August 11, 2025
Dear colleagues,
The ESERA Board has decided to join other professional organisations in recognising our moral and professional responsibility to not remain silent for the war crimes in Gaza and act beyond symbolic solidarity.
While ESERA has not traditionally issued statements of this kind, the gravity and urgency of this humanitarian crisis call for a reflection of our values, collective commitment, and responsibility as a community.
Similarly to international legal bodies, we recognize the health, psychological, social, economic, educational, and structural collapse occurring in Gaza, which violates children’s fundamental right to education (1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child).
Since October 2023 around 96% of schools in Gaza were hit or damaged and 658,760 school-age children remain out of school. At least 612 members of school staff were killed and 2,769 were injured. Furthermore, more than 57 university buildings have been destroyed and over 190 university academic staff have been reported killed (United Nations, 2025).
We call for:
Immediate international intervention, including a permanent ceasefire, release of all hostages, and unrestricted humanitarian access.Defending academic freedom for scholars including those who research, teach, and advocate for the recognition of the Palestinian state.Providing direct support to displaced and targeted scholars, students, and science education professionals.Promoting research into consequences of the disruption of Gaza’s educational system on children and youth, and design of educational interventions for reparation and restoration.The Board’s position is that in times of humanitarian crises professional silence and inaction is not neutrality but complicity.
We hence extend an invitation to anyone interested to join a meeting for building solidarity and support through science education. The meeting is scheduled on Wednesday, August 27th from 12.30 to13.30 in Room Spisehuset at the ESERA 2025 Conference venue in Copenhagen. To sign up, email: [email protected].
The meeting is not part of the scientific programme, and it is initiated by a collective of ESERA members, which is united in their commitment to upholding the following fundamental values: the pursuit of knowledge, the protection of academic autonomy, and the responsibility to serve life and collective flourishing through science education.
With care & hope on behalf of the ESERA Board,
Lucy Avraamidou, President
tinanantsou.blogspot.gr
