"International Student Movement"

Invitation to a week of networking
and drafting visions & perspectives
(in Frankfurt/M [Germany])

Where? IG-Farben campus (a.k.a. campus Westend) of the Goethe University Frankfurt/M (Grüneburgplatz 1)
==> From the "Hauptbahnhof" (main railway station) you take the "S-Bahn" (just look out for the big "S") line 1,2,3,4,5,6 or 8 to "Konstabler Wache". Then take the bus line 36 (towards "Westbahnhof") and exit at "Uni Campus Westend".

When? July 29th (early afternoon) - Aug. 04th 2009

Dear fellow education activists,

herewith we would like to invite you to collectively camp, reflect, discuss and move together during a week of networking and drafting visions & perspectives in Frankfurt/M (Germany).

Why?

During presentations, workshops and discussions we want to reflect and develop new perspectives and concrete approaches together.
The following themes are suppose to serve as a rough framework for the meeting during the week:

• "Der Bildungsstreik" [the education strike] in Germany 2009: follow-up and perspectives
• Networking: When, if not now! But how?
• Democracy and education within society right now
• Self-determined living and learning
  
• Conditions of training and employment
  
• Forms of protest

During the week we want to collect and work on ideas and suggestions together to unclose new pespectives of a public education system apart from social selection and injustice.
For that we will have rounds of discussions, workshops and presentations with students, pupils, lecturers and employees. The results will be recorded and published, so that participants will be able to discuss them within their local groups and also work with them in the long-run after the meeting.
Furthermore the meeting is suppose to serve as a platform for all interested to network and get organized.
We might be able to support you with you travel expenses. Please send us the details to the email address listed below and we will see what we can do.

Course of Action and participation

The week will be self-organised, that is why the active participation of all participants is a pre-condition for a constructive evolvement during the week.

Generally there are two possibilities to get actively involved:

1. contribute content
2. logistical support
   

Contributing Content:

Predominantly the conception and realisation of workshops, presentations and rounds of discussion should be used to contribute valuable content. Please do send us a short description of what you want to present or discuss in a workshop, so that we can create an overview of all the contributions as soon as possible. Furthermore we ask you to bring all your needed material (such as texts, films, documentary material) to the camp-site or mail it to us in advance (see address below). If requested we can then reproduce the material in preparation for your workshop or presentation.

On this basis we are tying to create an open, relaxed and non-binding framework programme with workshops, presentations, rounds of discussion and plenary sessions, so that enough space for creativity and spontaneous ideas is guaranteed.

Logistical Support:

We still need big tents, additional blankets, sleeping bags, camping mats, sofas, soup kitchen equipment, among other things. Donations of materials, food and drinks are also most welcome.

Contact

Please feel free to contact us, if you want to support the week with a content contribution or logistically, have any questions regarding opportunities to cover travel expenses, need personal support before or after the meeting or have any other questions by emailing us: vernetzungswoche_ffm[at]gmx.de

Please remember to bring along your tents, sleeping bags, dishes and toothbrushes! :)

This call is being supported by:

LandesAstenKonfernz Hessen [state student representative body], Aktionsbündnis gegen Studiengebühren [national alliance against tuition fees],  Bündnis für Politik- und Meinungsfreiheit [alliance for political freedom and freedom of opinion], kritische Initiative Heidelberg, Protest Plenum Frankfurt [local protest platform Frankfurt], Protest Plenum Giessen [local protest platform Giessen], Projektgruppe Bundesweiter Bildungsstreik 2009 [federal education protest alliance], Bund demokratischer Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler [union of democratic scientists], Genossenschaft für Solidarität und freie Bildung [collective for Solidarity and Free Education], GEW Hessen [union for education and research], GEW Bundesausschuss der Studentinnen und Studenten, GEW Landesausschuss der Studentinnen und Studenten Hessen, Grüne Hochschulgruppe Frankfurt [students group, the Greens], JuSo Hochschulgruppe Frankfurt [student group, young socialdemocrats], Attac Campusgruppe Frankfurt, Attac international students, die Schildkröten, Demokratische Linke Frankfurt, Wahlbündnis Linke Liste, Prof. Frank Nonnenmacher (Uni Frankfurt), Prof. Micha Brumlik (Uni  Frankfurt), Dr. habil. Benjamin Ortmeyer (Uni Frankfurt), Prof. Peter Grottian (FU Berlin), Torsten Bultmann (BdWi) und Angelika Wahl (Stadtverbindunslehrerin Frankfurt, Mitglied GEW Bezirksvorstand Frankfurt)