International Freedom in Education Day

Journée Internationale pour la Liberté de l'Instruction (JIPLI)

International Freedom in Education Day (IFED)

September 15th, 2007

Dear Home-educating Friends and Supporters of Freedom in Education,

An International Freedom in Education Day (IFED), an idea originating this
year in France, is proposed for Saturday, September 15th, 2007.

The aim is to promote the idea of the importance of free choice in
education, and to spread information about the alternative ways of learning
that are available, or are being fought for in various countries.

The focus will be on Home Education, but we also welcome alternative and
free schools to take part in this global event.

The interest ist gathering in Europe and internationally. Events related to
the IFED may take place throughout the month September, but on the 15th, we
plan to have many events in different countries all over the world,
celebrating Freedom in Education.

One idea is to launch hundreds of balloons, carrying postcards with slogans
promoting Freedom in Education. A logo and posters are being prepared and
will soon be available.

In Paris, a giant picnic on the theme of home education is planned, preceded
by a press conference on September 10th.

In London, a Home Education Fair is planned. For more details please
contact: homeeducationfair@hotmail.com

In Vienna, an evening event on September 7th, will be dedicated for a
discussion of Freedom in Education, and the practice of home education and
unschooling.

During the week preceding or following September 15th, there will be a
gathering in front of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. This gives a
possibility to highlight the topic "Human Rights and Home Education".

French home educators are creating a website for the Freedom in Education
Day. There we will publish all information and/or links to events on or
around the 15th of September (conferences, gatherings, education fairs,
etc.), where ever they may take place and in whatever language, so please
send us your projected events.

We will also post links to other websites and announcements in other
countries. If your native language is not English, French, German, Italian
or Spanish, please send us a short English description and in your native
language, of your event that you would like placed on the website.

So please tell us about your planned events, no matter how small it may
seem! We'll be great in numbers!

Please note the following addresses:
Website (in construction): http://jipli.free.fr
Contact: jipli@free.fr

Participating or interested organisations to date:
Les Enfants d’Abord (France) - www.lesenfantsdabord.org
Learning Unlimited (European Network, UK based) - www.learning-unlimited.org
Choice in Education (UK)
Netzwerk Bildungsfreiheit (Germany) - www.netzwerk-bildungsfreiheit.de
Institut für Wertewirtschaft
(Austria) - http://wertewirtschaft.org/club
Aero (US) - www.educationrevolution.org

Please do not hesitate to spread the information about the IFED as far as
possible.We want to reach all corners of the earth!

Sincerely yours,

IFED preparation team:

Leslie Barson
Jennifer Fandard
Aldona Guenter
Elisabeth Kuhnle
Klemens Lichter
Agnès Ohlenbusch
Claudia Renau
Valérie Vincent

P. S.:
Please tell us how you call "Freedom in Education Day" in your native
language! We will add on our website all the translations that you send to
us.

In French it is called:
Journée Internationale pour la Liberté de l'Instruction (JIPLI)

In German it is called:
Internationaler Tag der Bildungs-Freiheit (ITBF)

In Italian it is called:
Giornata Internazionale per la Libertà di Istruzione (GILI)

In Spanish it is called:
Día Internacional de la Libertad de Educación (DILE)

How do you call it in your language?