Comunicat de presă: Ziua Internațională a Educației 2023

Pe 24 ianuarie, Broken Chalk vă invită să ne va alăturati de  Zilua Internaționale a Educației.

În această zi, recunoaștem realizările din acest an în domeniul politicii educaționale și, în același timp, luăm în considerare provocările permanente prezentate de pandemia de COVID-19, o creștere globală a conflictelor armate, limitările sporite ale libertății de exprimare și recesiunea economică globală, care a contribuit la o creștere limitată. finanțare educațională, scăderea standardelor educaționale și rate mai scăzute de înscriere. Mai mult decât orice, noi, cei de la Broken Chalk, sperăm să conducem comunitatea globală a ONG-urilor pentru a ne dubla angajamentul colectiv față de educație.

Să ne concentrăm mai întâi asupra modului în care Broken Chalk a contribuit pozitiv la realizarea educației ca drept al omului în 2022. Anul acesta, Broken Chalk a efectuat cercetări semnificative asupra provocărilor educaționale cu care se confruntă peste 25 de țări, inclusiv dimensiunile finanțării, înscrierea, rasa, etnia, distribuția socioeconomică, egalitatea de gen, accesibilitatea studenților cu dizabilități, ratele de angajare a absolvenților și accesul la formare profesională pentru tinerii adulți. Aceste rapoarte privind provocările educaționale, publicate pe site-ul nostru web și pe platformele noastre de socializare, au crescut gradul de conștientizare cu privire la problemele cele mai presante ale anumitor sisteme educationale sau la cele mai pozitive inițiative educaționale.

În plus, Broken Chalk a început o nouă serie de rapoarte care rezumă și analizează pachetul de extindere al Uniunii Europene pentru 2021 pentru tarile Balcanice din Vest și Turcia. Concret, această serie a produs șapte rapoarte, câte unul pentru fiecare țară fiind luată în considerare pentru aderare, menționând domeniile în care UE a recomandat reforme fundamentale. Fiecare raport a examinat politica educațională a țării vizate, respectul pentru drepturile copiilor, egalitatea socioeconomică și accesul la serviciile publice în conformitate cu parametrii și evaluările pachetului de extindere al UE. Drept urmare, rapoartele au generat o analiză critică asupra modului în care reformele propuse de UE ar avea impact asupra educației.

În cele din urmă, Broken Chalk a participat la Evaluarea periodică universală anuală a Organizației Națiunilor Unite, așa cum am făcut-o de la înființare, în 2020. EPU este un proces unic prin care statele iau în considerare politicile și evidențele privind drepturile omului ale altor state într-o evaluare de la egal la egal și dialogul de reformă. Pentru a facilita acest dialog, ONG-urile, instituțiile naționale pentru drepturile omului și organizațiile societății civile sunt invitate să trimită declarații și rapoarte despre politicile și evidențele țării vizate în materie de drepturile omului. Anul acesta, Broken Chalk a finalizat trimiterile la EPR pentru 30 de țări. Aceste transmiteri sunt vitale pentru exercițiul EPR, deoarece anumite comentarii și recomandări selectate pentru îmbunătățire sunt trimise direct la sala de discuții. În această rundă, multe dintre recomandările Broken Chalk au fost acceptate de UPR, ceea ce înseamnă că Broken Chalk generează discuții semnificative în cadrul comunității drepturilor omului și contribuie în mod tangibil la reforme materiale semnificative în țările în care au loc în mod obișnuit încălcări ale drepturilor omului.

Acum, luați în considerare modul în care Broken Chalk intenționează să-și extindă activitatea în curs de desfășurare cu cercetări, rapoarte și creșterea gradului de conștientizare. Vom continua rapoartele noastre privind provocările educaționale, extinzându-ne, sperăm, în noi zone ale lumii. Sunt programate rapoartele pentru încă 35 de țări, luând în considerare din nou provocările cu care se confruntă statul, birocrația sa educațională, școlile și elevii. Vom participa din nou la EPU 2023, cu planuri de a prezenta rapoarte pentru alte 39 de țări. Dincolo de aceasta, am planificat și noi inițiative pentru a continua educația ca drept al omului în 2023. Sperăm să începem noi proiecte, inclusiv noi serii de rapoarte și proiecte proactive cu parteneri locali și globali pe teren.

În această Zi internațională a educației, cu noul an încă proaspăt, Broken Chalk rămâne concentrat pe cele mai grave probleme cu care se confruntă instituțiile de învățământ și studenții astăzi. În mod colectiv, societatea civilă globală și ONG-urile trebuie să coopereze pentru a transforma viitorul educației. Sperăm să instigăm un dialog despre întărirea calității educației disponibile în mod egal pentru toți, navigarea prin transformarea digitală a resurselor educaționale, sprijinirea profesorilor și garantarea unei platforme sigure și durabile pentru vocile elevilor. În această Zi Internațională a Educației, vă rugăm să luați în considerare modul în care puteți contribui la aceste obiective ca individ și membru al unei comunități globale pentru drepturile omului. Educația este atât un drept al omului, cât și o cheie pentru dezvoltarea durabilă, armonia politică și coeziunea socială. La mulți ani de Ziua Internațională a Educației!

 

Semnat de

Broken Chalk

International_Day_of_Education_Press_Release_Eng

Education Monitor: Around The Globe between 1st and 15th May 2023

Broken Chalk proudly presents the fourth edition of “Education Monitor: Around the Globe” between 1st and 15th May 2023. Broken Chalk aims with this letter to increase public awareness of  Educational problems, challenges, and violations in the scope of the world. This newsletter is unique. This is a weekly newsletter in which we attempt to monitor and convey educational news from around the world in a concise manner. This monitor will be published biweekly with the effort of our young and enthusiastic team. You can contribute to our work if you like. If you witness any violations in the scope of education, you can write the comment part of this post. Broken Chalk will try to address the issue in its next monitor edition. To Download it as pdf : EducationMonitor: Around the Globe Week_15_16_2023

Broken Chalk Platform, in March 2019, was founded by a group of educators abroad who experienced and have been experiencing severe human rights violations in Turkey and had to ask for asylum currently in several countries.

These education volunteers also suffered greatly and started their new lives in their new countries without human rights violations. They gained respect just because they were considered human beings in those countries. However, they left one part of their minds and hearts in their homeland. They assigned themselves a new duty, and the human rights violations they left behind had to be announced to the World. A group of education volunteers who came together for this purpose started their activities under the Broken Chalk platform’s umbrella. However, the Broken Chalk platform was not enough to serve their aims. Therefore, they completed their official establishment as a Human Rights Foundation in October 2020.

