"International Student Movement"

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Worldwide Press Release:

"Global Wave of Action for Education"

International network of education activists announce united protests for autumn 2010

October/November 2009 saw massive protests internationally against the increasing privatisation of public education and the problems that come with it, as well as for free and emancipatory education freely accessible to all like never before!

The past few months were used to strengthen the network between education activists worldwide and awareness was spread that each group will be more successful uniting in struggle globally. After all problems are to a great extend identical.

The „International Student Movement“ is an independent platform making use of various tools the internet offers to enable an extensive flow of information and general communication between activists in Australia, Nepal, the U.S.A., Puerto Rico, the United Kingdom and anywhere else in the world.

Hundreds of student activists from across Europe and beyond came together at the Ruhr-University in Bochum (Germany) for the „European Education Congress“ at the end of May 2010 to exchange visions and tighten relations across the borders. The congress once again clearly showed that the increasing costs for individuals to access education, budget cuts in public spending on education, an increasing influence of business interests through especially set up boards and a constant de-democratisation of educational institutions – just to name a few – are far from being local or national issues, but are indeed problems people everywhere are facing. As ABC, a student activist from Indonesia, puts it: „This struggle simply knows no borders!“ and continuing „Free and emancipatory education is simply a pre-condition for any society deeming itself to be democratic!“

Therefore education activist groups decided to increasingly act together in their protests in the future. As a first step some of them decided to declare June 16^th a „Day of United Symbolic Actions“.
On that day groups in various locations worldwide will publicly announce the up-coming „Global Wave of Action for Education“, which is currently being co-ordinated and expected to kick-off with a huge day of action across the U.S.A. on October 7^th and continuing with occupations in Italy and across Europe. At some stage groups in Africa, Asia and elsewhere will join as well.

Here is an overview of actions taking place today as part of the „Day of United Symbolic Action“:

• Croatia: *****

• Indonesia: *****

• Germany: ****

• France: ****

• Nepal: ****

• ******

Below you will find a list of contacts to groups involved in todays day of action. Feel free to contact them for more details on their local situation.

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For future updates on the „Global Wave of Action for Education“ feel free to subscribe to this newsletter [in English] -> still needs to be set up.

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List of contacts of all groups that want to listed.

[Leave a comment below or send an e-mail to united.for.education@gmail.com with your group name and contact details + homepage, if you want to see it included in the list.]