Ei-iE

“Educators joining together for quality education and social justice:” This is the theme that will unite more than 1,500 teacher leaders from around the world who will come to Berlin 22-26 July 2007 for the 5th World Congress of Education International (EI).

This year marks the bicentennial of the end of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, yet slavery remains widespread, particularly among vulnerable girls. The shameful statistics must mobilise us to stop violence against the girl child.

The Global Unions launched the Zero Cancer campaign in Geneva, Switzerland on 23 March with a occupational cancer prevention guide for workers.

EI has written to the President of Guatemala on 21 March supporting the demands of its member organisation, the Sindicato de Trabajadores de la Educación de Guatemala (STEG).

This week, at its meeting in Geneva, the ILO Governing Body’s Committee on Sectoral and Technical Meetings (STM) approved the Report submitted by the Joint ILO-UNESCO Committee of Experts on the Application of the Recommendations concerning Teaching Personnel (CEART).

The Tsunami Student Tour has been a life-changing experience for the participants of the EI Tsunami Student Tour to Aceh, Indonesia, from 19-24 February 2007. Below is a summary of the feedback they gave EI after returning from the tour.

The 28th Executive Board Meeting will take place from 27-29 March in Berlin, Germany at the venue of the 5th World Congress. The meeting will mainly concentrate on the coming EI World Congress, which will be held from 22-27 July.

In Geneva, the Committee on Sectoral and Technical Meetings (STM) of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Governing Body approved on 19 March a new approach to activities that takes ILO's agenda out into the workplace.

The ILO Workers' Group and EI met the Iranian delegation to the ILO Governing Body in Geneva on 21 March on the current teacher crisis in Iran. This meeting is the result of EI's request for ILO intervention on 16 March.

Over 12 000 teachers from all over the country gathered in Warsaw on 21 March to protest against the government harassment of gay and lesbian teachers and teachers with left-wing sympathies.

EI wrote to the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on 16 March condemning the harsh repression and arrest of hundreds of teachers who were protesting on 14 March for better pay and working conditions.

Global Action Week, April 23-29, is a key date in the calendar of those working towards the achievement of quality Education for All.

Teachers’ unions in India are lobbying hard for changes to be made to the draft Right to Education Bill.

EI representatives visited teachers’ unions in Eastern and Southern Africa at the end of February to review the EFAIDS activities undertaken in 2006 and to plan for EFAIDS activities in 2007.

According to EI contacts in Iran, over 50 teachers were reportedly arrested on 14 March during their demonstration in Tehran for better pay and working conditions through the enactment of the Pay Parity Bill.

The BUT/Barbados has reacted positively to the Government of Barbados’ announcement on plans to introduce anti-discrimination legislation this year for people living with HIV/AIDS. If properly implemented, the new laws would signify a considerable step forward for the movement to ensure greater protection for HIV positive teachers and workers in...

The EFAIDS Brochure outlines the response by teachers and teachers’ unions to Education for All and HIV and AIDS. It is now available in all of EI’s official languages – English, French and Spanish.

Last month Human Rights Watch and Anti-Slavery convened a meeting in London between trade union and non governmental organizations to discuss the issue of child domestic workers.