giovedì 26 febbraio 2009

SUMMARY OF THE INTERNATIONAL CHAT-CONFERENCE (22-2-09)

Announcements:

- SUPPORT NEEDED: The Association of Part-Time Undergraduate Students (University of Toronto; the largest University in Canada; http://www.apus.utoronto.ca) made the following announcement: "We are facing our second eviction in a year from the university administration. Students and staff have also been arrested. We are looking for letters of support directed at the university administration! Please send your letters toheleney@gmail.com" (draft letters are available as well. Hellie, maybe you can post it inside the "support forum"?)

- YOUTUBE CHANNEL ONLINE NOW!! An activist in Siena (Italy) created a channel on Youtube for the movement: http://www.youtube.com/user/United4Education 

Login: United4Education -- Password: education4all
All groups are asked to upload their latest "protest and mobilization videos" onto this channel!!--

- CONTRIBUTIONS wanted: We, the group in Marburg (Germany), want to prepare a booklet for the "Global Week of Action". Inside that booklet we also want to publish contributions from you! Therefore please send a few senteces describing your local situation! What reforms are currently taking place? What current protests are linked to changes within the education system or single universities? Just send it to me (international.students.movement@gmail.com) within the next 2 weeks (before March 9th !)
If we have enough contributions and get to make the booklet, then I am also willing to send some to you. Maybe we can make two verions, one in English and one in German. But for that to happen I need short contributions from you!! Thanks!

- SUPPORT NEEDED: A small NGO in Liberia (YoCADS) is in urgend need to a second-hand laptop. Can anybody help out? More info: http://www.emancipating-education-for-all.org/content/wanted-cheap-laptop-liberia

- MORE CONTRIBUTIONS: Activist in Siena (Italy) is willing to create a mobilization video and asks for short contributions from each group, which can then be used to make a united video. Material and questions can be send to: assembleapermanente.siena@gmail.com Please do so as soon as possible!! We have less than 2 months!!

- Students who occupied a hall at New York University (U.S. of A.) were recently arrested:http://takebacknyu.com

- The fight continues in France in all areas. Students protest almost every day. Workers on the Antilles are still on strike. And the next general strike will take place on March19th (http://www.19mars2009.fr).

- Huge demonstrations are planned in Germany (Berlin and Frankfurt/M) to protest the "economic crisis" (http://www.28maerz.de). Furthermore students and pupils in at least 30 cities are preparing for a week of action across Germany in June (15/06 - 19/06) [http://bildungsstreik2009.de]; a new version of the website is expected soon. 

- Activists at the occupied University of Barcelona (for three months now) will probably head down to Louvaintogether with groups in France and hopefully other countries as well to protest the ministerial meeting discussing the Bologna process (http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeronderwijs/bologna/conference) as part of the "Global Week of Action (27/04 - 29/04). The call coming from Barcelona can be accessed in various languages here: [ελληνικά] [English] [Español] [français] [italiano]

A forum is available for groups to co-ordinate this together: 

Groups across Italy will gather at a national meeting in Rome from Feb.28th onwards and will also discuss the Global Week of Action.


Things to be done (please use the forums to contribute and discuss):

Mobilization videos are always welcome! Shall we create a manifesto? Drafts for press releases! Everybody spreading the word using alternative media (such as local indymedia, linking homepage toemancipating-education-for-all.org)

Each group will have to print its own flyers and posters!! (if groups really have no resources, then they should leave a message inside the "support forum" (http://www.emancipating-education-for-all.org/forum/36) and we will try to figure something out)

Any further translations of the flyer, the page on the global week of action or Call for the week of action are most welcome!!

Activist in Siena suggested to create a "webmagazine" for the website (can you explain that idea inside the forum? I have no idea what that is.)


"Global flashmob"

not all groups are keen to participate in the "global flashmob"; those groups who are interested are asked to leave message inside the forum: 

I think it would be great, if we can decide to which kind of flashmob we decide to have! Personally I think the first version makes more sense, since we are fighting to "Reclaim our Education".

The "Global flashmob" is only a suggestion and it is suppose to be only one small contribution to the global week of action. Once again, it is totally up to each group in what way they like to express their protest during the week!

It is more important that groups do the flashmob in such a way, that it can be easily put together for the finalvideo!! This is especially relevant for the beginning and ending of the clip! Therefore, please read the forum entry on the flash-mob! It doesn't matter so much, if all the flashmobs take place on the same day!


Collecting Suggestions:

All groups are also encouraged to think of certain "direct actions", such as teach-ins, sit-ins or occupations of public spaces and building in a meaningful fashion! But other forms of protest are totally fine as well, of course. A lot of the choice of action depends on each ones local situation.

It is also important to create unity locally and globally with the actions.

Arranging "live greetings of solidarity" via video conference or phone! Either groups create a video message in advance, which can then be played around the world during the global week of action, or they call people "live" during demonstrations, occupations or other actions! Please make use of the forum:http://www.emancipating-education-for-all.org/content/communication-among-groups-during-week-action


Open Space:

FEE (Ireland; http://free-education.info) is trying to list education protests around the world and therefore asks you to send details about your protests to them: stopfees@gmail.com

Could the Global Week of Action trigger an international/global wave of occupations?
Groups across Spain are considering a state-wide wave of occupations at the end of April.

We always need to emphasize that this is a global struggle and that these are globally co-ordinated protests during the Global Week of Action!!