Broken Chalk is now much more than a platform, and we have reviewed and enlarged our vision and mission within this framework. Violations of rights would be the first in our agenda in the field of Education all over the World. At the point we reached today, Broken Chalk opened its door to all individuals from all across the globe, from all professions, and to all individuals who say or can say ‘I also want to stand against violations of human rights in Education for our future and whole humanity, where our generations grow up together.’

Education is essential because it can help us eliminate the evils from society, introduce, and increase the good. We want to draw the public’s and stakeholders’ attention to the fact that Education is in danger in several different parts of the World. The attacks are wide-reaching, from the bombing of schools to the murder of students and teachers. Raping and sexual violence, arbitrary arrests, and forced recruitment also occurred, instigated by armed groups. Attacks on Education harm the students and teachers but also affect the communities in the short and long term.

We invite all individuals who want to stop human rights violations in Education to become Volunteers at Broken Chalk.

Comunicato stampa: Giornata internazionale dell’Educazione 2023

24 gennaio 2023

Il 24 gennaio Broken Chalk vi invita a unirvi a noi per celebrare la Giornata internazionale dell’educazione.

In questa giornata, riconosciamo i risultati ottenuti quest’anno nella politica dell’istruzione e allo stesso tempo consideriamo le sfide in corso presentate dalla pandemia COVID-19, l’aumento globale dei conflitti armati, le maggiori limitazioni alla libertà di espressione e la recessione economica globale, che ha contribuito a limitare i finanziamenti per l’istruzione, a ridurre gli standard educativi e i tassi di iscrizione. Più di ogni altra cosa, noi di Broken Chalk speriamo di guidare la comunità globale delle ONG a raddoppiare il nostro impegno collettivo per l’istruzione.

Per prima cosa, concentriamoci su come Broken Chalk ha contribuito positivamente alla realizzazione del diritto all’istruzione nel 2022. Quest’anno, Broken Chalk ha condotto una ricerca significativa sulle sfide educative di oltre 25 Paesi, tenendo in conto diversi fattori, fra cui le proporzioni dei finanziamenti, le iscrizioni, le etnie, la distribuzione socioeconomica, l’uguaglianza di genere, l’accessibilità per gli studenti disabili, i tassi di occupazione dei laureati e l’accesso alla formazione professionale per i giovani adulti. Questi rapporti sulle sfide educative, pubblicati sul nostro sito web e sulle piattaforme dei social media, hanno sensibilizzato l’opinione pubblica sui problemi accademici più urgenti o sulle iniziative educative più positive di alcuni Paesi.

Inoltre, Broken Chalk ha iniziato una nuova serie di rapporti che riassumono e analizzano il pacchetto di allargamento 2021 dell’Unione europea per i Balcani occidentali e la Turchia. In particolare, questa serie ha prodotto sette rapporti, uno per ogni Paese preso in considerazione per l’adesione, che riportano le aree in cui l’UE ha raccomandato riforme fondamentali. Ogni rapporto ha esaminato la politica educativa del Paese in questione, il rispetto dei diritti dei bambini, l’uguaglianza socioeconomica e l’accesso ai servizi pubblici in base alle metriche e alle valutazioni del pacchetto di allargamento dell’UE. Di conseguenza, i rapporti hanno generato una riflessione critica sull’impatto che le riforme proposte dall’UE avrebbero avuto sull’istruzione.

Infine, Broken Chalk ha partecipato all’annuale Revisione Periodica Universale delle Nazioni Unite, come abbiamo fatto sin dalla nostra fondazione nel 2020. La Revisione Periodica Universale è un processo unico nel suo genere, attraverso il quale gli Stati considerano le politiche e i risultati degli altri Stati in materia di diritti umani in un dialogo di revisione e riforma tra pari. Per facilitare questo dialogo, le ONG, le istituzioni nazionali per i diritti umani e le organizzazioni della società civile sono invitate a presentare dichiarazioni e rapporti sulle politiche e sui diritti umani del Paese interessato. Quest’anno, Broken Chalk ha completato le presentazioni di 30 Paesi.

Questi contributi sono fondamentali per l’esercizio dell’UPR, perché alcuni commenti e raccomandazioni vengono inviati e contribuiscono direttamente alla discussione. In questa tornata, molte delle raccomandazioni di Broken Chalk sono state accettate dall’UPR, a dimostrazione del fatto che Broken Chalk sta generando una discussione significativa all’interno della comunità dei diritti umani e sta contribuendo in modo tangibile a riforme materiali significative nei Paesi in cui si verificano abitualmente violazioni dei diritti umani.

Si consideri ora come Broken Chalk intenda espandere il suo lavoro in corso con la ricerca, i rapporti e la sensibilizzazione. Continueremo i nostri rapporti sulle sfide educative, che speriamo si estendano a nuove aree del mondo. Sono in programma i rapporti per altri 35 Paesi, sempre considerando le sfide che lo Stato, la sua burocrazia educativa, le scuole e gli studenti devono affrontare. Parteciperemo nuovamente all’UPR del 2023, con l’intenzione di presentare rapporti per altri 39 Paesi. Inoltre, abbiamo pianificato nuove iniziative per promuovere l’istruzione come diritto umano nel 2023. Speriamo di avviare nuovi progetti, tra cui nuove serie di rapporti e progetti proattivi con partner locali e globali sul campo.

In questa Giornata internazionale dell’istruzione, con il nuovo anno ancora in corso, Broken Chalk si concentra sui problemi più gravi che le istituzioni educative e gli studenti devono affrontare oggi. Collettivamente, la società civile globale e le ONG devono collaborare per trasformare il futuro dell’istruzione. Speriamo di stimolare il dialogo sul rafforzamento della qualità dell’istruzione disponibile per tutti, sulla trasformazione digitale delle risorse educative, sul sostegno agli insegnanti e sulla garanzia di una piattaforma sicura e sostenibile per le voci degli studenti. In questa Giornata internazionale dell’istruzione, vi invitiamo a riflettere su come potete contribuire a questi obiettivi come individui e come membri di una comunità globale di diritti umani. L’istruzione è un diritto umano e una chiave per lo sviluppo sostenibile, l’armonia politica e la coesione sociale. Buona Giornata internazionale dell’educazione!

