing the educational disruptions faced by stateless children, despite widespread commitments to “leave no child behind”. In fact, states have strategically used the guise of ‘sovereignty’ to justify denying nationality, subsequently leveraging the status of non-citizen as an excuse to further deprive those rendered stateless of their human rights. The human rights system has failed to adequately respond to states’ use of this strategy to deny individuals and communities their human rights. State sovereignty cannot serve as a shield for oppression. The right to education is a human right to be enjoyed by all – including those have been denied nationality. Unless deliberate action is taken to address the unique challenges faced by stateless children they will continue to be left behind. The barriers they face constitute a conveniently neglected crisis, perpetuated not only by states failing in their obligations to ensure universal access to education, but also by human rights actors who have conceded too much ground to governments in determining who deserves access to education. The result is the exclusion of those who stand to benefit the most - leaving them furthest behind. The same attention and momentum exerted to address learning loss for children post-pandemic, must be applied to stateless children who consistently face disruptions to their studies. Their inability to enrol in school, transition to higher education and study uninterrupted needs to be met with the same vigour, otherwise we risk continuing the disenfranchisement of children and communities.