The EI Arab Countries Cross-Regional Structure and the Union of Education Norway organised an assessment meeting, Capacity building for EI unions in countries with refugees, in Beirut, Lebanon, from 27-28 February. This meeting, attended by 13 teacher unionists from Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon, held sessions detailing the current situation and challenges facing education, refugees, and national public schools. The EI representative was its Regional Coordinator, Huda Khoury.
On 4 April, Mahdi Abu Dheeb, leader of the Bahrain Teachers’ Association, was released after five years in prison for calling for a teachers’ strike in support of democratic reforms. Education International had worked with a large coalition of affiliates and civil society organisations to ensure his release.