Invitation to

 

The International Conference on

Education, Imperialism, and Resistance

 

August 10-11, 2009

Taipei, Taiwan

 

 

Organizers:

 

The International League of Peoples’ Struggle Working Group on Teachers, Researchers, and other Education Personnel;

 International Center for Taiwan Social Studies (世新大學台灣社會研究國際中心)

Taiwan: A Radical Quarterly in Social Studies. (台灣社會研究季刊)

 

Venue:

S1204, She-Wo Building, Shih Hsin University,

No. 1, Lane 17, Sec. 1, Mu-Cha Rd., Taiepi

台北市木柵路一段17巷1號，世新大學舍我樓1204會議室

 

Background and Objectives

        Imperialism is at the root of untold suffering for billions of people throughout the world. Imperialist banks and corporations reap huge profits from the exploitation of working people even as the world economy is racked by crises, the gap between rich and poor countries widens, hundreds of millions are thrown into unemployment, billions are kept in poverty, and environmental destruction proceeds unabated. The imperialist countries, led by the United States, wage wars of aggression to control valuable markets and resources and suppress revolutionary movements. All over the world, imperialism intensifies the oppression of women, exacerbates racial and ethnic conflicts, and incites discrimination against migrants.

        In the guise of neoliberal globalization, imperialism is having a devastating impact on education. Drastic cuts in public spending for education have become the norm. Teachers, researchers, and other education personnel suffer deteriorating standards of living as salaries fail to keep up with rising costs. Large numbers are being laid off as governments close down schools and universities deemed inefficient. As education becomes the flashpoint for popular struggles, schools and universities are increasingly subjected to state repression.

        Imperialism exercises an ever-tightening grip on education. The WTO's General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) has placed liberalization of the so-called education market and the privatization of education on the agenda of future negotiations, along with other basic social services. Teaching and research are to an unprecedented extent driven and defined by corporate interests.

        Imperialist control of education is a key element in imperialist domination of culture as a whole. U.S. imperialism, in particular, makes full use of the means at its disposal—chiefly its huge monopolies in mass media—to shape world public opinion according to its interests. Monopolies have increasing influence over curricula, education programs, institutional organization, and research agendas.

        Struggle over knowledge and research is a key aspect of struggles against imperialism.  On the one hand, imperialist domination of education and research is used to undermine people’s struggles. On the other, a critique of imperialist ideology can be an important tool in the struggle for radical structural change. Throughout the world today, education workers respond to imperialist globalization through solidarity and struggle to defend their rights and welfare, the people’s right to education, and advance the struggle for a more just and humane future for all.

        The conference aims to bring together academics and social activists to put forward a progressive critique of imperialism and education. Participants to the conference will present critiques of aspects of imperialism and education including access to education, education sector reforms on neoliberal lines, right to education and livelihood, the political economy of education, the politics and theories of knowledge production and research, the impact of privatization and liberalization on educators and students and the impacts of education sector reforms on societies.

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BONTOC, MT. PROVINCE-On October 7, 2007, around 2: 26 PM, elders, peacepact holders and youth from Basao, Tinglayan, Kalinga; representatives of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance regional secretariat, and  its Mt. Province chapter; were flagged down by elements of the Philippine National Police (PNP) here under SP04 Pablo T. Undalos, Bontoc Chief of Police, in what appeared to be an overkill "COMELEC gunban checkpoint" along the Sukit national highway.
 
The delegation had just come from the Basao-Tonglayan bodong in Tonglayan that started October 5 and ended October 7. The bodong that took place in Tonglayan is in fact a historic event that ended a 38-year tribal conflict. The governor knew about this event and even sent representatives from the Office of the Governor, including a representative from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) to witness the bodong. The elders from Basao are members of the Binodngan Peoples Organization (BPO), a federation of tribes affiliated with the CPA. Representatives of elders organization MAITUD (Movement for Inter Tribal Unity and Development) also participated in the said activity. The activity was actually simultaneous with another elders gathering in Kalinga, the 6 th BPO General Assembly that was attended by the other elders and youth of Basao.
 

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國家暴力與政治暗殺

■ 新國際論壇 2006/08/07

菲律賓阿若育政權上台以來，對包括勞工、農民、女性、原住民、學生、都市貧民在內的各種進步力量的打壓，比過去有過之而無不及。菲律賓異議份子和媒體工作者慘遭殺害者，已近千例。事實上，菲律賓政府操控軍警，長期以來以易裝變身或勾結地痞流氓，到處暗殺進步異議份子，早已廣為菲律賓人民及世人所知。而在台灣，行政院長蘇貞昌宣佈「整頓治安從街頭開始」，國家的暴力亦日趨張牙舞爪，肆無忌憚，越來越多人被強制羈押、訊問、起訴；樂生青年聯盟和樂生自救會遭警察暴力驅離；地方法院法警圍毆媒體工作者……，抗爭者中因不明原因而死亡的案例已有二起。國家暴力正一步步向我們進逼，做為社會運動工作者，我們有什麼對策？ 
 
討論大綱： 
一、菲律賓國家暴力的性質 
二、政治謀殺的具體案例 
三、如何聲援菲律賓的進步團體？ 
四、菲律賓給予我們什麼樣的啟示？ 
五、台灣社運工作者如何面對國家暴力 
 
主持人：蘇偉碩醫師（台灣新社會協進會理事長） 
 
引言人： 
Gi Estrada（亞太移工組織APMM秘書處） 
陳瑤華（東吳大學哲學系副教授 / 曾赴菲律賓實境調查） 
施逸翔（東吳大學哲學碩士 / 曾赴菲律賓實境調查） 
楊偉中（工人民主協會執委） 
黃詠光（青年樂生聯盟） 
唐宜蘭（陳金珠之友） 
卞中佩（苦勞網） 
　　　　  
時　　間：8月10日，星期四，14:00-16:00 
地　　點：台北市NGO會館（台北市青島東路8號，善導寺捷運站2號出口）

 
聯絡 人：朱政騏，手機0920336698

 

 

跨界學習系列 特別講座【來自菲律賓的文化抵抗】 
＜以蔗糖為名＞＂In The Name Of Sugar" 影片欣賞與討論

時間：2006年7月8日（週六）pm:7:00---9:00 
 
地點：差事小劇場（台北市和平東路二段十八巷9-10號）

舉辦單位：差事劇團、跨界文教基金會

 

播映「Sa ngalan ng tubó」（中譯為「以蔗糖為名」或「製糖季節」）

 活動內容： 

 

 1. 介紹路易西塔大莊園（Hacienda Luisita）屠殺事件。

 2. 放電影。

 3. 討論路易西塔大莊園當前的情勢。

 

 4. 討論菲律賓當前人權嚴重遭受迫害的情況。

 

 5. 開放論壇。 

  歡迎大家踴躍參加！

 請參考 2005年國際團結任務台灣調查團報告

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「Stop The Killings In The Philippines 」德也茶會台灣行動串連會議記錄

 二○○六年六月二十三日 下午三點

 

 

地點：台北˙德也茶喫

整理：施逸翔

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