Here is a situation:
The University of Malawi, is composed of 5 constituent colleges. Chancellor College is one of them. Of these only Chancellor College and The Polytechnic joined in the lecturers striking. Bunda debated among themselves, and found the cause not worth striking for. Did not join. The University Council, looked at the matter at hand and made the same conclusion as Bunda. The University Council release a press statement stating their stand on the matter. This can be found in the Daily Times Paper of 31 March 2011. The German Students and Indeed the Amnesty International could request this press statement direct from the University Council itself, from Blantyre News Paper Limited which publishes The Daily Times, (http://bnltimes.com). They could directly contact the parties involved in the conflict and use first hand information which is very accessible indeed.
This issue seems to be politically motivated but some politicians who take advantage of any issue that is likely to start a national rebellion against the government. This lecturer event is not a new one.
On this issue, I should say of all the people who were arrested to stabilize the nation while it was demostrating to present their concerns on the fuel shortage so that people should not turn the even violent as it has been in Egypt which was still on around the time, Dr. Blessings Chisinga happened to be one of them. Does Dr. Blessings Chisinga enjoy special privilege to turn the fuel demonstration violent because he happens to be a lecturer?
The Chancellor College have handled this issue wrongly to interpret it as an issue of academic freedom and be so adamant to boycott classes.
The German students should be concerned about the fellow students who were demonstrating to make the lecturers come back to class.
To Amnesty International: you should consider the fact that the Student's right to education is being violeted by the lecturers refusing to go back to class. You should also consider that this issue is being handled with political motivation which will not help the lecturers nor the students themselves.
It is better resolved leaving government out of it, if anything, the direct parties to contact resolving these issues are first the university council, the lecturers, understand their fears and clear them out.
If anything, the police may be required to compensate for assaulting the lecturer but then it should also compensate for all others arrested over this period.
That would be a lasting solution than going political about it again.
Links:
- http://malawidemocrat.com
- http://bnltimes.com