The social unrest roiling Quebec is colour-coded red. One cannot miss the hundreds of thousands of people with cloth of the colour pinned to their coats and satchels; the stickers pasted on street poles and storefront mannequins; and the sheets fluttering from balconies and windows. The red squares – punning visually on a French expression to be squarely in the red, or in debt – are a gesture of solidarity with university and college students on a massive general strike against government tuition fee hikes.
Sign the Declaration: UNITED FOR EDUCATION!
From:
International Student Movement
What's happening:
We, the undersigned students, faculty, staff, parents, and concerned citizens worldwide stand united across all divisions of nationality, race, religion and field of studies to declare our support for the aims and objectives of the "Education is NOT for - Global Week of Action" called for by the independent "International Student Movement".
We are united in working to ensure that:
- Public education is accessible to all and recognized as a fundamental right; NO to tuition fees!
- Public education is free from exploitative corporate practices and state interests which conflict with those of the individual and the public interest.
- Public education primarily serves democratic and public interests, instead of private, business, state and/or labour market interests.
- Public education empowers individuals to become emancipated and autonomous people, able to critically evaluate themselves and their environment, and thus be actively involved in a genuinely democratic society.
If we are to have such a society we need general public discussions on the role of public education systems: Whose interests do they - and should they - primarily serve?
What you can do:
The "Education is NOT for - Global Week of Action" will spread awareness regarding the global nature of the problems linked with the increasing commercialization and corporatization of public education around the world. It will unite activists, groups and movements involved in the struggle for free and emancipatory public education accessible to all and protected as a fundamental human right - Worldwide.
Please sign and forward this petition if you share these demands for public education:
For more information:
For more information on the "International Student Movement" and/or the "Education is NOT for - Global Week of Action" feel free to send a mail to united.for.education[at]gmail.com or visit emancipating-education-for-all.org
Disclaimer: This petition is not directed at any particular political institution, but designed to bring to light the global nature of the struggle for free and emancipatory public education, inspiring activists and concerned citizens worldwide to unite in their efforts.
