EASTERN EUROPE

The democratic changes sweeping Eastern Europe have inspired the world. After 45 years of communist governance and Soviet domination, the peoples of Eastern Europe are again deciding their fate.

The remarkable events in 1989--the creation of a noncommunist government in Poland, the opening of the Berlin Wall, the "velvet revolution" in Czechoslovakia, the rise of democratic movements in Bulgaria, and the violent overthrow of Romania's tyrant Nicolae Ceausescu¾are testimony to the human spirit's aspiration for freedom. Now, the "Year of Elections" has followed the "Year of Revolution." Eastern Europeans, most for the first time, have participated in free elections.

Yet in all the countries of Eastern Europe, governments and societies face enormous challenges. State controlled and planned economies resulted in technological backwardness, vast indebtedness and economic stagnation. Each of the countries faces ecological catastrophes of only varying degrees, since there were virtually no environmental safeguards to combat the corrosive effects of industrial pollution. In addition to the task of building a free economy, all the democratic institutions of civil society--political parties, free trade unions, independent media, the rule of law¾are having to be built anew. In addition, ethnic conflicts and anti-Semitism threaten the establishment of democratic mechanisms that promote pluralism and resolve differences.

In some nations of Eastern Europe the outcome of the movement to establish democratic freedoms is still in doubt. AFL-CIO observers of the Romanian elections reported that the election was conducted in a largely unfree environment; the press was controlled and opposition supporters beaten. Since the election, actions of the Romanian government-led by former high ranking communists¾have increased doubts about the government's commitment to democracy. Emerging evidence suggests that the National Salvation Front played a substantial role in provoking--even staging¾the so-called violent outbursts of the pro-democracy demonstrations in mid-June. Having provoked these outbursts, the government, relying on tactics worthy of Ceausescu, bused in truckloads of miners (many of whom were, according to the newest evidence, not miners at all but Securitate agents) who beat up the demonstrators, trashed the homes and offices of opposition leaders, and temporarily shut down the nation's only independent national newspaper. Many of the pro-democracy activists, including such leaders of the student movement as Dumitru Dinca, Leon Nica, Marian Munteanu, are currently in government custody, their whereabouts unknown. U.S. observers of the election in Bulgaria also reported numerous violations of fair campaign practice and have expressed concern about the future of democracy in that country.

For teachers in Eastern Europe, the task of transforming the system of education is no less daunting. Before the democratic revolution, schools were merely institutions to forge an obedient citizenry. Education was a minor item in the state budget. As a result, school plant declined and teachers were paid among the lowest sa­laries of any employees.

Today, teachers are looking to build an educational system where students are able to learn tolerance, pluralism, free inquiry and all the other necessary attributes of participating in a democratic society. Educators are hoping to build schools where students learn needed economic and technological skills that will help their countries re-enter the community of Western democracies.

The American Federation of Teachers, together with the International Federation of Free Teachers" Unions, has endeavored to support the courageous teachers and other democratic activists who helped bring about the revolution in Eastern Europe. The IFFTU was the first international trade secretariat to accept affiliates from Eastern Europe (Teachers Solidarity from Poland and the Democratic Teachers Union and the Democratic Scientific Workers Union from Hungary). The AFT was the first AFL-CIO affiliate to conduct direct union-to-union training for democratic teachers unions in Hungary and Poland.

The AFT's democratic teacher union colleagues from Eastern Europe stressed from their first contacts with the AFT and IFFTU the need to help build legitimate and free organizations that could represent the interests of teachers and those of education. More importantly, democratic teacher unions and newly appointed officials in Ministries of Education have called for "education for democracy" programs that will help introduce the teaching of democratic principles and practices¾including tolerance, pluralism and protection of the rights of minorities¾into the schools.

RESOLVED, that the AFT, in cooperation with the International Federation of Free Teachers" Unions, work with free and democratic teachers unions in Eastern Europe as they work toward building a democratic educational system; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT call on the U.S. government and encourage lFFTU affiliates to call on their own governments to establish significant assistance programs for Eastern European governments and democratic teachers unions in the field of educa­tion. This assistance should include, among other programs: sending English and other language teachers to Eastern European countries, support­ing independent educational institutions, assisting universities and other higher education needs, promoting Education for Democracy programs and facilitating professional and trade union exchanges between Eastern European teachers and their counterparts in the U.S. and Western Europe; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT call on the U.S. government to withhold all state-to-state aid to the government of Romania and all other governments when true progress toward democracy is not being made; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT, through its Education for Democracy/International project, continue to provide assistance and training programs to democratic teachers unions in Eastern Europe and foster Education for Democracy programs with the AFT's counterparts; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT encourage local affiliates to establish assistance and cooperative programs with local counterparts of democratic teachers unions in Eastern Europe, through the AFT Education for Democracy/International project.