Dear friends,
As we entered 2021, our solidarity organisations – in the fields of health and education – remain mobilised to continue to fight Covid-19, supporting educational communities, activists, members, patients and citizens around the world.
This year again, the structuring concerns of our Network will be at the very centre of burning issues: how to support students and education staff, protect their physical and mental health, fight against school dropout? How to strengthen or defend our social security systems, for greater resilience in the face of crises? How to continue to involve young people in social citizenship matters?
If 2020 has disrupted our lives, our habits, and the way we work together, we truly believe one thing: solidarity can overcome these huge challenges. At the heart of our social security systems, or in our schools, solidarity, democracy and cooperation will play a key role in providing responses to the health and climate crisis and rethinking our societies.
This past year has also shown that we have a strong need for spaces and solutions for sharing, support and unity around common struggles and issues, across borders. In that respect, I would like to thank you and your civil society and social and solidarity economy organisations for your continued commitment to the Network.
In 2021, we want to continue to form this united international community, by sharing our ideas, our experiences, and by coming together around concrete initiatives, with the objectives of better living conditions and social justice.
On behalf of all the ESN, we wish you all the best for 2021. May this new year bring you peace, health and success… But above all else, may it allow you to be happy about being together again.
Matthias Savignac
President of the Education and Solidarity Network
