Es soll hier kurz auf eine der unzähligen Quellen hingewiesen werden, die für so manchen Beitrag auf dieser HP mitverantwortlich ist, und eine nicht unwesentliche Rolle in der Vernetzungsarbeit der Bildungsproteste einnimmt: the international student movement for emancipating education (ism)

Um euch nicht mit Infos zu überrollen, informiert euch einfach auf ihrer HP: http://www.emancipating-education-for-all.org/
und/oder lest euch den unten angeführten Brief durch, um eine ungefähre Ahnung zu bekommen. (Link zum Mailverteiler ganz unten)
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[international_students_movement] Summary of Chat Meeting [Jan.17th]

TOP1: INTRO
About 25 activists from Turkey, Germany, Ireland, Indonesia, the U.S. of A., Finland, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Marocco and England [UK] joined the chat.

TOP2: ANNOUNCEMENTS

* Number of school years were cut by one year at all secondary schools in Bavaria, among other federal states in Germany. Consequently more has to be taught in less time.

* On Jan.22/23rd a National Rectors’ Conference will take place in Bern [Switzerland] at Hotel Bellevue. Groups are preparing protests [including a demonstration].
Furthermore the Other Davos is being organised at the end of January in Basel: http://otherdavos.net

* Universities within the UK are facing harsh cuts. According to UCU (the lecturers union) it is likely that 14,000 staff will be cut.
Furthermore there is to be a review of tuition fees which are likely to rise to £5000,- per year, or for the cap to be completely lifted which would mean universities can charge whatever they want.
The National Union of Students (NUS) is controlled by the youth wing of the Labour Party, so they will not do much to fight these things as it might effect their future careers as politicians. They have however released a “Funding Blueprint”, which they are calling an alternative, but it does nothing to challenge status quo.

* A huge demonstration [groups are mobilizing across Germany and even beyond] will take place in Frankfurt/M [Germany] on Jan.30th; themed: “The Uni belongs to all!” http://unigehoertallen.tk – http://vimeo.com/8424498

* “European Education Congress” to take place in June 2010 in Bochum [Germany]: http://educationcongress.eu – next preperation meeting: Frankfurt [Jan.29th] and Paris [Feb.11th]; first newsletter can be accessed here. Activists worldwide welcome!

* A national Day of Action is being prepared in the U.S. of A. for March 4th: http://www.defendeducation.org

* Massive protests expected [incl. a counter summit] coming March [11-12th] in Vienna [Austria] against the Ministers’ celebration of 10 years “Bologna process”: http://bolognaburns.org – Ministers will also meet in Budapest [Hungary] at the same time, mabye there will be protests as well.

TOP3: WHAT NEXT?
How to unite in our struggle on a global level in 2010?

* We agreed that it would be good to declare a global vision of education together, which can be expressed in a united statement. Right now activists from different countries are writing on a text, which can serve as a basis for discussion for a united statement. It will be published and forwarded to everyone once it is ready. The idea is to discuss the suggestion then, especially working with the feedbacks in Bochum during the international education congress in June.

* One idea expressed was to define certain standards that “free and emancipatory education” needs to fulfill, so that then we could create some sort of ranking. An activist in Finland would be willing to work on that and present the details only from the end of March onwards.

Two suggestions were expressed:

* Some said, that it might make sense to call for a Global Week of Action around the 10 years Bologna summit, since massive protests are expected in Austria already and other groups across Europe might be willing to arrange protest actions during that time frame as well.
Arguments against this time frame: not enough time to co-ordinate and mobilize for a proper Global Week of Action + in some countries – like in Germany – it might be a time of no lectures [which makes it very difficult to mobilize for any actions].

* Second suggestion: Declaring November 2010 to be a “Global Month of Action”! There are different reasons that would support this: it is always difficult to find a time frame where all groups around the world can mobilize for actions, looking at all the protests in Nov.2009 seems to prove that November is a good month for most + we would still have enough time to co-ordinate and mobilize worldwide + the upcoming protests in Frankfurt/M and Vienna [and elsewhere] and especially the international education congress could be used to discuss, inform and co-ordinate the Global Month of Action –> after the conference in Bochum groups would still have 5 months to get ready for really UNITED actions, instead of having actions just parallel

TOP4: OPEN SPACE

* Interested in getting more actively involved in the “International Student Movement”? More activists are needed who translate, mobilize internationally, work on the website, moderating chat meetings and so on.
If you want to get more involved: Chat Meeting on Jan.23rd at 4pm GMT! [details will be send to the mailing list in the coming days]

In Solidarity,
Mo.

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Let’s get organized and unite in our struggle for free and emancipatory public education – worldwide!
An independent platform – International Student Movement: http://emancipating-education-for-all.org