Ideas for Actions as part of the GWA
This entry is suppose to serve as a space to share ideas for actions during the "Global Week of Action" [for free and emancipatory education] in November.
Let me begin by illustrating what we, in Marburg (Germany), are currently working on.
We basically have three "blocks":
- "World-map in the city": we will set up more than 10 booths across the city. At each booth we will inform about reforms and problems (focussing especially on the commercialization) of public education systems and the local struggle [presenting protest movements - showing pictures of recent protests] within particular countries. The idea is to focus on one country at each booth. But maybe we will also have up to three countries at one booth.
These booths will be set up for three days [12 - 14 Nov.].
At each booth we will also ask the population to leave messages for the people within that particular country (or countries) in focus; preferably in the appropiate language. But if necessary we can also translate the German text into English.
These messages are collected on a big poster and will then be send to groups within that particular country. [It would be great, if groups in more countries could do that! So that at the end of the week, we can all exchange these messages!!] - demonstration: Since Nov. 17th marks the "International Students' Day", we will call for a demonstration in Marburg as part of the Global Week of Action.
- other actions (civil disob.?!)
That's it for now from Marburg.
Please also share your ideas and plans for the "Global Week of Action" here.
Please note that the same "alliance" of groups, that called for the "Bildungsstreik" [education strike] in June 2009 in Germany and mobilized more than 250,000 people to demonstration on one day, is currently also considering to call for another week of protest in November as well [16 - 22nd Nov.], with Nov.17th being the main day of protest. So this week of protest would coincide for at least three days with the GWA! Many groups will therefore also focus on the GWA in Germany!
Ideas of Actions in Lyon
From 9 to 15th of November : week of information
One day, one continent. We want to project films, do conferences (and invite important people (professors, ministers) as well as students from these continents) explaining the situation in each of the 5 continents. These conferences will probably be followed by debates.
We had the idea of creating a big Knowledge Market, on a public place, where people could learn things like the History of the United States or playing the guitar, and they would write on a paper what price they would give for such a knowledge.
We also want to occupy a building (details not discussed yet)
We would like to attract people with concerts (details not discussed yet)
Demonstrations and public debates are also planed. I think I didn't forget anything. As you can see these are just ideas, so we have to organize the whole period more precisely in September.
Day of Action in Manitoba, Canada
Solidarity, from struggling students in Manitoba, Canada.
Our government has maintained a tuition fee freeze in our province since 1999. However, this past May they introduced tuition fee increases for the first time in 10 years! (shame!).
In November 5 Day of Action in 2008, we occupied our Provincial Legislature building, and forced it into a security lock-down until the Minister of Education met with students. More than 50 students occupied a central location in the government building, and police were called to the site! Unfortunately our government did not understand the global benefits of accessible education for all.
We are currently organising a broad-based approach to bringing people from communities all across our province together on November 5th, 2009 in an major action. These communities include Labour organisations, Womens' groups, Faculty and staff, childcare advocates, LGBTTQ* community, peoples with disabilities, Aboriginal organisations and other groups that are affected by poverty in Manitoba.
Education is a key factor in addressing poverty, as well as stimulating our economy. We are calling on our government to ensure that they establish a concrete plan to reducing poverty, by funding education, removing discriminatory tuition fees, and ensuring access for all!
Aboriginal communities in Canada face the highest levels of poverty in the country. Only 5% of Aboriginal people have post-secondary degrees/diplomas. That is a clear sign that placing a price-tag on education is discriminatory, is backwards, and is bad for Canada, and the world.
In 1974, Canada signed the United Nations Covenant on Economic, Cultural and Social Rights, where Article 13 states that we commit to the progressive implementation of FREE post-secondary education! Something must be done to hold our nation accountable!
In mobilising for the DOA, we will be holding community organising committee meetings throughout September and October. We will be distributing post-cards with our demands to students, as well as to the general population. We are hoping to get thousands of post cards signed, to be sent to the Premier of our province.
In October, we will be holding an activists' assembly to bring together activists from every sector- from environmentalists to womens' rights activists to build skills.
We are aiming to make this Day of Action huge, to send a strong message to our government.
Currently, Manitoba has the 3rd most affordable tuition fees in Canada... but this is not something to be proud of: When you compare Manitoba tuition fees to the cost of education around the world, we are the 5th most expensive place to study among 22 other OECD countries! Only through working together globally can we affect the change we need, and send the message to governments around the world that students will not stand silent... students will stand united.
I look forward to reading more Ideas on how to make this global movement and action strong!
International video-meeting
Could we organize a Skype-talk or something like that between different places that has the event at the same time? It would be great to acually see and hear people around the world in real time, when we are actually acting.
A new topic...
... was created for the idea to have an international "live video-conference" as part of the "United Warm-up Day of Action" on Nov.5th. It can be accessed here.