Firmato da

Broken Chalk

International_Day_of_Education_Press_Release_Eng

Translated by Matilde Ribetti, from the original https://brokenchalk.org/press-release-international-day-of-education-2023/

Taarifa ya Habari: SIKU YA HAKI ZA BINADAMU 2022

 

10th December 2022

Taarifa ya Habari: SIKU YA HAKI ZA BINADAMU 2022

“Kurahisisha haki ya elimu kutawezesha kurahisisha haki zingine za binadamu”

Mnamo Desemba 10, Broken Chalk inapenda si tu kusherehekea miaka 74 ya Tamko la Pamoja la Haki za Binadamu, bali pia kuchunguza changamoto na mafanikio mengi ambayo jamii ya haki za binadamu imekabiliana nayo mwaka huu. Kama kawaida, lengo la Broken Chalk leo ni kueneza elimu kuhusu umuhimu wa elimu katika kutekeleza haki za binadamu. Licha ya maendeleo mengi katika haki za binadamu duniani kote, umaskini, ukatili wa kimfumo na taasisi, ubaguzi, na ufisadi bado unazuia watoto na vijana kutimiza haki yao ya elimu kikamilifu. Tunapoanza mwaka 2023, ni muhimu kuzingatia sera zipi nchi binafsi na jumuiya ya kimataifa zinapaswa kupitisha ili kuchochea elimu bora inayopatikana kwa wote.

Mwaka 2022, moja ya vikwazo kubwa vinavyozuia elimu hiyo kuendelea kuwa ufadhili. Vituo vya elimu ulimwenguni kote bado vinakosa miundombinu salama, maji safi, vifaa vya kutosha, vitabu, na vifaa vingine vya kufundishia. Walimu mara chache hulipwa mshahara wa kuishi licha ya kutekeleza kazi muhimu zaidi katika jamii. Mgogoro wa ufadhili huu unazidi kuwa mbaya kadiri bei za kimataifa zinavyoongezeka. Wakati uchumi unaporomoka, serikali zinapunguza bajeti ya elimu, ikipunguza zaidi ubora wa elimu inayotolewa. Wakati huo huo, familia zinahitaji kipato zaidi, hivyo watoto wengi wanakatisha masomo ili kufanya kazi. Mambo haya mawili yanajirudia; ikiwa ubora wa elimu anayopokea mtoto unapungua, familia zinazofanya tathmini ya gharama na faida zaidi zina uwezekano mkubwa wa kutoa kipaumbele kwa kazi kuliko shule kwa sababu kufanya kazi kunatoa thamani zaidi mara moja. Hii inaweza kuwa na athari kubwa; nguvu kazi isiyosoma inaweza kupunguza mishahara kwa wote, kuongeza pengo la kipato na kuongeza umaskini. Ili kuzuia mzunguko huu wa uovu, lazima tuwaambie watunga sera – kitaifa na kimataifa – kuwa elimu ni haki ya binadamu muhimu ambapo ufadhili wa kutosha unapaswa kutengwa.

Shida nyingine inayokabili elimu bora inayopatikana ni kuongezeka kwa migogoro ya ndani. Kutokana na mazoea ya ukandamizaji usiohaki unaotumiwa na serikali ya sasa nchini Uturuki, walimu wamekuwa wakifanyiwa mateso, kufungwa gerezani, na kupoteza maisha yao. Kati ya vurugu nchini Iran, mapinduzi ya mara kwa mara nchini Burkina Faso, uvamizi wa Ukraine, kuimarika kwa nguvu za Taliban nchini Afghanistan, na migogoro inayoendelea nchini Ethiopia, Syria, Yemen, Myanmar, na nchi nyingine nyingi, mwaka 2022 haukuleta mwisho wa migogoro mingi zaidi ulimwenguni. Katika maeneo yanayokabiliwa na migogoro, kutimiza haki ya binadamu ya elimu kunakabiliwa na changamoto kubwa. Tishio la mara kwa mara la vurugu linazuia elimu kutokea kabisa, hasa Kwa kuwa vituo vya elimu mara nyingi hulengwa na makundi yenye silaha. Familia zinapata hasara kubwa ikiwa ni pamoja na kupoteza maisha, wanafamilia, mapato, na nyumba na hata kuwa wakimbizi au wakazi wa ndani. Kuimarisha juhudi za misaada ya kibinadamu ni muhimu ili kuhakikisha kuwa huduma za elimu za msingi zinaendelea kutolewa hata wakati wa migogoro. Elimu ni tiba nzuri ya kuzuia migogoro kabla haijatokea na kutibu athari za kijamii baada ya migogoro kutokea. Elimu ni muhimu katika kujenga mshikamano wa kijamii na inatoa njia isiyo ya vurugu ya kuelezea na kufikia malengo ya kisiasa. Katika jamii zenye hatari kubwa ya migogoro, elimu iliyolengwa inayosaidia makundi ya kijamii, kisiasa, na kikabila inaweza kuzuia vurugu. Ikiwa mgogoro utatokea ndani ya jamii, elimu baada ya tukio hilo inaweza kujaza pengo la maendeleo lililobaki na kuwasaidia kurejesha uchumi wa jamii. Elimu baada ya mgogoro pia inaweza kuwasaidia wale walioathiriwa hasi na mgogoro, hasa wale ambao wamepoteza maisha, familia au nyumba; elimu inaweza kutoa zana za uvumilivu na fursa mpya bora. Hatimaye, elimu ya haki za binadamu inaweza kurejesha wapiganaji wa zamani kwa kuwafundisha makosa ya tabia zao za vurugu na kuwafariji waathirika wa zamani kwa kuwafundisha kuthamini umuhimu wao kama binadamu.

Changamoto ya mwisho ambayo elimu inaendelea kukabiliana nayo ni dislokesheni inayosababishwa na janga la COVID-19. Wanafunzi wanaoathiriwa zaidi na kujifunza kidijiti, ikiwa ni pamoja na watoto wadogo na wale ambao hawawezi kumudu mtandao au teknolojia ya kidijiti, wanaendelea kudidimia katika shule. Lazima tuweze kuzuia kile kinachoitwa “mgogoro wa kimataifa wa kujifunza,” kwani watoto hawapokei ubora wa elimu uliokuwepo kabla ya COVID-19 na shule zinashindwa kubadilika kwa mahitaji yanayobadilika ya karne ya 21. Wapolicymakers wa kitaifa na kimataifa lazima watafute maoni kutoka kwa shule na familia ili kujifunza jinsi sera za elimu zinaweza kubadilika katika enzi ya kidijiti na jinsi ukidigitali unaweza kuwajumuisha wanafunzi wa asili mbalimbali na mahitaji ya kujifunza.

Katika mwaka 2023, Broken Chalk itajikita katika masuala haya pamoja na mengine. Ni muhimu kukumbuka Siku ya Kimataifa ya Haki za Binadamu hii kwamba haki zote za binadamu zinaunganishwa na kuzalishana; kuwezesha haki ya elimu kutahamasisha haki nyingine za binadamu, kama haki za maisha, usawa mbele ya sheria, faragha, mali, uhuru wa mawazo, dhamiri na dini, uhuru wa maoni na kujieleza, na zingine nyingi. Kwa upande wa kurudiproku, maendeleo katika haki nyingine za binadamu yataathiri kwa njia chanya elimu.

