Mexico: SNTE campaigns to defend public education, peace, and sustainability
Mexico’s SNTE education union, affiliated to Education International (EI), is pursuing a comprehensive communication strategy. The approach reinforces the union’s role as a social actor committed to defending labour rights, public education, and major causes for Mexican society and the world at large.
At the most recent global meeting of EI’s Communicators’ Network (ComNet), Goreti Lizárraga, coordinator of the National Social Communication Committee, shared the SNTE’s experience in designing and implementing high-impact campaigns. These campaigns are reaching a membership of over 2.5 million education workers across all education levels and throughout the country.
Communication, unity, and commitment to public education
The SNTE’s communication strategy is based on two fundamental causes: the defence of education workers’ rights and the defence of public education. These are the guiding principles behind the union’s messages and its actions.
In a country characterised by huge cultural, linguistic, and geographical diversity, communication has a key role to play in strengthening unity within the union movement. For the SNTE, communication is not just about informing, but about shaping perceptions, building trust, and strengthening collective identity. This approach helps present the union and the teaching profession as a democratic, modern, and innovative.
Platforms and channels to reach millions
The SNTE uses a wide range of platforms and tools to ensure comprehensive and accessible communication. These include its institutional website, dedicated campaign pages, themed microsites, resource hubs, mass messaging systems, and live streaming platforms.
The union also makes strategic use of the most widely used social media platforms in Mexico: Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, and TikTok. Audience analysis, scheduling, and digital trends are used to maximise the impact of its messages. Instant messaging apps are also used to rapidly disseminate information, which is then organically shared across the members’ personal networks.
Campaigns responding to major social challenges
The climate crisis, violence, inequality, forced displacement, addiction, and the deterioration of teachers’ and students’ mental health and emotional well-being —it is against this backdrop that the SNTE has launched a series of campaigns with a strong social impact, implemented in phases and with lasting results.
• Water is life; water is running out
This well-established campaign grew out of the union’s social responsibility and commitment to caring for the planet. It promotes awareness of responsible water use and the development of school projects such as river clean-ups, reforestation, rainwater harvesting, and water reuse. Communication plays a central role, with the production of videos, infographics, posters, and testimonials that enable experience sharing across regions.
• Arm yourself with courage for a culture of peace!
With its strong impact on a symbolic and community level, this campaign promotes peace and harmonious coexistence. One of its most visible initiatives was the flying of white flags in school grounds as a symbol of peace. Other activities include walks, educational activities, and media resources showing the work carried out across the country.
• Yes to life, no to drugs
Phase one of this addiction prevention campaign has been successfully completed, and preparations are now underway for the next phase. The campaign combines information, awareness-raising, and educational materials aimed at school communities.
• Women’s rights charter
Developed in collaboration with the Federal Government’s Secretariat for Women, this campaign spreads awareness of a document setting out 15 fundamental rights, including the right to a life free from violence. Thousands of charters have been distributed across the country during conferences and trade union events, serving as a practical resource for women working in education.
• Live healthily, live happily
This campaign, run in conjunction with the Public Education Secretariat (SEP), aims to transform food culture and promote healthy habits among children, teenagers, and adults. A wide range of awareness-raising materials has been produced to reinforce the idea that self-care is key to a full and healthy life.
• National literacy campaign
This campaign, promoted in conjunction with the Public Education Secretariat (SEP) and the National Institute for Adult Education (INEA), aims to reduce illiteracy in Mexico. Through wide-reaching platforms and induction meetings, the SNTE is raising awareness and encouraging teachers to play an active role in this vital task.
Collective participation and international solidarity
The success of these campaigns rests on a strong and committed trade union structure, involving union leaders, teachers, education support personnel, students, parents, and the wider community.
In her closing remarks, Goreti Lizárraga expressed the SNTE’s solidarity with the peoples, trade unions, and educational communities suffering the consequences of armed conflict, reiterating the union’s commitment to peace, social justice, and international cooperation through education.
