First International Student Encuentro
International Days of Action Planned for October - 2000
by
Alan Gomez
University of Texas
MEXICO CITY - - From Thursday, April 20 - Monday April 24, 2000, some 1,300 students, teachers, staff, and parents, representing 20 countries, gathered in Mexico City for the First International Student Encuentro (encounter).
The encuentro was organized by students from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, who had been on strike from April 99 until February 2000, protesting a raise in tuition and fees, the statndardization of tests, and their lack of voice in the university administration. In February 2000, the Mexican government ordered the army - under the new guise of the Federal Preventative Police - to arrest the students and occupy the University. But the students have continued to struggle.
Why is this movement important? How does it fit with the student mobilizations that have been occuring all over the country, and the globe, in the past few years? What is the relationship between struggles over ethnic studies and language departments, against racism and homophobia, between the anti-sweatshop, anti-death penalty and Affirmative Action, between the roll-back of civil rigths, anti-WTO/World Bank, and the privatization of a public institutions?
All over the world - Indonesia, Australia, Spain, Argentina, Mexico, the USA, Canada- there exist vibrant and creative student movements that share the same demand for a more visible voice in the direction and planning of their university education; that demand increased accountability from the administration, the government, and themselves; that increasingly demonstrate a critique of the current system, highlighting the injustices that the university contributes to prolonging while claiming to be working toward their solutions.
The link is that students are recognizing that their univerisities are transforming themselves into corporations, where education is no longer a right, but a commodity, students are workers, our options are fewer, and the promise of economic security more elusive. There is no accountabiltity; and even less respect for students who are claiming the public university as their space, not the realm of Wendy's, Chic-fil-a and UTIMCO.
Students are creating spaces within which they can explore new strategies to participate in their own collective education, while at the same time demanding to be recognized as more than just students, but as persons who are part of a larger community that exists outside of the hallowed halls of the academy.
In order to begin to circulate and share the struggles of students around the world, the Mexican students organized this Encounter. Two important resolutions were created: 1)to plan the Second International Student Encounter to be held in Quebec City, Canada, in April 2001; and 2) coordinate simultaneous international days of action to be held within the respective countries - or specific unversities (depending on the amount of interest) on October 16-20, 2000
The idea is to create a space where various student, staff and community groups can participate and share their particular struggle with others, focusing on two general themes: 1) An analysis of the major problems of each particular university system - access, funding, accountability; and 2) what is the role of the University within the larger community?
This email is to invite all student, staff, and community groups who want to participate in the creation of a safe alternative space where we can discuss these issues with eachother (and perhaps students from other unversities), in order to voice our demands and circulate strategies on how to continue to make our voices heard.
Over the next few months, looking toward the fall semester, those interested can begin to discuss ideas on how to organize this encounter over a list-server. There are persons in Seattle who are also organizing a solidarity event. The idea is to get as many persons, from as many student, staff, and community groups as possible to come together for this event.
If interested, please reply to Alan Gomez at a.eladio@mail.utexas.edu so that a mailing list can be constructed.