Broken Chalk inatoa ahadi kwamba katika Mwaka Mpya huu, tutafanya kazi kwa bidii kuendeleza haki zote za binadamu kwa kukuza haki ya elimu.

Imesainiwa na

Broken Chalk

Human Rights Day 2022 Press Release_Eng

Education Monitor: Around The Globe Week 15&16 2023

Broken Chalk proudly presents the third edition of “Education Monitor: Around the Globe”. Broken Chalk aims with this letter to increase public awareness of  Educational problems, challenges, and violations in the scope of the world. This newsletter is unique. This is a weekly newsletter in which we attempt to monitor and convey educational news from around the world in a concise manner. This monitor will be published biweekly with the effort of our young and enthusiastic team.

You can contribute to our work if you like. If you witness any violations in the scope of education, you can write the comment part of this post. Broken Chalk will try to address the issue in its next monitor edition.

To Download it as pdf : EducationMonitor: Around the Globe Week_15_16_2023

L’invasione russa in Ucraina: Chi paga il prezzo di questa guerra?

Mahmud Darwish una volta ha disse riguardo alla guerra:

“La guerra finirà. I leader si stringeranno la mano. L’anziana donna continuerà̀ ad aspettare il figlio martire. Quella ragazza aspetterà il suo amato marito. E quei bambini aspetteranno il loro padre eroe. Non so chi abbia venduto la nostra patria, ma ho visto chi ne ha pagato il prezzo”.[1]

Nel corso degli anni, molti Paesi sono stati distrutti dalla guerra e dalla dittatura. Molti di questi erano abbastanza civilizzati prima che la guerra li rovinasse; pieni di cultura, sviluppo e civiltà̀, come Siria, Palestina, Libia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Yemen e molti altri.

L’avidità e l’egoismo di dittatori e politici corrotti hanno causato solo perdite a questi Paesi. Molte vite innocenti sono andate perdute; molti Paesi soffrono la povertà̀ a causa del cattivo governo da parte di regimi oppressivi. Le infrastrutture nazionali sono crollate a causa della guerra e anche l’ambiente ne ha risentito pesantemente.

The Costs of War Project, Watson institute of international and public affairs, Brown University, 2021

L’Ucraina si è ora unita al treno dei Paesi devastati dalla guerra a causa dell’avidità dei dittatori. Vladimir Putin non solo ha invaso uno Stato sovrano confinante, ma il suo regime sta anche esercitando la censura totale all’interno del territorio russo. I media russi indipendenti e i giornalisti che si esprimono contro il regime di Putin e su come i russi stiano soffrendo sotto la sua guida vengono molestati, intimiditi e detenuti illegalmente. Lo stesso trattamento viene riservato ai manifestanti che si oppongono a Putin e ai crimini commessi dal suo regime in Ucraina, come ad esempio costringere i giovani russi ad arruolarsi nelle forze armate senza informarli che parteciperanno all’invasione dell’Ucraina. Quanto descritto illustra bene l’immagine di uno “Stato totalitario”.

Come è stata influenzata l’istruzione?

L’impatto della guerra è chiaramente visibile nel settore dell’istruzione, in quanto l’accesso a quest’ultima sarà limitato a causa della scarsità di materiale didattico, dalla ristrettezza delle risorse economiche, fattore determinante nelle problematiche legate all’istruzione, e la propaganda diffusa dai dittatori per giustificare l’invasione o i crimini commessi dagli stessi contro i propri cittadini.

Molte strutture educative, come scuole e asili, sono state distrutte e danneggiate a causa della guerra in corso, la quale che minaccia il futuro dei bambini nel Pease, lasciandoli privi di accesso ad un sistema educativo.[2]

L’UNICEF ha recentemente pubblicato un rapporto sull’impatto dell’invasione russa sull’Ucraina. Secondo il rapporto, l’invasione ha lasciato più di 350.000 bambini senza accesso all’istruzione, a causa del danneggiamento di numerose infrastrutture scolastiche, mentre le metodologie di insegnamento insufficienti limitano l’accesso all’istruzione, lasciando i bambini senza accesso a un riparo sicuro, all’acqua e all’istruzione.[3]

L’effetto della guerra sui rifugiati ucraini e sugli studenti internazionali in Ucraina:

Molti ucraini hanno cercato rifugio in diversi Paesi dall’inizio della guerra. C’è stata molta preoccupazione per i bambini rifugiati e per il loro inserimento nei sistemi scolastici di altri Paesi, soprattutto a causa di eventuali barriere linguistiche. Le scuole polacche hanno accolto i bambini ucraini rifugiati nelle loro scuole e gli insegnanti polacchi li hanno aiutati a superare le menzionate barriere, adattandosi al sistema scolastico locale.[4]   D’altra parte, i bambini ucraini rifugiati nel Regno Unitosi trovano a dover superare numerosi ostacoli, poiché la maggior parte delle scuole inglesi stanno superando le loro capacità di registrazione. Inoltre, l’insufficienza dei finanziamenti per il settore dell’istruzione mette le scuole sotto pressione e facendo sì che gli studenti rifugiati vengano respinti.[5]

 

Anche gli studenti internazionali che studiavano nelle università ucraine, molti dei quali provengono dall’Africa, dall’Asia meridionale e dal Medio Oriente, sono vittime della guerra in corso. Molti di loro non sono riusciti a completare gli studi e sono stati costretti a fuggire in altri Paesi nella speranza di poter tornare presto in Ucraina e completare il corso di studi.[6] Molti di questi studenti stranieri hanno effettivamente lottato per trovare rifugio o per fuggire e, cosa più terribile, almeno due studenti in visita sono stati uccisi nei primi giorni di guerra.[7]

 

L’effetto della guerra sugli Stati post-sovietici e sulla Russia:

Dopo l’invasione dell’Ucraina da parte della Russia, i cittadini degli Stati post-sovietici temono che il controllo di Putin si estenda sui loro Paesi , ancor più la firma di un accordo di alleanza fra il presidente russo e quello azero Ilham Aliyev. L’accordo in 43 punti include un’alleanza economica ed educativa che aumenterà il controllo del regime di Putin in Azerbaigian .[8][9] Per esempio, lo studio della lingua russa diventerà obbligatorio negli istituti scolastici, più di quanto non lo fosse in precedenza negli Stati post-sovietici.[10]

Ultimamente, il Ministero dell’Istruzione russo ha iniziato a diffondere la propaganda nell’istruzione online, nel tentativo di influenzare i bambini con ideologie che glorificano la leadership di Putin e giustificano l’invasione russa dell’Ucraina . Queste lezioni online cercano di spiegare “perché la missione di liberazione in Ucraina era necessaria”.[11]C’è il rischio che queste lezioni contribuiscano a creare una generazione che incoraggia la guerra e sostiene la dittatura in Russia.

