Unite Campaign’s global tour to focus efforts on TTIP during European stop
Hundreds of European education unionists and students are set to celebrate the end of the Unite for Quality Education Campaign and rally against the trade agreement being negotiated between the European Union and the USA.
High-ranking European Commission officials, MEPs, as well as representatives of the Italian and German Permanent Representations to the European Union will debate with regional union leaders about the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) being negotiated between the European Union and the USA. Participants will address potential challenges posed by the free trade deal, and how it may directly affect education.
Susan Hopgood, President of Education International (EI), will join in the Unite Campaign’s culmination event hosted by the European region, the European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE) on 22 September in Brussels, Belgium. The event will take place at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).
Like in all other corners of the world, a great push has been made over the course of the past year by educator unions across Europe to raise awareness about the importance of quality education, and its three pillars: quality teaching, quality tools and quality learning environments, for economic recovery, democracy and peace on the continent.
After Brussels, the Unite Campaign’s global tour’s next stop will be a rally in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 23 September. Hopgood, along with EI General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen and a team of EI staff, will then take the message of quality education to top officials at the United Nations’ 69th General Assembly in New York, USA on 25 September.
Quality education will also be a focus point during World Teachers’ Day, 5th October, when teachers around the globe will be celebrated in classrooms, villages, and cities for their tireless dedication to the profession.
To make October 5th a day to remember, EI is calling on all members and colleagues to take part by having their voices heard to ensure world leaders know how important a quality teacher is in helping students reach their full potential.
Beginning at 12:00 noon, EI is asking everyone to ‘Push the Button’ by emailing, texting, or tweeting your messages of support for quality education directly to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Click here for more information.
