For its international activities, the IUS has circulated the call to action, backgrounder on the history of November 17th, a petition, and special commemorative poster in English, French and Spanish.
Visit our mailinglist for the Petition - Download the poster
On November 17th, the Executive Secretariat will be launching its petition calling upon the United Nations to officially recognize November 17th - International Students' Day. The IUS is also calling upon students around the world to maintain and intensify their struggles for students' rights and for global solidarity, not corporate globalism.
As International Students' Day approaches, updates on activities around the world will be circulated. Please provide your updates as soon as possible, so they can be included.
Here is a sampling of activities planned around the world:
The Continental Organization of Latin American and Caribbean Students (OCLAE), which represents students all over the region, "believes that November 17th is an important day for students at the international level. For this reason, for several months OCLAE has been promoting International Students' Day among its 32 member organizations throughout the continent."
OCLAE passed a motion to endorse the November 17th campaign in Managua in July 2000, at its General Secretariat meeting, promoted discussion of the significance of the historic students' day in lead-up to November 17th, and has circulated several OCLAE bulletins featuring information about the campaign.
OCLAE will be holding its official press conference on November 15th in Cuba, dedicating its entire November OCLAE bulletin to the campaign, and supporting International Students' Day activities in each country in the region.
FEU, the Federation of Students of Cuba, will be celebrating November 17th in each university I the country. In addition, a special students' message will be delivered at the 2nd World Solidarity Gathering for Cuba in November.
A special FEU bulletin will commemorate the day, and the Cuban students' campaign will focus on building solidarity and condemning the Ley de Ajuste that has attempted to isolate the country.
Here is an excerpt from FEU's message of solidarity to the IUS:
On November 17th, unfortunately not all of our countries will be able to take to the streets with happiness and victories to celebrate, but we will nevertheless persist as the rebellious vanguard of our nations. [...] We must continue the struggle that will have as its thanks work, sacrifice, and even ingratitude from some.
The European Confederation of Junior Enterprises (JADE) expressed its interest in the idea of International Students' Day, and in promoting the campaign to its list of 20,000 students all over Europe.
The All Africa Student Union has issued the call to celebrate November 17th throughout the region. AASU is hosting a subregional programme of activities in Accra on the day, and has encouraged all of its member unions to hold events.
In southern Africa, materials are being distributed from the Southern African Students' Union in Namibia to national unions of students throughout the sub region.