Results online meeting ISM 6.9.09

Aus Bildungswiki

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~ Chat Summary ~

TOP1: intro

About 14 activists from France, Italy, Germany, India, Singapore, Croatia, the U.S. of A., Switzerland, Indonesia, Finland and the UK made use of the chat.

TOP2: announcements

• Details on the "International Students Movement" and the "Education is NOT for $ale - Global Week of Action" are now also available in Italian. (further translations are most welcome and needed!)

• the European University Association is meeting in Giessen (Germany) in one month.

They are propagating the "neoliberal university" and push for an increasing influence of business interests on public education! Student groups are currently arranging protests against the meeting. This is a great opportunity to emphasize the international nature of the struggle (at least on a European level)! Since people from across Europe will not be able to go there physically to voice out their anger, we are asking all groups in Europe to send us messages (text, video or audio!), which we will play and display during the meeting to show that we are united against their visions!

"Advocating these policies to decision makers at different levels and ensuring that the voice of universities is heard" (www.eua.be) - WE are the voice of the universities. Let's make sure they'll hear it! All messages can be uploaded to the ISM youtube channel (Login: United4Education - Password: Education4all) or emailed to me. Please do so before Sept.30th. I will create a topic inside the forum for this in the coming days.

Activists at the University of Tampere (Finland) gave away coffee and flyers informing about about human rights abuses by the company called Sodexo at their university. Univeristy officals who are responsible for Sodexo selling its food there called the police. No more "freedom of speech" on campus.

• 28 groups and organisations in 18 countries are currently on the list of supporters for the upcoming global week of action. Any more names I can add? Just let me know.

TOP3: general Q&A session

• Question: What is "our" vision for public education?

Answer: Each group (or even each activist) has its own vision, which we can all discuss here. What unites all groups on this platform is the struggle for free and emancipatory public education, which is accessible to all and against the increasing commercialisation and privatisation of public education!

• Question: What kind of activities are planned or have already been executed?

Answer:Please take a look at the actions that took place during the "International Day of Action against the Commercialisation of Education" (Nov.5th 2008) and the "Reclaim your Education - Global Week of Action" (April 20-29th 2009) to get an idea of what kind of actions could take place during the upcoming global week of action. One forum topic was also created for groups to exchange ideas of (united) actions. Feel free to join the collection of ideas there.

[During the chat we also agreed, that it is a good idea to encourage all groups (if capacities are there) to plan bigger demonstrations for Nov.17th (the "International Students Day"). So this day can be considered the "Day of Demonstrations". This should be seen as a suggestion to all groups, to increase the impact on a global level. Of course all groups are free to arrange their demonstrations anytime they like.]

• Question: Could we get some "big international name" to speak to people all over the world [a social scientist, philosopher, activist; e.g. Noam Chomsky]?

Answer: The "International Students Movement" serves as a platform for groups and activists to network and co-ordinate protests together. It is not an organisation. Therefore nobody can speak for groups participating on that platform or represent the ISM. Nontheless all social scientists, philosophers and activists are most welcome to participate on that platform and let the world know that this platform exists and that people around the world use it to network and unite in the struggle for free and emancipatory public education. Everybody is free to approach other people and inform them about this platform. And all people are also free to tell the world that this platform exists and that the protest is globalising as well :)

TOP4: international petition

• We agreed that both suggestions for a final version inside the forum had some great parts. So an activist from the UK agreed to fuse them into one version.

All versions can now be viewed here.

• So far most people seem to be happy with the latest final version. Everyone has the opportunity to criticize this version and make suggestions on how to improve it until Wednesday (09/09).

If we manage to agree on a final version by then EVERYONE is asked to translate the final version we agreed on until Sunday (13/09). Once we have the translations I will put the petition online it its various languages on care2 (if there are no objections).

TOP5: collecting ideas for (united) actions

• We agreed that having a live "international web-conference" during the global week of action would be great! This could be fairly easily arranged via "Skype" and a webcam. All groups interested in this should leave a message inside the forum here and get in touch with each other to co-ordinate such a "live meeting" internationally!

Nov.5th could actually pose as a great date to have such a "live meeting" to inspire people worldwide before the global week of action a few days later!

• For some groups this might take up a lot of resources and they might not be able to do that. Therefore we also agreed that creating short clips delivering greetings of solidarity and encouraging groups and people around the world to unite globally are really important as well. Therefore all groups who are able to, are asked to create some sort of support video. Here is an example made by activists in Croatia for the international day of action last year.

Please do so soon, if you can, so that they can also be used to mobilise in advance :) Please also upload these clips to the ISM youtube channel mentioned above.

• As mentioned above, we agreed, that it would be great, if many groups will decide to have bigger demonstrations on Nov.17th, enriched with international slogans and clearly showing that we stand united and that on this day (and week) there are people protesting around the world.

Having phone calls broadcasted from one demonstration to another would be great as well, to create a feeling of unity. Recorded audio messages from groups in other parts of the world can be played during the demonstration as well. Maybe in different languages?

TOP6: "city partnerships"

• The idea is the following: single groups in different countries network more closely together by exchanging information regularly and maybe plan actions together.

Suggestion: on a regular basis a flyer could be published locally where you present what is happening in that specific other town thousands of miles away. This flyer can then be distributed on campus/in schools or even outside educational institutions. This will create some sort of relationship among the groups involved and help to promote the feeling of a united global struggle. Furthermore international reactions are easier, if one of the groups has local problems and is in need of support. ;)

• So far a "city partnership" between Lyon (France) - Barcelona (Spain/Catalunya) - Marburg (Germany) is in the making. They even have their own online forum already.

Furthermore a group in Hamburg (Germany) is trying to establish one with groups in Copenhagen (Denmark).

• Those also interested in creating a "city partnership" can easily do so by leaving a message inside the forum here or contacting groups from the list here.

The next international chat is scheduled for Sept. 27th! Please mark that date in your calendars ;)

Phew, that was quite some work, but a great chat as well. Thanks to all who participated!

In Solidarity, Mo.