#EDONews (Bulletin - September 2017)

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rompted by the beginning of the new academic year, as EDON we would like to wish to all students a good and constructive year. Even though the new academic year has already begun, more and more problems continue to emerge on the surface.

Unfortunately, yet another year, the Anastasiades-DISY Government has managed to undermine even more the country’s education.

Early on this academic year, it is being demanded that the high school student movement would take a stand. The revision of school regulations that has been applied by the Ministry of Education, forces public education towards conservative and authoritarian paths. At the same time rough handling on behalf of the Government has resulted in confusion in schools and although there have been declarations asserting that everything is ready for the new academic year, nevertheless in a great number of schools there is shortage of staff, while construction works are still taking place on site.

The anti-social and anti-youth policies, applied by the Anastasiades-DISY Government against the youth, would not stop the students. The new academic year finds the university student movement facing new challenges on student rights. Thousands of university students are still expecting the

We call for all the youth to organise so that we can fight together, as nothing can be accomplished without struggle money from their applications for the university student subsidy-package. The Ministry of Education along with the Government have been claiming the modernization of the procedure, yet their words are being defrauded day by day. At the same instant, the decrease in the number of students benefited by the student subsidy leads to a large number of students being unable to afford their studies.

Once again, as EDON, we express our opposition to the fierce attack on Public and Free Education in our country. We will continue to be standing on the side of the student movement, defending the new generation’s obvious right to education. We call for all the youth to organise so that we can fight together, as nothing can be accomplished without struggle.

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oreclosures is once again the hot topic, including any foreclosures of main residences and small business premises. Despite the Government’s attempts to reassure the citizens by making pledges, that there is no danger for foreclosures, in reality things are very different.

EDON will carry on fighting against foreclosures threatening youth householders and workers

The truth is that Anastasiades – DISI-party Government, and other parties as well, are responsible for the non-existing legal framework used to protect the borrowers. This lack in the legal framework only occurred because the President, Mr Anastasiades, had cut the legal “safety net” against foreclosures, as this was reached by means of amendments and draft laws by AKEL.

This situation is expected to get aggravated in the near future if one would consider the ability of Banks, to packetizing and selling off, loans to foreign Banks. An ability that was granted by the ruling party in cooperation with DIKO-party, as they both voted for the bill regarding selling off of loan packages.

What will follow is obvious, especially if the Ministry of Finance implements the aim to include to the list of buyers of these loan packages, the non-credit institutions which are merely predatory funds. In this context, decision by the Cyprus Cooperative Bank to form a joint venture with “Altamira Asset Management” is very worrying, as it is certain that it will lead to a mass selling of properties to investment funds.

It is clear that the effective confrontation of this problem regarding the non-performing loans, is directly associated with the income increase so as to improve the ability of repaying these so-called “red loans” by households and small businesses. EDON stood next to the people affected by foreclosures from the very first moment and we will carry on fighting against foreclosures threatening householders and workers.

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urrently, the Government of Anastasiades-DISY, in the process of improving its image, makes bombing statements on the reduction of unemployment.

Unfortunately, those statements do not reflect the reality of the society as the majority of young people may assure you through their painful experiences in the field of workplace. At the same time, surveys among the European Member States rank Cyprus at the 4th place with the highest unemployment rates.

Even If the numbers show little signs of “improvement”, we ask the youth to consider how many of their peers leave their homes for another country or stay abroad, after the accomplishment of their studies to find better opportunities. Or even If they work in Cyprus, what about their financial situation? In this way, every one of us-Cypriots can experience that, all those triumphs about unemployment redaction, do not apply to the real existence our people deal with in their everyday life.

In addition, the need of a job leads the youth to remain in work fields, that do not cover an average salary, or even work split hours without any collective agreements. Also, many are employed in seasonal jobs (ex. Summer Season), where during the passage of the season they find themselves semi-employed, or even worse, unemployed.

Meanwhile, unemployment is on its pick, Cyprus Government along with the Ministry of Finance, stays faithful to its neo-liberal policies, proposing the lowering of minimum wage.

The 30,000unemployed registered in August, do not leave any space for “festivals” on the behalf of the Government.

It is time for our Governors to think of the real world, by looking for the truth about unemployment in the devastated faces of the youth, and the society in general. The 30,000-unemployed registered in August, do not leave any space for “celebrations” on the behalf of the Government.

As EDON, we invite the youth of Cyprus, to join our struggles towards a change in the existing socio-economic policies.

Together we strive for prolific development in the economy, where people will prosper, not numbers.

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he issue of the “conflict” in the Korean Peninsula and particularly the nuclear tests being held in North Korea, as well as the joint military exercises between South Korea and the USA, is lately often being discussed by various media. The broadcasting of these kind of news takes place in order to prepare the people to accept and compromise to any solution on this specific issue, without excluding the possibility of war; a US invasion in the name of “democracy” and the enforcement of “peace” in the area.

It is not the first time that the USA interferes in matters concerning the Korean Peninsula. They led the Korean war during 1950-1953, that resulted in the partitioning of country. Simultaneously, they have been holding military bases, as well as thousands of soldiers in South Korea until nowadays.

Historically, North Korea has tried several times and has even proceeded to sign the prohibition of the creation of conventional weapons and nuclear

Today the struggle of the people for complete prohibition of nuclear, chemical, biological and any other type of weapon of mass destruction and for completenuclear disarmament, becomes even more imperative tests. In all cases since 1980, the USA was the one defaulting every agreement made by North Korea towards the solution of the issue.

As EDON, we follow the developments in the Korean Peninsula, which do not only affect the people in the area, but the global population. At the same time, we maintain our position that citizens of each country should be able to decide freely for their own future. Facing the risk of a nuclear war, the struggle of the people for complete prohibition of nuclear, chemical, biological and any other type of weapon of mass destruction and for complete nuclear disarmament, becomes even more imperative.