“Major distortions on basic issues” Academic report slams “invasive” rewrite of school textbooks after campaign by pro-Israeli groups

By Miriam Scharf Under pressure from pro-Israeli organisations, a major educational publisher carried out an extensive revision of two GCSE History textbooks which inserted “major distortions” on questions such as the illegality of settlements under international law, according to a leading academic. Professor John Chalcraft co-authored a detailed report comparing the content of the two…

Remembering Nita Sanghera

It was with great sadness that we learnt about the death of Nita Sanghera, UCU’s president-elect on 16 January. Among the many causes and campaigns that Nita devoted her tireless energy to supporting was mobilising solidarity for activists in the Middle East in their fight for justice. She was always outspoken in her defence of…

Trade union leaders call on Egypt’s military regime to release Hisham Fouad and Haitham Mohamedain

Via Egypt Solidarity Initiative Leading figures across the trade union movement in Britain have thrown their weight behind a campaign in solidarity with journalist Hisham Fouad and lawyer Haitham Mohamedain who have been detained by Egypt’s military regime on trumped up charges. Trade Union Congress president Mark Serwotka, the general secretary of the National Union…

Education unions condemn arrest of Sudanese teachers’ leader

The arrest and disappearance of Yassin Hassan Abdelkarim, president of the Sudanese Teachers’ Committee on 28 June has drawn strong condemnation from the University and College Union (UCU) and International Solidarity Officers in the NEU teachers’ union. Paul Cottrell, acting General Secretary of UCU wrote to the Sudanese ambassador calling for Yassin’s immediate release after…

UCU Congress votes for #SudanStrikeSolidarity

Delegates at the annual congress of higher and further education union UCU have voted to support the struggle of the Sudanese people for democracy and social justice on the eve of a general strike called by the Sudanese Professionals Association to demand an immediate handover of power to a civilian government. Motion from Liverpool UCU…

Bahrain: unions launch campaign against UK failure to act on abuses

Joint Press Release from Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, MENASolidarity and UCU EMBARGOED UNTIL 9:00am, 24 September 2015 Unions launch campaign over UK government failure to act on Bahrain abuses. Call for independent audit of FCO assistance to Bahrain. UK and global trade unions today launched a campaign highlighting “widespread and systematic” human rights…

Sign the statement against Sisi’s visit to UK

Originally posted on Egypt Solidarity:
Trade unionists, campaigning lawyers, activist groups and student union leaders are backing a statement against the visit of Egyptian president Abdelfattah el-Sisi to the UK. The open letter to David Cameron condemns British support for the military regime in Egypt and British complicity in Sisi’s attacks on human rights, including…