Certamente, arriverà un giorno in cui la guerra finirà, e gli sfollati torneranno nelle patrie dove hanno lasciato i loro cari per cercare rifugio in altre terre. I leader si stringeranno la mano per stabilire la pace nel mondo, ma a quale costo questo avverrà, quando tanti danni sono già stati fatti? Come dice Mahmoud Darwish “Non so chi ha venduto la nostra patria, ma ho visto chi ne ha pagato il prezzo”.

 

 

Di Zinat Asadova

[1] “La guerra finirà” Poesia di Mahmud Darwish

[2] Save the Children. (2022). Ucraina: Gli attacchi alle scuole mettono in pericolo la vita e il futuro dei bambini. Recuperato da https://www.savethechildren.net/news/ukraine-attacks-schools-endangering-children-s-lives-and- futures

[3] Regione Europa e Asia Centrale (ECAR) dell’UNICEF. (2022). Rapporto sulla situazione in Ucraina – 24 febbraio 2022 (p. 2). Recuperato da https://www.unicef.org/media/116031/file/Ukraine-Humanitarian-SitRep-24-February-2022.pdf

[4] Deutsche Welle (DW). (2022). La Polonia lotta per dare ai bambini ucraini accesso all’istruzione [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.dw.com/en/poland-fights-to-give-ukrainian-kids-access-to-education/av- 61185207#:~:text=Circa%202%20milioni%20di%20Ucraini%20hanno,il%20sistema%20educativo%20della%20Polonia%20è%20 enorme.

[5] Abrams, F. (2022). I rifugiati ucraini potrebbero faticare a trovare posto nelle scuole inglesi, dicono i consigli. The Guardian. Recuperato da https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/mar/05/ukraine-refugees-may-struggle-to-find-places-in- english-schools-councils-say

[6] Fallon, K. (2022). Gli studenti stranieri in fuga dalla guerra russa contro l’Ucraina sperano di tornare. Aljazeera.com. Recuperato da https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/5/they-told-us-to-go-home-student-recounts-ukraine-war

[7] La risposta dell’istruzione internazionale alla guerra in Ucraina. Monitor ICEF – Informazioni di mercato per il reclutamento internazionale di studenti. (2022). Recuperato da https://monitor.icef.com/2022/03/international-educations-continuing- response-to-the-war-in-ukraine/

[8] Azərbaycan Respublikası Xarici İşlər Nazirliyi. (2022). No:056/22, Azərbaycan Respublikası Xarici İşlər Nazirliyinin Mətbuat xidməti idarəsinin məlumatı (AZ/RU). Recuperato da https://www.mfa.gov.az/az/news/no05622

 

[9] Presidente della Repubblica dell’Azerbaigian Ilham Aliyev. (2022). Dichiarazione sull’interazione tra la Repubblica dell’Azerbaigian e la Federazione Russa. Recuperato da https://president.az/en/articles/view/55498

[10] Aliyeva, J. (2022). Il presidente dell’Azerbaigian sottolinea l’importanza della lingua russa. Agenzia di stampa Report. Recuperato da https://report.az/en/foreign-politics/azerbaijani-president-notes-importance-of-russian-language/

[11] Pagina ufficiale del Ministero dell’Istruzione russo su Vkontakte. (2022). Una lezione aperta “I difensori della pace” (Открытый урок “Защитники мира”) [Video]. https://vk.com/video-30558759_456242419?list=8411aa6de207bc39a2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Education Challenges in China

Written by Luna A. Duran van Tijn

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ([OECD], 2016) “China has the largest education system in the world”, with almost 260 million students and over 15 million teachers in about 514,000 schools. While China prides itself in its advancements in the educational sector and has in fact paid a great deal of attention to its shortcomings, this article reveals that with such a large system come many challenges.

Setting the stage: China’s education system

Education bears great importance for the Chinese government (OECD, 2016). China has continued to invest heavily in its educational system on an absolute basis. Over the past 10 years, China has raised its educational spending by an average of 19%. With its belief that education is the foundation for national growth and modernisation, ensuring the compatibility of the system with the nation’s rate of such growth and modernisation as well as new educational demands and trends has meant continuous modifications and development in education reforms and programmes (OECD, 2016).

A particularly significant development in Chinese educational history was the Law on Compulsory Education passed in 1986, which held that all school-age children of Chinese nationality are entitled to compulsory education, and parents are responsible for registering their children in school and ensuring that they complete the required nine years of education (OECD, 2016). This law built an exhaustive system, outlining standards for schools, instructors, teaching and learning, as well as for funding education and the legal responsibilities of social sectors.  Since the legislation was changed in 2006, all students enrolled in compulsory education are now exempt from paying tuition and other fees. Moreover, according to the law’s 2015 revision, textbook prices are limited to marginal profit (OECD, 2016).

As to the specifics, China’s education system is managed by the state, with limited involvement from private companies, and continues to grow more decentralised (OECD, 2016). The Ministry of Education has recently moved away from direct control of the educational system and towards system-wide monitoring, directing educational reform through legislative initiatives, plans, financial support, informational services, policy recommendations, and administrative tools. Governments at the county level are in charge of running and providing education in schools. Most of the time, provincial governments are in charge of managing higher education institutions (OECD, 2016).

As has been previously stated, students must complete nine years of compulsory education (OECD, 2016). Figure 2 presents a chart with an overview of the organisation of China’s education system. Prior to the 1990s, secondary schools accepted students based on the results of admission exams. The government has replaced the entrance exam for secondary school with a policy of mandatory enrollment based on the area of residence (hukou) to emphasise the compulsory nature of junior secondary schools and as part of an attempt to shift the focus of education away from test scores and towards a more integrated approach to learning (OECD, 2016).

Students have the option to continue with senior secondary education after completing the compulsory education (OECD, 2016). General senior secondary, technical or specialised secondary, adult secondary, vocational secondary, and crafts schools are the five different categories of senior secondary schools in China. Prior to enrolling in senior secondary schools, students must take the Zhongkao, a public test whose results determine admission. The government assigns pupils to various senior secondary schools based on these scores. In recent years, China has made major efforts to increase enrollment in secondary vocational schools in order to satisfy the rapidly changing economic and labour demands of the nation. Despite the fact that senior secondary education is not required in China, 95% of junior secondary school graduates completed their studies there in 2014, a particularly significant figure considering it was only around 40% in 2005 (OECD, 2016).

