Ei-iE

Teachers' trade unions around the world are coordinating and participating in a huge variety of actions to show their support for quality Education For All.

Members of the EI Pan-European Committee and the Executive Board of the European Trade union Committee for Education (ETUCE) are in Brussels today for a two-day meeting to discuss challenges confronting teacher trade unions in the region today.

Educators around the world are condemning the latest brutal assassinations of teacher trade unionists in Colombia. On 1 April, Emerson Ivan Herrera Ruales and Luz Mariela Diaz Lopez lost their lives at the hands of unknown gunmen who shot them as they made their way to work in the morning.

Education International has received chilling reports about political retribution against teachers in Zimbabwe. This comes in the aftermath of general elections held on 30 March.

Global Action Week 2008 is fast approaching and will see the launch of activities to promote universal education.

A consortium of EI member organisations was created in order to assist the newly-formed National Teachers' Association of Liberia (NTAL) in its consolidation work after the merger last year.

Diplomats, activists and educational sector representatives gathered for the Global Campaign for Education’s (GCE) 3rd World Assembly in January to work to advance Education For All (EFA). Unions, teachers, students and parents will continue this advocacy at grassroots level during the upcoming Global Action Week in April.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) is formulating a new international labour standard on HIV/AIDS. The draft document has been prepared and is available to read in seven languages on the ILO-AIDS website.

The UNAIDS Inter-Agency Task Team (IATT) on Education of which Education International (EI) is a member have produced four Advocacy Briefing Notes.

A three day training workshop in Dakar, Senegal from 4th – 6th February 2008 brought together national coordinators of the EFAIDS programmes in Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and Rwanda.

The annual EFAIDS Programme meeting for Latin America took place from 11-13 February 2008 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Activities and progress in 2007 were reviewed whilst programme objectives for 2008 were agreed.

A spokesman for EI affiliate, Namibia National Teachers Union (NANTU), has welcomed the decision of the Namibian government to prioritise education in its recent budget allocations. Meanwhile, NANTU is continuing to raise awareness on HIV and AIDS through the distribution of a poster and a leaflet to inform their members...

In July 2007, Rudolph Roberts benefited from training conducted by his union, the SVGTU on HIV/AIDS prevention and Education for All. He spoke to EI about his experience.

Begoña Suarez, Confederal Secretary of the Confederación de Sindicatos de Trabajadoras y Trabajadores de la Enseñanza (STEs), now chairs the Pan-European Equality Committee as well as the its working group until the next General Assembly of the EI Pan-European region.

Talks aimed at liberalizing global trade are heading into yet another crucial phase as the prospects of successfully completing a deal before the end of the year quickly fade.

Development groups and trade unions are warning that treaties that regulate international investment are undermining democracy and human rights.

Talks between the European Union and India on a bilateral free trade agreement may not be completed by the end of year as originally planned.

Several nations are backing a new proposal for special exemptions from copyright rules under the agreements of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).