AFT Efforts on Global Issues Attract Union Leaders from Around the World
Union Reaffirms Commitment to Education for Democracy and Human Rights

Washington, D.C. — The 3,000 delegates at the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) biennial convention, July 14 -17, welcomed leaders from 15 countries who gathered to discuss crucial labor and education issues affecting their countries and strengthen their cooperative efforts with the AFT. On

July 16, Azar Nafisi, author of Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir of Books, delivered a powerful speech about the harmful effects of censorship and religious intolerance.

In addition, delegates passed several resolutions regarding international relations during the course of the convention. Delegates voted to support the end of violence in Sudan and send a message to its government in protest of Sudan's continuing pattern of gross human rights abuse, including the ethnic cleansing in Darfur on the country’s western border with Chad. The resolution notes that the catastrophe in Sudan continues even after the international community recently marked the 10th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda with promises of "never again."

Delegates also reaffirmed AFT’s commitment to democracy and worker rights, passing a resolution that calls on the Bush administration to strengthen its support for Hong Kong's democracy and live up to the administration's professed commitment to democratic ideals. The resolution states that the Chinese Communist regime has betrayed the "one country, two systems" promise at the heart of a 1997 agreement about Hong Kong's status. Democracy leaders in Hong Kong have been attacked recently in ways reminiscent of the days of the Cultural Revolution.

Delegates passed a resolution on the war in Iraq conveying AFT member's outrage at the Bush administration's failure "to plan for the aftermath" in Iraq. The resolution supports "the brave men and women serving in the United States armed forces in Iraq" and urges the Bush administration "to provide adequate resources to enable U.S. troops to protect themselves" and fulfill their responsibilities in Iraq. It also calls on Americans to "reject calls for the precipitous withdrawal of U.S. forces" and to recognize the United States' continuing responsibilities in Iraq.

A 15-member AFT delegation will attend the Fourth World Congress of Education International, which will take place in Brazil on July 22 - 26.

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