Welcome to our global community of worker educators!
Our Aim
IFWEA is building a global knowledge community. We facilitate global co-operation between worker educators so as to advance the frontiers of knowledge, education methodology and practice. Our beneficiaries are democratic worker organisations promoting freedom, justice and equality for all.
- Join us here for the annual Youth Globalisation Awareness Programme (YGAP) running now
- Would you like to participate in IFWEA’s Foundation Skills for Social Change (FSSC) Certificate Programme? click here
- View Foundation Skills Courses for 2018
- Visit our Online Resource Centre to search and share education and training materials here
- Become an affiliate of IFWEA – click here
- View the courses available on the Online Labour Academy (OLA) here
IFWEA e-bulletin Issue 43
Latest Affiliate News
▷ GLOBAL – IFWEA 2018 ACTIVITY REPORT by General Secretary (GS) Sahra Ryklief and Secretariat Team
the report by the GS:
“To all the IFWEA organisations who paid their affiliation fees; put forward their leaders to participate on the Executive Committee; contributed to the Secretariat directly through solidarity fee contributions; through strategic advice and dialogue; through fundraising for our participation in our programme activities; through information dissemination; through participating in the Online Labour Academy, the Foundation Skills for Social Change programme; the Study Circles for Social Change Project and our flagship Youth Globalisation Awareness Programme, I thank you.
With your highly valued contributions as our resource, we make our Global Knowledge Community a reality.”
▶️ read the Activity, Education, Research and Communication Reports
GLOBAL – Sweden Educator Profile: Stefan Svennson – Arbetarnas bildningsförbund (ABF)
“Education can liberate people to be able to take that one or two steps forward, and build self-confidence, well I can do this.You can then deal with all kinds of questions in society – it does not always have to be the political view – it can be the trade union view, it can be the environment view, it can be a social security view, or a gender view. There is no limit, it can be a tool.” says Stefan Svensson of ABF – outgoing IFWEA Executive Committe Treasurer.
Stefan Svensson shares his journey working locally, regionally, nationally and globally using worker education in Sweden, and how can face the challenges in our world through solidarity.
read the profile here
▷ GLOBAL – Côte d’Ivoire Educator Profile: Sibailly Maximilien Douhouré – StreetNet International “Education is the key to success, moreover it’s the light that opens people’s eyes to their rights and privileges. Every change starts with education – it is the foundation of all development. When members are well trained their unions become strong” says Sibailly Maximilien Douhouré, – Organiser & Educator at StreetNet International, and outgoing IFWEA Executive Committee Member.
Sibailly’s Maximilien Douhouré shares his journey from telecommunications engineer, to working across Africa and the globe. ▶️ read the profile
GLOBAL – SOUTH AFRICA: YGAP 2018 theme: “Popular Not Populist – Make Your Voices Heard” The programme took place in Cape Town from 4th to 27th October 2018 – participants came from Bolivia, Cambodia, Cameroon, Finland, Ghana, India, South Africa, Sweden, Turkey, Uganda, USA, Zimbabwe. ▶️ Check out: our photo and video updates of activities during the programme on the YGAP 2018 Page ▶️ View: information about the programme and facilitators who took part here ▶️ Watch: the multi-media “Postcards” produced by YGAP 2018 groups chronicling their experience on IFWEA’s You Tube channel ▶️ Read: YGAP 2018 REFLECTIONS from UNI Africa’s Elisabeth Neh Zama and Jane Katusabe
In this interview Liza Kettil shares her journey as an educator, social democrat, feminist and anti-racist in Sweden. She reflects on how IFWEA’s Youth Globalisation Awareness Programme (YGAP) in 2015 impacted her life, and its importance for international solidarity today. She also describes her experience running as the Swedish Social Democratic Party candidate in the recent elections and the impact of their study circle education programme.