The first ten years of the twenty-first century saw a significant increase in tertiary education in China as well (OECD, 2016). The gross enrollment ratio for postsecondary education in China increased from 21% in 2006 to 39% in 2014. Various institutions and initiatives were founded during this time, and there was a significant increase in the promotion of international collaboration and mobility. The tertiary education system become more varied as a result. Undergraduate programmes’ admissions are based on students’ college entrance examination (gaokao) scores. Admissions at the graduate level are based on another entrance examination (OECD, 2016).

Main challenges to the Chinese education system 

  1. Too large an emphasis on tests 

As has been touched on in the Background section, test scores play a highly significant role in the education system in China. Although the country has replaced the entrance exam for secondary school with hukou, senior secondary education and undergraduate as well as graduate programmes still heavily rely on evaluation scores.

A departure from the former system, a New Curriculum Reform has been underway since 2001 that addresses every aspect of the educational system, including educational philosophy, goal, content, methodology, and assessment systems at all educational levels (OECD, 2016). The new approach changes the examination-focused study mode to lessen the load on the students by relying on a variety of metrics for student achievements. The goal of this new evaluation method is to assist students in realising their potential, understanding who they are, and gaining confidence. Teachers should be able to examine and enhance their teaching techniques with the aid of the evaluation system. The new assessment system mandates periodic evaluation of curriculum implementation and study of implementation-related issues in order to assist schools in developing their curriculum systems (OECD, 2016).

Major adjustments are also being made to the gaokao (OECD, 2016). In 2014, the State Council released formal recommendations for the gaokao system overhaul. To lessen the impact of standardised testing, changes have been made to examinations at various levels. This examination reform attempts to create a contemporary examination system made up of standardised exams, thorough evaluation, and various admittance criteria. It also seeks to support overall education system change. As agreed upon with the central government, Shanghai and the province of Zhejiang will serve as the new system’s experimental pilot regions. Each province has created its own strategy to implement this change. Other towns and provinces have also revealed their own reform initiatives for the gaokao, including Beijing, Jiangsu and Guangdong (OECD, 2016).

Still, however, many sources within China as well as reports highlight the still-existing emphasis on test scores. In an article by Didi Kristen Tatlow (2014) in the New York Times, professor of education at the University of Oregon Yong Zhao revealed that the fundamental disregard for children’s individuality, hobbies, and passions in the Chinese educational system has resulted in a uniform student body. Because it compels students to spend practically all of their free time studying for exams, it leaves little time for leisurely pursuits like exercise. The intense rivalry also puts Chinese students under a lot of stress, which can harm their confidence and impair their self-esteem. Zhao also claimed a meaningful education, which focuses more on assisting each kid in growing than on pressuring them to get high test scores, is hampered in China by an overemphasis on test results (Tatlow, 2014).

In another article, one by Mark Kitto (2012) for Prospect Magazine, the focus on testing and scores is further illustrated as Kitto states that “the domestic Chinese lower education system does not educate. It is a test centre. The curriculum is designed to teach children how to pass them.” He continues, “schools do not produce well-rounded, sociable, self-reliant young people with inquiring minds. They produce winners and losers. Winners go on to college or university to take “business studies.” Losers go back to the farm or the local factory their parents were hoping they could escape” (Kitto, 2012).

Finally, reports on Chinese schools have led education experts to contend that this emphasis on exam-based education is the main cause of China’s high dropout rate (Moxley, 2010). A study by Northeast Normal University’s Institute of Rural Education from May claimed that the dropout rate in some rural areas was as high as 40 percent. The findings were ascribed in the research to “school weariness,” or exhaustion and apathy brought on by memorization drills and cramming (Moxley, 2010).

  1. A cutthroat system and mental health 

Worthy of its own section, albeit related to the previous challenge ascribed to the large emphasis on test scores, are the consequences on the mental health of Chinese students as a result of the harsh educational system in China.

According to the Annual Report on China’s Education (2014), or the Blue Book of Education, researchers closely examined 79 elementary and middle school suicide cases from 2013 and discovered that nearly all – 92 percent – occurred after a teen had experienced stress related to school, in some cases an argument with a teacher (Xinying, 2014). The second part of the school year, when children often suffer higher stress because of high school and college admission examinations, saw a 63 percent increase. The study included cases such as that of a middle school student in Hohhot who committed suicide by jumping off a building after learning that his test scores had dropped and of a 13-year-old boy in Nanjing who hanged himself at home for failing to finish his homework. The case of a girl in Sichuan province who cut her wrist and ingested poison afterlearning the results of her college entrance exam was also included. Suicides like these reveal the immense pressure students feel in China as a result of their studies, a concerning image of its educational system (Xinying, 2014).

  1. The rural-urban gap 

A third, rather crucial challenge to China’s education system has to do with the large gap between access to education in rural China compared to its urban counterparts.

China’s unprecedented levels and rates of urbanisation, with the urban population approximately tripling, hundreds of millions of Chinese have seen their quality of life improve and transformed by urbanisation (OECD, 2016). Nonetheless, it has also brought forth a number of significant societal problems. Among the most important issue is equal access to education. Not only should every child have access to school, but they should also have equal access to quality education.

Although the Chinese government has prioritised educational equity in compulsory education through a number of programmes in order to narrow the rural-urban gap, these have only solved a part of the problem (OECD, 2016). For instance, improvements have been made in infrastructural areas but even while the educational environment is improved, other considerations, such as fewer opportunities for advancement and a poorer standard of living in rural regions, make the teaching force deficit a significant issue. In this regard, policies have been made to attract more teachers in rural areas, but there is more required than just policies; broader efforts to improve social and economic opportunities in less developed parts of the country need to be addressed first (OECD, 2016).

An opinion piece by Helen Gao (2014) for the New York Times also explores this, arguing that “While many of their urban peers attend schools equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and well-trained teachers, rural students often huddle in decrepit school buildings and struggle to graspadvanced subjects such as English and chemistry amid a dearth of qualified instructors.” Additionally, she highlights research showing that a candidate from Beijing has a 41-fold higher chance of being accepted to ‘Peking University’ than a comparable applicant from the underdeveloped, predominantly rural province of Anhui (Gao, 2014).

Gao’s (2014) piece also connected the rural-urban gap to corruptive practices, stating “Parents fork out tens of thousands of dollars under the guise of “voluntary donations” to secure a slot for their children in elite elementary schools. (…) Further advantage can be purchased by parents who can pay handsomely to hire teachers to offer extra tutoring to their children, a practice discouraged by the authorities but widespread in reality” (Gao, 2014).

