We, students from all over the world, united under the sign of the International Students Movement for free and emancipating education for all, think that :

→ education should be accessible to all,

- thus it should not prevent people from learning because of its price and should be free.

-everybody should be able to learn what they want, so there should be no numerus clausus

→ Furthermore, we think that an emancipating education is the first step to ensure democracy, that is why it should serve the interests of the people,

- thus, it has to stay free from all kind of political conditioning,

- as well as all kind of economical conditioning.

If you share our vision of public education, please sign this petition.
It is addressed to no particular institution, but it is really important to us because it will show for how many people we actually fight.

If you want further informations about the situation in particular countries around the world, please feel free to go on our platform :

http://www.emancipating-education-for-all.org

Ok, so here is an example of what we could write on that petition. It is short, I think this is what a petition has to be, not to bore people. If you have any remarks (and hopefully you have many), please feel free to comment and post your own text ! :-)

I think that this petition has to summarize our vision of education, so I find quite important that people give their vision of public education (http://www.emancipating-education-for-all.org/content/our-vision-public-...), so that we can sum it all up and write the result on the petition. Do you agree ?

Now : the platforms we could use for our petition. I have never done one, but I quite simply found those on google :

→http://www.gopetition.com/howtostartapetition.php

→http://www.thepetitionsite.com/create.html

→http://www.petitiononline.com/create_petition.html

I personally don't think that the choice of the platform is really important (as the time when it is serious), but if you know other platforms that seem better to you, please indicate them here. :]

Therefore I suggest that I create a petition on http://www.thepetitionsite.com

So the petition could look something like this:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/250249376

What do the others think?

I want to use the coming days to finalize this. So that we still have two months to collect signatures before the Global Week of Action.

I will publish a text based on the suggestion by Faelynn for the petition here tomorrow.

hello there, just a note in the meantime. if guests/page visitors click on the link to GWA nov (3rd entry - see top of navigation bar - GWA nov 2009), they see "page not found", could someone link the entry correctly, plese?

sorry i made so many changes but i felt it helped to do so, thats what you get for asking a teacher to look something over :P - pleasure chatting with you this afternoon hope this helps...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We, the undersigned students, parents, teachers, workers and concerned citizens Worldwide, hereby declare our support for the aims and objectives of the "Education is NOT for $A£€ - Global Week of Action" called for by the independent platform "International Students' Movement".

Our objectives are to ensure:

• Public education is accessible to all and recognized as a fundamental right - NO to tuition fees!
•  Public education is free from exploitative business practices and state interests which conflict with those of the individual! 
• Public education primarily serves democratic and public interests, instead of those of the private/business/state or labour market sectors
• Public education aims to help individuals become emancipated and self determined people, able to correctly analyse and critically evaluate themselves and their environment, co-operatively and independently, and thus be fully equipped to best understand and improve upon both.

A truly democratic society is most likely to be realised if those within it are empowered by such a public education system.

If we are to have such a society we need general public discussions on the role of public education systems. Whose interests do they - and should they - primarily serve? And how can they best achieve their aims?

The "Education is NOT for $A£€ - Global Week of Action" in Nov. 2009 aims to spread awareness regarding the global nature of the problems linked with the increasing commercialisation and privatisation of public education around the world. It will help to unite activists, groups and movements involved in the struggle for free and emancipatory public education, which is accessible to all and accepted as a fundamental human right - Worldwide.

Please sign this petition, if you share these aims and visions for public education.

For more information on the "International Students Movement" and/or the "Education is NOT for $A£€ - Global Week of Action" feel free to send a mail to united.for.education[at]gmail.com or visit http://emancipating-education-for-all.org

Disclaimer: This petition is not directed at any particular political institution, but designed to bring to light the global nature of the struggle, inspiring activists and concerned citizens worldwide to unite in their efforts.

"One World - One Struggle; Education is NOT for $A£€"

Good one there Russ, hmmm u're a teacher too? What do you teach?
Your edited petition is a concise combination of the ones that Mo & I gave! :)

I think that combination is nice !