Juan Carlos Vargas, IFWEA Vice-President, pays tribute to colleagueNelly Ascencio at Programa Laboral de Desarrollo – PLADES. 
click here to read the tribute
click here to read the tribute
ZIMBABWE -ZCIEA Educator Profile: Wisborn Malaya
In this interview Wisborn Malaya shares his journey as ayoung informal worker in Zimbabwe, and doing cross-border / migrant work in South Africa. Having experienced the vulnerability of informal workers, Wisborn illustrates how education and solidarity in the labour movement can organise to create unity and change.
click here to read the entire interview
Theme: Women’s Day 9th August
“We are commemorating this day because of fearless women who stood up again the pass laws in 1956. “Pass laws” were legislation that required African persons to carry a document on them to ‘prove’ that they were allowed to enter a ‘white area’ during the Apartheid regime). On the 9th of August about 20 000 women of all races from all corners of South Africa march to the Union buildings in Pretoria. The women handed over petitions to Strijdom’s office illustrating g their anger and frustrations of the pass laws. They sang songs of which a very popular song still sing today was: “wathint’ abafazi, wathint’ imbokodo, uza kufa! [When] you strike the women, you strike a rock, you will be crushed [you will die wathint’ imbokodo, uza kufa! [When] you strike the women, you strike a rock” The march was a great success and we therefore remember the strength and bravery of the women”
read the newsletter by clicking here
Taking place in Berlin, Germany , from 27 – 29 March 2019 Deadline for abstracts: 15 November 2018 GLU wants to invite labour activists and academics to contribute to the global discourse on what kinds of new global rules are necessary, what role the ILO is expected to play in a system of global governance, and how we can strengthen international labour solidarity to obtain the rules needed. click here to read more
click here to read more
- Winners: Jeffy Tangwena from ZCIEA, Zimbabwe and Varinia Rendón Martínez from CENAC Bolivia
- Runner up: Amar Sharate from Streetnet Asia, India and Sreyleak Loeung from IDEA Cambodia
GLOBAL – SOUTH AFRICA IFWEA SECRETARIAT:
Introducing Renaldi Prinsloo – Educator & Online Curriculum Developer
Renaldi Prinsloo joined IFWEA’s Secretariat office in July, working along with Saliem Patel in Education Programmes. She tells us about her background, her passion for education and it’s power for change for the individual and society.
click here to read more
click here to read more
“If the participants leave my courses with doubt in their minds, I have achieved something”, was a typical Arthur Danielsen statement, writes Anne Devik on behalf of Arthur’s colleagues in the AOF Norway. The obituary is translated into English by Aslak Leesland
read the full obituary hereThe photograph (right) is from General Secretary Sahra Ryklief who posted: “Rest in Peace Arthur Danielsen. A fine historian with a great love and regard for the city of Oslo, an experienced and enthusiastic worker educator, a good colleague and friend. You will be missed.” © Facebook
This report provides highlights of General Secretary Sahra Ryklief’s field trip, to Australia and New Zealand, part of the Executive Committee’s mission to build dialogue and improve international links. Read about organisations like The WEA Sydney and the Victoria Trades Hall in Australia to FWEAs NZ and Kotare Trust in New Zealand, and more – links to their social media sites are included.
read the report here
SOUTH AFRICA – AFIT Educator Profile “Denile Samuel: Using Workers’ Forum Theatre”
In this interview Denile Samuel says: “As activists and educators we should always support worker development in participatory ways, allowing workers to own and dictate their development based on their needs and not those of us, or our funders.” She tells us of AFIT’s experience using the workers’ forum theatre as the education methodology for workshops with farmworkers.
▶ read the report here
SWEDEN – ABF and ZIMBABWE – PATSIME: Global Solidarity Education Project “Workplace Wellness”
ABF Sweden and Patsime Trust are partners on their global project “Workplace Wellness”. Driving the project from Sweden is Linnéa Wennberg, from the local branch of ABF Dala Finnmark.
From Zimbabwe it is Jasen Mphepo, who is director of Patsime Trust, and in this interview they explain what the project entails.
▶ read more here
GLOBAL – UK: “IN COMMEMORATION OF ROBERT LOCHRIE: Educator, and colleague in WEA UK and Scotland and IFWEA”
USA – “U.S. IMMIGRANT YOUTH AT A CROSSROADS” by Kent Wong , Director, UCLA Labor Center
“DACA has been a lifeline for immigrant youth. It enables them to no longer live in fear of deportation, and allows them to use their experience and education to legally work and contribute to the US. Having DACA has meant, on average, a 40 percent increase in wages, as immigrant youth are no longer forced to work exclusively in the underground economy, where exploitation and abuse are rampant.”
- read the rest of the article and get links to videos about UCLA Labor Center’s Dream Summer Program here
GLOBAL – IFWEA 2017 ACTIVITY REPORT by General Secretary Sahra Ryklief
Rounding off the report, the General Secretary says: “To all the IFWEA organisations who paid their affiliation fees; put forward their leaders to participate on the Executive Committee; contributed to the Secretariat directly through solidarity fee contributions; through strategic advice and dialogue; through fundraising for our project work; through information dissemination; through project activities … I thank you.” For a review of IFWEA’s work in 2017, with reflections as well as strategy for 2018, click below.