An added challenge to the presented gap stems from the hukou system (OECD, 2016). Large-scale internal migration brought on by China’s economic growth has substantial educational implications for both families and the government. With neighbourhood residency as the main basis for determining school enrolment in China, this means that migrant children must remain the same as their place of birth. Those who choose to remain with their parents will have restricted access to schooling  (OECD, 2016). Gao (2014) also touches on the effects of this as she explains that the hukou system denies rural children the right to enter urban public schools, forcing many of these migrant children to attend private schools that charge higher tuition fees. The unfortunate reality for many, she states, is that they “have no choice but to send their children back to their rural hometowns. Then, on the other hand, there are the children who separate from their parents and stay in their home regions, commonly referred to as “left-behind” children. They, more often than not, suffer from both mental health and educational effects (Gao, 2014).

  1. Authoritarianism in higher education

According to political scientist Elizabeth J. Perry (2015), China’s Communist party-state has created a variety of techniques to monitor and control student behaviour. Politically dependable peers serve as the leaders of the “homerooms” (banji) and “class years” (nianji)  and act as a conduit for information to and from the university administration. Peer pressure and oversight are integrated into the professional monitoring hierarchy. The “guidance counsellors” (fudaoyuan), trained employees entrusted with maintaining careful tabs on their student charges to ensure that their ideas and behaviour do not cross predetermined lines, form the cornerstone of the control system.  These guidance counsellors, who are aided by student informants, report directly to the deputy party secretaries responsible for student work (Perry, 2015).

These control procedures have even “modernised” in recent years thanks to new methodologies and tools (Perry, 2015). For instance, mental health facilities are now a common sight on Chinese college campuses. However, in China, the term “mental illness” is used to refer to beliefs and tendencies that the government deems to be politically dangerous, and the findings of the required mental health screenings given to first-year students are shared with political cadres for analysis and potential preventative or punitive action. Furthermore, the proliferation of the internet and social media has made it possible to gauge (and direct) student opinion in yet another “modernised” way. Counsellors and cadres counteract suspicious or subversive information on popular social media platforms (such as Weibo and WeChat) by commissioning counter-posts that support the officially sanctioned viewpoint in addition to censoring it (Perry, 2015).

In an effort to sway student sentiment in favour of the CCP’s objectives, the party-state uses both proactive and reactive methods (Perry, 2015). Military training (junxun) and ideological and political education (sixiang zhengzhi jiaoyu) have been required courses at universities since the 1990s. These lessons and activities aim to instil dispositions and conduct that support the dictatorship. Teaching “cultural proficiency” (wenhua sushi) and “national character” (guoqing), which present Chinese history, art, philosophy, and literature in ways that present a natural relationship and fundamental compatibility between the splendours of China’s ancient “tradition” and its modern “socialist” system, has gained importance in recent years. As such, universities are a crucial element of a vast party-state project in cultural governance that aims to persuade people that CCP rule is justified by “Chinese characteristics” that make it both essential and natural (Perry, 2015).

Key takeaways

Although education in China has become a priority in recent decades, and has made great progress in its achievements and reforms, the country still faces some significant challenges. From an overemphasis on test scores that fail to create more well-rounded students and has adverse effects on students’ mental health to discrepancies brought about by the rural-urban gap, China needs to reform their zhongkao, gaokao and hukou systems to ensure a more balanced, equitable, quality education for all.

The fourth challenge discussed in this article, namely the control and subtle propaganda systems infiltrating the higher education levels in China, from a democratic perspective, limits students’ ability to form essential critical abilities. This challenge in particular is one that seems difficult to see addressed as it is actively pursued by the government and would therefore, rather than be seen as a challenge, be seen as a tool.  This makes this challenge particularly complex.

 

Reference list 

Chen, Y. (2017). Issues of the Chinese Education System. Leadership Society of Arizona. https://leadaz.org/2017/03/13/issues-chinese-education-system/

Gao, H. (2014). China’s Education Gap. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/05/opinion/sunday/chinas-education-gap.html

Kitto, M. (2012). You’ll Never be Chinese. Prospect Magazine. https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/50279/youll-never-be-chinese

Moxley, M. (2010). CHINA: Alarming School Dropout Rate Blamed on Teaching Methods. Global Issues. https://www.globalissues.org/news/2010/06/30/6153

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (2016). Education in China. A Snapshot. https://www.oecd.org/china/Education-in-China-a-snapshot.pdf

Perry, E. J. (2015). Higher Education and Authoritarian Resilience: The Case of China, Past and Present. Harvard-Yenching Institute Working Paper Series. http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:30822717

Tatlow, D. K. (2014). Q. and A.: Yong Zhao on Education and Authoritarianism in China. The New York Times. https://archive.nytimes.com/sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/09/14/q-and-a-yong-zhao-on-education-and-authoritarianism-in-china/

Xinying, Z. (2014). School Tests Blamed for Suicides. China daily. https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2014-05/14/content_17505291.htm

Education Monitor: Around The Globe Week 13&14 2023

Broken Chalk proudly presents the second edition of “Education Monitor: Around the Globe”. Broken Chalk aims with this letter to increase public awareness of  Educational problems, challenges and violations in the scope of the world. This newsletter is unique. This is a weekly newsletter in which we attempt to monitor and convey educational news from around the world in a concise manner. This monitor will be published biweekly with the effort of our young and enthusiastic team.

You can contribute to our work if you like. If you witness any violations in the scope of education, you can write the comment part of this post. Broken Chalk will try to address the issue in its next monitor edition.

To Download it as pdf : EducationMonitor: Around the Globe Week_13_14_2023 

Kamile Wayit, una estudiante Uyghur china es detenida después de colgar un video

En noviembre de 2022, protestas pacíficas, conocidas como las “protestas del papel blanco”, se esparcieron por todo el territorio Chino como consecuencia de un incendio mortal desatendido por las restricciones de la Política Zero-Covid, y las consecuencias genéricas de tal política. El incendio causó la muerte de 10 personas como mínimo. En los últimos años, las autoridades chinas han participado en extensas y sistemáticas vulneraciones de derechos humanos, atacando a estudiantes Uyghur, académicos, y otros miembros de la élite cultural Uyghur en Artush[1]. Des de 2017, ha habido 386 casos de Uyghurs detenidos, internados o enviados a prisión.

El presente artículo analiza con más profundidad el caso de Kamile Wayit y la necesidad urgente de su liberación.

