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On 4-5 March during a visit of EI/ETUCE representative Kounka Damianova to Kiev, the Trade Union of Education and Science Workers of Ukraine (STESU) made an urgent request that Education International send an international delegation to Kiev.

On 4-5 March during a visit of EI/ETUCE representative Kounka Damianova to Kiev, the Trade Union of Education and Science Workers of Ukraine (STESU) made an urgent request that Education International send an international delegation to Kiev. The union is of the view that the democratic change in their country, which it fully supports, can only be achieved with the assistance of the international community. In the weeks prior to the ousting of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, protesters occupied the STESU offices (part of the offices of the labour confederation (FPU), located at Maidan Square in Kiev. The building was gutted by fire after becoming a target of Mr. Yanukovych’s police forces. The STESU, representing some 2,000,000 members in all parts of the country, is no longer able to function. Immediately following Kounka Damianova’s visit EI established a solidarity fund to help the Ukrainian education unions. On 11 March an urgent appeal was sent to all member organisations to help assist STESU re-locate its offices and re-establish communication with its regional and local branches (Annex 2). The purpose of the assistance requested is not only to demonstrate international solidarity, but also to enable the organisation to forge unity among its members, which include half a million ethnic Russians, and help prevent the Eastern part of Ukraine from being annexed by Russia. Such a scenario would further destabilize the political situation in Eastern Europe and be a direct threat to peace in the region and, perhaps, globally.

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