AOb receives 'snippets of information' from education union from Ukraine
Ukrainian education unions want to provide an update on the current situation next Friday, as far as that goes. Employees are trying to keep track of how many schools have been bombed and how many students have died.
Image: Education International
De AOb receives 'snippets of information' via the Facebook account of an English-speaking education union employee. Trudy Kerperien has on behalf of the AOb contact with international colleagues. Currently also with the international relations manager of a Ukrainian education union. "She is somewhere in a small village in the countryside. The connections are bad and she also has her children that she takes care of. So we certainly don't want to bother her too much. Everyone wants to know how things are going and how we can help The president of her union doesn't speak English, so she will have a lot to deal with."
Chaos
According to Kerperien, the Ukrainian education union TUESWU, among others, is trying to keep track of how many schools have been bombed and how many students have died from the violence of the war so far. "But information gathering within Ukraine is of course also very difficult at the moment. It is chaos. There are a lot of people on the run, including teachers."
Education International (EI), the international federation of education unions where the AOb is affiliated with, is organizing an online meeting on the education and trade union situation in Ukraine this Friday afternoon. Kerperien: "If possible, education and/or trade union colleagues from Ukraine will speak. Of course, subject to a working internet connection and insofar as the local situation allows." During the meeting, EI also wants to appeal to teaching staff for educate for peace.
emergency fund
De AOb transferred 5000 euros to EI's emergency fund on behalf of its members last week. This money will go to aid for Ukrainian education, insofar as it is needed now and in the future. Kerperien: "The AOb has a solidarity pot for this. Then we don't have to ask our members for money very quickly in acute situations." She emphasizes that EI uses criteria and is transparent about the expenditure of the collected union money. "EI will not just do things that other aid organizations can do better."
Kerperien points to the 2013 uprising in Kiev's Maidan Square. "That had nothing to do with the union or education in Ukraine, but the office of the education union is on that square and was then half destroyed. At such a moment, EI supports from the emergency fund to get the union back on track. to get going." Also the education union of Hong Kong recently received support. "Union members were under enormous pressure and were persecuted. At such a moment, the money goes to legal aid, for example, or EI helps to get people to a safe place."
Those interested in the EI meeting on Ukraine next Friday can join here register. Later you will receive a link with which you can access it. The online meeting will take place from 13.00:14.00 PM to XNUMX:XNUMX PM.
