AStA
Erlenring 5
35037 Marburg
Phone: +49 (0) 1522 4561 455
Fax: +49 (0) 3212 8877 123
Email: press-germany@edu-movement.org

Worldwide Press Release:

„Education is NOT for $A£€!“

Movements for free public education are uniting worldwide!!

Over the years people around the world have seen tuition fees skyrocket, sending many into debt for years after they have graduated. Recently there has also been an increasing presence of corporations within universities and even schools. Public educational institutions are increasingly subjected to economic forces. They are converted to a place of business where the students, pupils, teachers and staff hardly have a voice. Students – and even pupils – are not seen as anything but the clientele, which creates an atmosphere antithetical to self-determined learning. People worldwide are affected by constant budget cuts and the increasing influence of economic interests on public education.

As a reaction to this development various groups and whole movements from all parts of the world are getting together to unite in their struggle for free and emancipatory public education systems.

On November 5th 2009 the „Warm-up Day of United Action“ will kick off internationally co-ordinated protest actions, that will take place as part of the „Education is NOT for $A£€ - Global Week of Action“ [Nov. 9th - 18th]. Close to 70 groups in 30 countries (e.g. Canada, Liberia, Croatia, the Philippines, Germany, Indonesia, France, Bangladesh, Italy and the U.S.A.) are currently calling for public discussions, demonstrations and occupations of public spaces during the week of action.

The news of occupations at universities across Austria spread around the world like wildfire and gave international networking among activists a real push. People in many parts of the world identify with the occupants' demands and goals.
This new grassroots movement called for a national day of action in support of free public education and against the so-called „Bolonga Process“, which they deem to be part of the „Warm-up Day of United Action“.

Student unions in Canada are calling for large-scale demonstrations against tuition fees and the ongoing commercialisation of public education on the same day. Bigger protests are as well being prepared by groups in the U.S.A., Poland, Germany and Switzerland among others.

Only a few days later, on November 17th, countrywide movements in Germany, France, Italy, Austria and other countries will continue their actions in unison.

Regular online chat meetings, the use of various forums, a mailing list and homepage help to ensure a constant flow of information between the activists, wherever they are. The „basis“ for the Global Week of Action was coordinated with the support of these appliances by people from around the world who see themself to be part of the „International Student Movement“, which is an independent platform.

This newly formed international movement aims to encourage public debates about the functions of public education systems for societies as a whole and the link between local problems within educational institutions and global economic forces. It wants to point out the necessity of free and emancipatory public education for any democratic society.

This issue impacts not only those directly affected by it within the institutions, but society at large.
Every group formulates its own individual demands in detail, but they all stand united in their struggle for free and emancipatory public education – worldwide!

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For future press releases by the press-team of "Global Week of Action - Germany" subscribe to this newsletter [in English].

The following is a list of local groups that consider themself to be part of the "International Student Movement" and endorse the "Education is NOT for $A£€ - Global Week of Action". [A complete list of supporting groups can be accessed here.]

 

Indonesia

Group: LMND-PRM
Person: Sistha [Yogyakarta]
Phone: +62 8139 2071 137
Email: sistha_fivewits@yahoo.com

 

Republic of Macedonia

Group: Independent student movement Free Index - Macedonia
Person: Boris Kaeski [Skopje]
Phone:  +38 971 670 554 (line 1), +38 972 576 867 (line 2)
Email: sloboden.indeks@gmail.com

 

U.S.A.

Group: Liberty Tree Foundation
Person: Ben Manski
Phone: +1 608 257 1606
Email: manski@libertytreefdr.org

 

Philippines

Group: League of Filipino Students (LFS)
Person: Terry Ridon
Phone: +63 9158513904
Email: teridon18@gmail.com

 

Austria

Group: Uni Brennt - Wien [Occupied University Vienna]
Phone: +43 699 1920 3371
Email: internationalpress.unsereuni@gmail.com

 

Canada

Group: Drop Fees Campaign [Student Federation of the University of Ottawa]
Person: Iain Brannigan
Phone: +1 613 562 5800 ext. 1712
Email: ibran072@uottawa.ca

Group: "London Activists" [London, Ontario]
Email: londonactivistassembly@gmail.com

 

Germany

Group: Initiative Bildungsstreik Marburg
Person: Andreas Fried and Melanie Frei
Phone: +49 151 2047 6928
Email: kontakt@bildungsstreik-marburg.de

 

Switzerland

Group: Conférence Universitaire des Associations d’Étudiant*e*s (CUAE) [Geneva]
Person: Samuel Sommaruga
Phone: +41 22 379 37 74
Email: cuae@unige.ch

 

Italy

Group: UNIURBinLOTTA [Urbino]
Person: Rafael
Phone:  +39 339 1417 735
Email: uniurbinlotta@gmail.com

 

Bangladesh

Group: Bangladesh Student Union (BSU) [Dhaka]
Person: Biplobi
Phone: +88 0167 330 2525
Email: ovinubsudu@yahoo.com

 

Catalunya/Spain

Group: Col.lectivo La Rimaia [Barcelona]
Person: Rosa Jiménez
Phone: +34 671 470 514
Email: comisioninternacional@gmail.com

 

France

Group: SUD Lycéen Manche
Person: Florian KHANH
Phone: +33 614 210 099
Email: SUDlyceen.manche@gmail.com

 

Bosnia and Herzigovina

Group: Studentski Pokret Bosne i Hercegovine
Person: Nadzida
Email: nadzida_koljenovic@gmail.com

 

Marocco

Group: Conscience Estudantine
Person: Hamza AIT OUHAMMOU
Phone: +21 261 4852 375
Email: conscience_etudiante@hotmail.com

Poland

Group: Democratic Students' Association
Person: Łukasz Markowski
Phone: +48 888 691 188
Email: kontakt@lukaszmarkowski.pl

 

Netherlands

Group: Critical Studentens Utrecht (KSU)
Person: Jilles Mast
Phone: +31-41765342
Email: kritischestudentenutrecht@gmail.com