I loved LeNe's "regardless of nationality, race, religion & most importantly; field of studies", but this is ok like that. :-)

ah sorry faelynn i thought i heard someone in the chat say they didnt like that bit so i cut it, maybe i heard you say you did and got it wrong anyway feel free to tweak it obviously.. in fact i just noticed that 'recognized' in the first 'objective' has a z instead of an s.. damn word processor always trying to americanise everything :( lol... might want to change that.. glad to be of help anyway, and that you like the result. right now Lene i teach basic programming (visual basic) and product design, but have also taught graphic design, media studies, web design and business information systems, ECDL sytle courses and various other things in the past, in colleges in and around london. hope we can stay in touch i have a lot of respect for your project here feel free to add me on facebook - Russell Burnell

good job done, teacher :-) To me, the content of this version is fine.
@faelynn: it was me who complained about the words: "regardless of nationality, race, religion & most importantly; field of studies"..
It's not because i don't agree in that, but because i find it self-evident. Therefore, in my opinion, it's just too much and unnecessary if u write that down in the context of an education-petition.

But i might also live with it. So, if the majority of u guys agree with faelynn, no problem...

Great feedback from everyone :)

I guess it is inevitable that we all have subjective views about things and since it is a petition governed by the majority, it would be great if we could gather more responses. ;)

Nonetheless, about the "regardless of nationality, race, religion & most importantly; field of studies", it was deliberate on my part for highlighting the emphasis to 'remind' of how this petition came from the roots of education. It may be self evident but it somewhat brings about brace. Aye? :)

We, the undersigned students, parents, teachers, workers and concerned citizens Worldwide stand united regardless of nationality, race, religion and field of studies and hereby declare our support for the aims and objectives of the "Education is NOT for $A£€ - Global Week of Action" called for by the independent platform "International Students' Movement".

Our objectives are to ensure:

• Public education is accessible to all and recognized as a fundamental right - NO to tuition fees!
  

• Public education is free from exploitative business practices and state interests which conflict with those of the individual!

• Public education primarily serves democratic and public interests, instead of those of the private/business/state or labour market sectors
  

• Public education aims to help individuals become emancipated and self determined people, able to correctly analyse and critically evaluate themselves and their environment, co-operatively and independently, and thus be fully equipped to best understand and improve upon both.
  

A truly democratic society is most likely to be realised if those within it are empowered by such a public education system.

If we are to have such a society we need general public discussions on the role of public education systems. Whose interests do they - and should they - primarily serve? And how can they best achieve their aims?

The "Education is NOT for $A£€ - Global Week of Action" in Nov. 2009 aims to spread awareness regarding the global nature of the problems linked with the increasing commercialisation and privatisation of public education around the world. It will help to unite activists, groups and movements involved in the struggle for free and emancipatory public education, which is accessible to all and accepted as a fundamental human right - Worldwide.

Please sign this petition, if you share these aims and visions for public education.

For more information on the "International Students Movement" and/or the "Education is NOT for $A£€ - Global Week of Action" feel free to send a mail to united.for.education[at]gmail.com or visit http://emancipating-education-for-all.org

Disclaimer: This petition is not directed at any particular political institution, but designed to bring to light the global nature of the struggle, inspiring activists and concerned citizens worldwide to unite in their efforts.

"One World - One Struggle; Education is NOT for $A£€"

Please note that many of the changes below are recommended for grammatical reasons, or to avoid national differences in English spelling (analyze vs. analyse, for example), to change the language to active voice, or to ensure that the words used sound natural to native English speakers. I hope this is helpful . . . - Ben Manski, Instructor, Sociology, Madison, WI

p.s. - the phrase "International Students' Movement" really should be "International Student Movement" . . . I realize that the former has been used for some time, but from the standpoint of U.S. English, at least, and perhaps the English of other nations (I couldn't say with accuracy), the word "Students'" is practically incorrect and will throw native English speakers for a loop. It should be "International Student Movement" . . . or "International Movement of Students" . . .

* * * *

We, the undersigned students, <>, >, parents, and concerned citizens <> stand united <> of nationality, race, religion and field of studies <>our support for the aims and objectives of the "Education is NOT for $A£€ - Global Week of Action" called for by the <> "International <> Movement<<.">>

<>

Public education is accessible to all and recognized as a fundamental right<<:>> NO to tuition fees!
Public education is free from exploitative <> practices and state interests which conflict with those of the individual <>
Public education primarily serves to <>
Public education <> individuals become emancipated and <> people, able to <>, <> co-operatively and independently, and thus be fully equipped to best understand and improve upon both.
A truly democratic society is most likely to be <> if <> are empowered <> public education system.

