<div class="gmail_quote">Would be good to have some PA people at this - I know Mark Bergfeld who is a convenor is keen on Assemblies and he told me that the main aim of the session is to talk strategy and he encouraged me to ask if an Assembly orientated person or persons could be there to suggest and remind. Especially following Sunday 30th Nat Education Assembly, at which it was proposed and resolved by the whole Assembly to encourage Education groups to effectivelty join up across cities ie to convene with other campuses, collges and anti-cuts groups City-wide Assemblies. Also, given the Egyptian connectionit would be good to put the sense that this is a globally relevant strategy that could start to direct globalisation in a genuinely sustainable, democratic and equalising direction.</div>
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<div class="gmail_quote">Unfortunately I can't make it but could some people from the PA Network attend this event and put the idea forward in more detail ? </div>
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<div class="gmail_quote">Would be great to see it happening soon!</div>
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<div class="gmail_quote">Mark<br><br>PS One model that might be referred to useully is that of the University of Toronto General Assembly - see <a href="http://www.peoplesassemblies.org/2011/01/university-of-toronto-general-assembly/">http://www.peoplesassemblies.org/2011/01/university-of-toronto-general-assembly/</a> <br>
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<p style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt"><font face="Times New Roman">Education Activist Network London Meeting</font></span></b></p>
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<p style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><i><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Learning from the past, debating the future…</font></font></i></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><b><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">How can the government be stopped?</font></font></b></p>
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<p style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><b><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Tuesday 8 February, 6pm, </font></font></b></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><b><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">The Quad, LSE, Houghton St.</font></font></b></p>
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<p style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><i><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">The meeting will be followed by an open working group (from 7.45pm) to discuss the organisation of the day of action ‘Day X4’ on February 24(facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#%21/event.php?eid=179166512120415" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=179166512120415</a>).</font></font></i></p>
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<p style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">SPEAKERS: <b>Joana Oliveira Pinto, </b>Eyewitness report on the uprising in Egypt;<span> </span><b>Stathis Kouvelakis</b> on the CPE struggles in France; <b>Aaron Peters</b> from UCL Occupation/UK Uncut and <b>Jess McDiarmaid</b> from Sussex University on next steps for the student<span> </span>movement; <b>Jim Wolfreys</b> President King’s College UCU on building for the education strike<br>
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<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">INFO: As the Arab world is being shaken by mass movements which have ousted dictator Ben Ali in Tunisia and are shaking the Mubarak regime in Egypt to its foundations, the students’ movement in this country is discussing and debating the way forward and asking itself: How can the government be stopped?<span> </span></font></font></p>
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<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Joana Oliveira Pinto from the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts is returning from Egypt today where she has spent the last week following and participating in the events. The Education Activist Network has invited her to give an eyewitness report on the uprising in Egypt.<span> </span></font></font></p>
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<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">There are concrete examples from the past that our movement can learn from. The CPE laws which would severely attack young workers’ rights were passed through French parliament in 2006. A struggle involving direct action by the students’ and mass demonstrations organised by the trade union movement made it impossible for Chirac’s Conservative government to casualise youth employment. </font></p>
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<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">As the increase in tuition fees and scrapping EMA have passed through parliament there are obvious parallels between the CPE struggle and the one we face. Stathis Kouvelakis will be addressing these and drawing out the lessons they hold for our campaign to defend education.</font></p>
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<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">One of the most prominent debates in the students’ movement has centred around the use of twitter, facebook and other social networking tools as the newly designed Sukey. Aaron Peters, from the UCL occupation and UK Uncut has written several pieces on the movement and the internet. He says: “In 2011 we are beginning to have the tactics and the tools to not only discredit governments and overturn individual agendas but also to stop the manufacture of consent.” </font></p>
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<p style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">As the lecturers in the UCU are balloting for strike action, Jim Wolfreys will be explaining how the ballot and strike give a new focus for the movement in defence of education. Whilst Jessica McDiarmaid will be speaking on how Sussex students built concrete solidarity with their lecturers’ strike in 2010.<span> </span></font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><br><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">Speakers :<br>- Joana Pinto, just returned from Egypt & National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts</font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">- Stathis Kouvelakis on the CPE struggles in France<br>- Aaron Peters from UCL Occupation and UK Uncut<br>- Jess McDiarmaid from Sussex University Strike 2010<br>
- Jim Wolfreys, President King’s College UCU </font></p>
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