- read the report here
SOUTH AFRICA – “IN TRIBUTE TO MIKE LOUW, EDUCATOR”
“A comrade, shopsteward, organiser, educator, serving workers and working class communities in South Africa, Africa and globally. Mike represented Congress Of South African Trade Union (COSATU) at IFWEA‘s first Youth Globalisation Awareness Programme (YGAP) in 2012.“
- IFWEA’s Programme Manager Saliem Patel wrote this poem as a tribute to Mike Louw here
IFWEA WELCOMES NEW AFFILIATES INAESIN, SUNDERBY FOLKHÖGSKOLA AND ZCIEA
Introducing our new affiliates – firstly INAESIN which is the Instituto de Altos Estudios Sindicales in Venezuela for trade union higher education. Secondly from Sweden we are joined by Sunderby Folkhögskola the public education institution, and from Zimbabwe, ZCIEA – the Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Education Associations.
- read more about the organisations here
ZIMBABWE – FOUNDATION SKILLS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE PROGRAMME by PATSIME TRUST “Worker Activism through the use of theatre within the workplace environment”
The course was designed by Patsimeredu Edutainment Trust and facilitated by Jasen Mphepo with 22 participants – 11 male and 11 female – representing three workers unions which are Zimbabwe Domestic and Allied Workers Union [ZDAWU], Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Economy Associations [ZCIEA] and the Commercial Workers Union in Zimbabwe [CWUZ].
- read more about the course here
GLOBAL – SOUTH AFRICA: 6th ANNUAL Youth Globalisation Awareness Programme (YGAP)
IFWEA’s 6th annual YGAP programme took place during October. The programme is run by the IFWEA Secretariat based at Community House in Cape Town. This year the young worker educators came from organisations based in Zimbabwe, Botswana, Colombia, Venezuela, Cambodia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Sweden and Finland.
- read more about the course activity / watch Postcards here
WATCH VIDEO: INDIA – FOUNDATION SKILLS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE (FSSC) CERTIFICATE PROGRAMME: Women’s Leadership” Course by Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA)
SEWA’s Indian Academy for Self Employed Women (IASEW) completed the Women’s Leadership course with dedicated participants and a certificate ceremony. “Learning the online platform was new to all so excitement was high”, said Director of IASEW and IFWEA Vice President Namrata Bali.
- read more and watch the video IASEW produced of their learning journey here
ASIA: SOLIDARITY VISIT “BUILDING THE GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE COMMUNITY OF WORKER EDUCATORS”
IFWEA’s Programme Manager Saliem Patel travelled in September , meeting affiliates and associates including the International Domestic Workers’ Federation (IDWF), the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU), the Hong Kong Federation of Asian Domestic Workers’ Unions (FADWU), IndustriAll, and Federasi Serikat Pekerja Metal Indonesia (FSPMI).
- to follow the activities of IFWEA members join the global community on Facebook here for regular updates
GLOBAL – UK: IN COMMEMORATION OF RODNEY BICKERSTAFFE by Sahra Ryklief
“Not every union leader can say they were loved. But Rodney was loved by everyone.” Trades Union Congress (TUC) General Secretary Frances O’Grady.
Rodney Bickerstaffe died on 3rd October 2017. He served many years as President of the Global Network, a network of labour rights civil society organisations in Africa, Asia and Latin America, aimed at fostering alliances between trade unions and other civil society organisations towards building capacity around labour rights at a grassroots level.
- read the commemoration here
PAKISTAN – Gender Equity For Trade Unions by Labour Education Foundation (LEF) Designed By Director Khalid Mahmood – Facilitated By Educators Shahnaz Iqbal And Nosheen Amjad
This capacity building training was 3 days over 3 weeks, and was attended by 23 trade union members (15 men, 8 women) from 12 different organisations in Lahore Pakistan. The participants expected to learn about gender equality, gender roles, the situation of home based workers and rights of men and women.
- read more about the course activity here
GALLERY
IFWEA
International Federation of Workers Education Association (IFWEA) address: Labour Research Service (LRS), Community House , 41 Salt River Road, Salt River 7925, Cape Town South Africa
postal address: P.O. Box 376 Woodstock 7915 Cape Town South Africa
telephone: + 27 21 486 1115
fax: +27 21 447 9244
email: ifweasecretariat@lrs.org.za
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