If we are to have such a society we need general public discussions on the role of public education systems<<:>> Whose interests do they - and should they - primarily serve? And how can they best achieve their aims?

The <> "Education is NOT for $A£€ - Global Week of Action" <> spread awareness regarding the global nature of the problems linked with the increasing <> and <> of public education around the world. It will <> activists, groups and movements involved in the struggle for free and emancipatory public education <> to all and <
> as a fundamental human right - Worldwide.

Please sign this petition if you share these <> for public education.

For more information on the "International <> Movement" and/or the "Education is NOT for $A£€ - Global Week of Action" feel free to send a mail to united.for.education[at]gmail.com or visit http://emancipating-education-for-all.org

Disclaimer: This petition is not directed at any particular political institution, but designed to bring to light the global nature of the struggle <>, inspiring activists and concerned citizens worldwide to unite in their efforts.

Please note that many of the changes below are recommended for grammatical reasons, or to avoid national differences in English spelling (analyze vs. analyse, for example), to change the language to active voice, or to ensure that the words used sound natural to native English speakers. I hope this is helpful . . . - Ben Manski, Instructor, Sociology, Madison, WI
p.s. - the phrase "International Students' Movement" really should be "International Student Movement" . . . I realize that the former has been used for some time, but from the standpoint of U.S. English, at least, and perhaps the English of other nations (I couldn't say with accuracy), the word "Students'" is practically incorrect and will throw native English speakers for a loop. It should be "International Student Movement" . . . or "International Movement of Students" . . .
* * * *

We, the undersigned students, [[faculty]], [[staff]], parents, and concerned citizens [[worldwide]] stand united [[across all divisions of]] of nationality, race, religion and field of studies [[to declare]] our support for the aims and objectives of the "Education is NOT for $A£€ - Global Week of Action" called for by the [[independent]] "International [[Student]] Movement[[."]]
[[We are united in working to ensure that:]]
Public education is accessible to all and recognized as a fundamental right[[:]] NO to tuition fees!
Public education is free from exploitative [[corporate]] practices and state interests which conflict with those of the individual [[and the public interest.]]
Public education primarily serves to [[strengthen and enliven democracy and society, not to pad the profits of powerful individuals, their companies, or their governments]]
Public education [[helps]] individuals become emancipated and [[autonomous]] people, able to [[critically evaluate themselves and their environment]], [[both]] co-operatively and independently, and thus be fully equipped to best understand and improve upon both.
A truly democratic society is most likely to be [[achieved]] if [[its members]] are empowered [[by a more democratic]] public education system.
If we are to have such a society we need general public discussions on the role of public education systems[[:]] Whose interests do they - and should they - primarily serve? And how can they best achieve their aims?
The [[November, 2009,]] "Education is NOT for $A£€ - Global Week of Action" [[will]] spread awareness regarding the global nature of the problems linked with the increasing [[commercialization]] and [[corporatization]] of public education around the world. It will [[unite]] activists, groups and movements involved in the struggle for free and emancipatory public education [[accessible]] to all and [[protected]] as a fundamental human right - Worldwide.

Please sign this petition if you share these <> for public education.
For more information on the "International [[Student]] Movement" and/or the "Education is NOT for $A£€ - Global Week of Action" feel free to send a mail to united.for.education[at]gmail.com or visit http://emancipating-education-for-all.org
Disclaimer: This petition is not directed at any particular political institution, but designed to bring to light the global nature of the struggle [[for emancipatory education]], inspiring activists and concerned citizens worldwide to unite in their efforts.

Something seems to be missing in this sentence, might be a punctuation or a preposition.

"If we are to have such a society we need general public discussions on the role of public education systems: Whose interests do they - and should they - primarily serve?"

i could translate it into both swedish and danish...but the notice is way too short. let me know if you need help another time or if you can wait for 10 days.
email is the best way to contact me..or on facebook..
know if there is anything going on in gothenburg in sweden for the global week...?
lisa

education is so important!!

Oki, the petition is online now:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/united-for-education

Please take a look and give feedback within the next 24hrs, so that we can all begin to sign and forward it to groups and activists around the world on friday :)