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Worldwide

EI Young SDGs Advocates workshop in Belgium

The first EI Young SDGs Advocates workshop, held in Brussels from 19-21 July, gathered together 50 young teachers and early stage activists aged 35 or under from 30 countries across all EI regions. The workshop is linked to the implementation of the EI Resolution on Young and Early Stage Teachers, Researchers and Support Personnel, adopted at the 7th EI World Congress in 2015.

Participants recommended ways to strengthen their unions and to ensure increased capacity to advocate for free quality education for all and for improved working conditions for all educational workers. They also discussed how the 17 SDGs - especially Goal 4 - can be implemented and monitored by educators. They concluded that implementation of the new SDG agenda depends on the ability of EI member organisations to engage strategically and contribute to developing national plans, indicators and mechanisms for monitoring.

EI Deputy General Secretary David Edwards highlighted EI’s prominent role in the post-2015 process for defining the new global developments goals, especially Goal 4 on quality education for all. He recalled the battle for the inclusion of the terms “free” and “not affordable” and he stressed that education unions globally must “occupy” the SDGs.

EI Deputy General Secretary Haldis Holst also underlined four important words: support, power, patience, and leadership. She warned participants to be patient with the gradual nature of change.

Participants hope to meet again at global and/or regional level in the future.

Open education movement’s meeting in Belgium

An open education movement meeting was held in Brussels from 26 July-27 July. Focusing on “What’s new, what’s old, What’s odd? And why should teachers’ organisations care?”, it was attended by 20 participants from the EI secretariat, EI affiliates’ representatives, as well as experts and activists from the open education movement.

Items covered include copyright, open science, open educational resources, and common and/or diverting interests for education unions and open education activists related to these topics. Participants also agreed on the necessity to challenge increasing privatisation and to strengthen the democratisation of education through quality open education practices.

EI Rainbow Newsletter No. 4

The EI Rainbow Newsletter No. 4, September 2017, was sent electronically to member organisations on 30 August and posted on social media. Feedback shows that readers value the quality of information, and the increasing number of subscriptions is to be noted.