Woodcraft Folk has sent a letter to its young members telling them that it will support all children and young people that are planning to walk out and take other direct action against the increase in tuition fees, cuts to education funding and the abolition of the EMA on Wednesday 24th November.

There has been much comment surrounding the 50,000 strong protests this month against the Governments education cuts and increased fees. Whilst some may condemn the involvement of young people, Woodcraft Folk (the co-operative children’s charity[1]) is proud to support its young people when they decide to take non-violent direct action on this issue.

Hundreds of Woodcraft Folk members are expected to join students, teachers and members of the public in walking out of Schools, Colleges and Universities around the country on Wednesday 24th November in the national day of action.

Woodcraft Folk believes that “Education at all levels is a right and not a privilege and this should be available free at the point of access to everyone regardless of nationality, gender and financial wealth” (AGM 2008). Since The Woodcraft Folk was founded in 1925 our young people have led bold actions to influence policy. Woodcraft Folk exists to empower children an young people to become active in changing society through its educational programme and youth led campaigns, and will always support young people’s right to express their opinions. It is young people that will be worse off without the Educational Maintenance Allowance and with higher fees for university education.

We hope that young people, supported through our network of local groups, will be able to take decisive action. Our members, leaders and trustee board (of which over 50% are under 25) will be marching and protesting in solidarity with our young people on Wednesday 24th November, and we call on others to do the same.

In the letter from the trustee board to young members they say:

“Many young people chose to protest against the Iraq war and Woodcraft Folk was proud to support their decision as they marched in London, walked out of school and held their own demonstrations. Young people who take bold action sometimes get into trouble, but Woodcraft Folk will always defend your right to express your opinion act on your convictions.”

Note:

[1] Woodcraft Folk is an educational charity that has approximately 10,000 members operating in 400 local groups around the UK. We offer a place where children grow in confidence and become active in society, aiming to build a world based on equality, friendship, peace and co-operation.

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For comment contact:

Phin Harper (Press Officer)

phin.harper@woodcraft.org.uk

07985470579
http://www.spanthatworld.com

Or

Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Chairperson).
chair@woodcraft.org.uk
01274 792228
http://www.woodcraft.org.uk

The Woodcraft Folk, Folk House 9/10, 83 Crampton Street, LONDON, SE17 3BF

Registered charity in England and Wales (1073665) and in Scotland (SC039791)

Part of the International Falcon Movement – Socialist Education International – http://www.ifm-sei.org

A friend emailed this link the other day and I will be eagerly anticipating your next blog post. Continue on the wonderful work.

I SO wish we could have spent just as much time on developing a clear lobby strategy for the Governments forum as on getting participants there. However, I am afraid that any approach to make the governments declaration more progressive would anyway be turned down – not by the governments in general but by Mexico as the facilitator and host.

The Mexican government was really just not at all prepared for anything like the language in the NGO Statement to happen. And when the screaming and insisting of other governments did not make them realise their mistakes I am afraid our screaming would also not help so much…

What we should add on the positive note is that the conference worked as a tool to strengthen our cooperation with youth-led movements around the globe – as well as with institutional partners. And a learning process – not only for us but definitely also both for Governments and the UN. We have educated very many ministries and NGOs on which tools and processes actually exist.

And hopefully we can get a more strategic conference in the framework of the UN International Year of Youth