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Over the years students have seen tuition rates skyrocket, sending many into debt for years after they have graduated. Recently there has also been an increasing presence of corporations within universities. Converting universities from a place of higher education to a place of business where the students are not seen as anything but the clientele creates an atmosphere which is antithetical to learning. Students, teachers and staff around the world are affected by budget cuts in public education. Our goal is to abolish the corporatization of universities worldwide and to make education affordable for all who wish to access it. Furthermore, we aim to start a public discussion on the role of public education and its importance for democracy. Accessible public education, which should enable people to critically reflect upon their environment and better understand the power structures surrounding them, plays a key role in any democracy.  Therefore this issue does not just concern those directly affected by it, like teachers and students, but society as a whole.

On November 5, 2008 students around the world joined together on a day of action demanding that tuition fees be decreased and the commercialization of education reversed. Students took to the streets, showing one of the greatest combined efforts of working together worldwide.

April 20-29, 2009 will mark the "Reclaim your Education - Global Week of Action"; people concerned about good public education will once again join together internationally and students will fight for their rights in their universities. Planning has been taking place through the forums of the "International Students’ Movement".  Activists gather on web chats to share ideas of ways to protest and to send letters of solidarity to one another. Students from over 60 groups spread across more than 30 countries united to plan this week of action.  They will communicate through online forums, Twitter feeds and will share their photos on Flickr. The groups have planned an international flashmob, to symbolize the situation people are facing in regards to public education. Each group has its own specific aims, but they fight as one against the commercialization of education.

What you can do:

Things that need to be done now:

• forward the Call for the Global Week of Action to other groups around the world!! (please let as many struggling groups [students, teachers, pupils, parents, workers,...] as possible know about this week of action; a group for the "Global Week of Action 2009"  was set-up on facebook [invite "friends" and members of other groups!]; this will only be successful, if we work on it together!!);
• promote awareness regarding the global perspective of the problem among societies around the world;
• expanding networks on a local and global level (you are welcome to make use of the forums on this site for that!).

WANTED:

• people willing to invest time and effort into this project;
• graphic designer for posters and flyers;
• people who know how to put together videos (e.g. mobilization video).

The latest list of supporters for the week of action can be accessed here.

Materials, such as posters and flyers, can be downloaded here.

A list of some of the groups and activists involved in the Global Week of Action around the world can be viewed here.

And hopefully an overview of the planned actions during the week of action around the world will be ready soon here.

A mobilization video can be viewed here.

For more information:

The website is at http://www.emancipating-education-for-all.org/content/global-week-action-2009

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