Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario Affiliates to Right to Education Campaign

January 2009

The Canadian Federation of Students (Ontario Division) passed the following motion, affiliating the CFS-Ontario to the Right to Education Campaign.

The R2E campaign raises awareness about the conditions that students and academic workers learn and teach under in Palestine. You can learn more about it at http://right2edu.birzeit.edu

MOTION

Local 68/Local 24

Whereas the Federation works to defend the basic human right to an accessible system of post secondary education for all, regardless of race, colour, creed, sexual orientation, ability, class status, nationality, place of origin , or personal or political beliefs

Whereas on the 27th of December, 2008, the Israeli state launched a massive military attack against Gaza, code-named "Operation Cast Lead," and as of January 19, 2009, over 1200 Palestinians had been killed and infrastructure including hospitals, schools and civilian homes had been destroyed; and

Whereas the state of Israel's military has attacked educational institutions in Gaza including:

- on December 27, 2008 an air missile hit the Gaza Training Centre in downtown Gaza City killing 8 students and wounding 19;

- on December 29, 2008 an F-16 fighter plane bombed the Science Laboratory and Library of the Islamic University in Gaza, just a few hours before some of its 20,000 students were to enter the campus to conduct exams;

- on January 3, 2009 a jet levelled the private 'progressive' American school in Gaza, killing its security guard and denying some 200 students their education for the foreseeable future;

- Later the same day, the Agricultural School in Beit Hanoun was damaged by 4 artillery shells; and

- 4 more schools were damaged throughout the Strip; and

Whereas as a direct consequence of the ongoing attacks by the Israeli military, the Gazan education system has been unable to function for the last three weeks; and

Whereas 27 of UNRWA's installations - almost all of which are schools - are being used to shelter 45,000 desperate Gazans who have fled their homes in response to ultimatums by the Israeli army; and

Whereas this recent attack is the single largest massacre in Gaza since Israel illegally occupied the area in 1967, and despite the current cease fire, Israel's current occupation of Palestine and siege on Gaza has dramatic negative implications on how Palestinian youth and their families
access basic human rights including, but not limited to, clean water, food, health care and education; and

Whereas this humanitarian crisis requires an international call from students to demand that we work towards building an environment free of systemic societal oppression including one that is free of military occupation and war; therefore

Be it resolved that a public statement be issued by the Federation condemning the Israeli attacks on civilian and humanitarian targets in Gaza that have lead to the bombing and mass destruction of educational institutions and caused over 1,200 civilian deaths, over 4,000 casualties and the severe erosion of infrastructure; and

Be it further resolved that member locals be encouraged to do the same; and

Be it further resolved that the Canadian government be called upon to pressure the government of Israel to adhere to its international legal obligations to end attacks on civilian infrastructure and to allow unimpeded access for all Palestinians to their educational institutions; and

Be it further resolved that member locals be encouraged to do the same; and

Be it further resolved that Human Rights Watch's call for an unbiased, independent investigation of human rights violations and any violations of the Geneva conventions occurring during the conflict be supported; and

Be it further resolved that the Federation affiliate to the RIGHT TO EDUCATION campaign to defend the right of Palestinian students to access education and educational institutions in the Palestinian territory, and seek to raise awareness about the issues facing Palestinian education, students and teachers under Israeli military occupation; and

Be it further resolved that undertake campaign efforts around the RIGHT TO EDUCATION which should include information on the need to protect and ensure access to education for all students in Palestine and such things as: a reprinting of the education not occupation button and /or a sticker design, fact sheets and/or information on the need to protect and ensure access to
education for all students in Palestine and any student living under war and/or occupation.