La detención de Kamile Wayit

Kamile Wayit es una chica de 19 años musulmana Uyghur, estudiante de Universidad viviendo en Henan, China. El 12 de diciembre de 2022, Kamile fue tomada y detenida por la policía local de Artush, su pueblo natal al que volvía por vacaciones de invierno. Según el hermano de Kamile, Kewser Wayit, residente en EEUU, ella fue detenida debido a un vídeo que colgó en las redes sobre las protestas del papel blanco. El 2 de febrero de 2023, Kewser Wayit llamó a las autoridades chinas y demandó la liberación inmediata de su hermana y establecer contacto con ella. Él clarificó contundentemente que su hermana era “inocente y que no había cometido ningún crimen”.[2] Actualmente, Kamile ha estado en un centro de detención dese diciembre de 2022. Ella está completamente incomunicada de su familia y no tiene acceso a un abogado de su elección. Además, puede que esté sufriendo torturas y malos tratos.

Llamada Urgente para la liberación de Kamile

Las razones por las que detuvieron a Wayit no son claras, el arresto de Kamile plantea cuestiones de discriminación y libertad de expresión. Tanto es así, que Kamile tendría que ser liberada inmediatamente a menos que haya evidencia admisible, creíble y suficiente de que haya cometido una ofensa criminal reconocible. Además, mientras se procese la liberación de Kamile, su localización actual debería hacerse pública, y ella debería tener acceso regular a contactar su familia y abogados de su elección. Finalmente, también mientras esté reclusa, se debería asegurar acceso sanitario adecuado a Kamile, garantizando también que no se encuentre sujeta a tortura o malos tratos.

Toma Acción!

Amnistía Internacional, una organización no gubernamental que aboga por los derechos humanos, ha hecho una llamada general a tomar acción respecto a esta situación a través de una petición de firmas o presentando un recurso legal. A través de estas acciones es posible ayudar a Kamile y proteger su bienestar. Para hacerlo, puede acceder a: Una estudiante Uyghur es detenida por colgar un video: Kamile Wayit – Amnistía Internacional, para ver los modelos de escrito de apelación, o vaya al link para firmar la petición.

Conclusión:

Este articulo ha explorado la opresión de estudiantes Uyghurs, académicos y otros miembros de la élite cultural Uyghur en Artush, con especial atención a Kamile Wayit. Igual que Amnistía Internacional, Broken Chalk demanda acción urgente para liberar a Kamile.

Asimismo, Broken Chalk pide al gobierno Chino que libere inmediatamente a todos los detenidos y sentenciados por razón de etnicidad, religión, o cualquier ejercicio pacífico de derechos humanos fundamentales. Adicionalmente, Broken Chalk llama a la comunidad internacional a condenar urgentemente la persecución injustificable de intelectuales Uyghurs por parte del gobierno chino.

Escrito por Asha Ouni

Traducido por Joan Vilalta Flo

[1] UHRP, “Detained and Disappeared: Intellectuals Under Assault in the Uyghur Homeland”, March 2019, available at: Microsoft Word – UHRP_Intellectuals Report Update 3.docx (accessed on 12/04/2023).

[2] RFA, “U.S.-based Uyghur man calls on China to release his 19-year-old sister”, Jane Tang for RFA Mandarin, 26/01/2023, available at: US-based Uyghur man calls on China to release his 19-year-old sister — Radio Free Asia (rfa.org) (accessed on 12/04/2023).

Kamile Wayit, an Uyghur student from China detained after posting a video

In November 2022, peaceful protests, referred to as “white paper protests”, sparked in multiple locations in China due to a fatal lockdown fire on 24 November 2022 and China’s zero-COVID policy in general. The fire had caused the death of at least ten people. In recent years, the Chinese authorities carried out widespread and systematic human rights violations and targeted Uyghur students, scholars, and other members of the Uyghur cultural elite in Artush.[1] Since 2017, 386 known cases of Uyghurs have been interned, disappeared, or imprisoned.

This Article goes into more depth about the case of Kamile Wayit and the urgent call for her release. 

The detention of Kamile Wayit

Kamile Wayit is a 19-year-old Uyghur Muslim and college student living in Henan, China. On 12 December 2022, Kamile was taken by the local Artush city police and detained after she had returned from Artush (Xinjiang), her hometown, for a winter break. According to Kamile’s brother, U.S.-based Kewser Wayit, she was targeted because of a video she posted online regarding the white paper protests. On 2 February 2023, Kewser Wayit called on and demanded that the Chinese authorities release his sister immediately and let her speak to him. He stated that his sister is “innocent and committed no crime.”[2] As of now, Kamile has been in detention since December 2022. Moreover, she is not allowed to have any contact with her family or to have a lawyer of choice. Moreover, Kamile may be subjected to torture and other ill-treatment. 

Urgent call for Kamile’s release

The grounds for Kamile’s detention are unclear, and Kamile’s arrest raises issues regarding the Freedom of Discrimination and the Freedom of Opinion and Expression. Therefore, Kamile should be released immediately unless there is sufficient, credible and admissible evidence that she has committed an internationally recognised criminal offence. Moreover, pending her release, Kamile’s whereabouts should be released, and she should be allowed regular access to her family and a lawyer of her choice. Lastly, pending her release, it should be ensured that Kamile has access to adequate medical care and is not subjected to torture and other ill-treatment. 

Take action!

Amnesty International, a non-governmental organisation standing up for international human rights, has called for action in the form of writing an appeal or signing a petition. By registering an appeal or signing the petition, you can help Kamile and try to protect her well-being. Please go to China: Uyghur student detained for posting protest video: Kamile Wayit – Amnesty International to see the model letter for writing an appeal, or go to Link to sign the petition.

Conclusion

This article discussed the targeting of Uyghur students, scholars, and other members of the Uyghur cultural elite in Artush, with particular attention to the case of Kamile Wayit, like Amnesty International, Broken Chalk calls for action and the urgent need for Kamile’s release.

Furthermore, Broken Chalk calls on the government of China to immediately release all those detained and sentenced for their ethnicity, religion, or peaceful exercise of their fundamental human rights. In addition, Broken Chalk calls on the international community to urgently condemn the Chinese government’s unconscionable persecution of Uyghur Intellectuals.

 

Written by Asha Ouni

[1] UHRP, “Detained and Disappeared: Intellectuals Under Assault in the Uyghur Homeland”, March 2019, available at: Microsoft Word – UHRP_Intellectuals Report Update 3.docx (accessed on 12/04/2023).

[2] RFA, “U.S.-based Uyghur man calls on China to release his 19-year-old sister”, Jane Tang for RFA Mandarin, 26/01/2023, available at: US-based Uyghur man calls on China to release his 19-year-old sister — Radio Free Asia (rfa.org) (accessed on 12/04/2023).