While an online version of YGAP is obviously more challenging then meeting in person, the engaged and informed participation of young leaders was both impressive and inspiring. And a lot of fun!

The new Impact 2021 report  from The WEA, the UK’s the UK’s largest voluntary sector provider of adult education, reveals the extent community learning helps adults improve their employability and life chances. 

Lucy Hewes is a tutor with IFWEA affiliated the WEA (Workers’ Educational Association) in the UK. Earlier this year she won the WEA award for Digitally Innovative Teaching, for how she adapted her classes once Covid-19 struck.

IFWEA’s unique Youth Globalisation Awareness Programme (YGAP) turns ten in 2021. Each year, young staff members drawn from IFWEA affiliates or associated labour organisations have come to Cape Town, South Africa

IFWEA affiliate Indian Academy For Self Employed Women (IASEW), popularly known as SEWA Academy, celebrates 25 years in 2021, from humble beginnings to international prominence.

IFWEA General Secretary Sahra Ryklief has thrown down the gauntlet and challenged unions to re-energize and re-tool for today’s global ‘new normal’ in her essay for the US–Africa Bridge Building Project.

IFWEA E-Learning Developer Melanie Julie spoke to Dennis Maluwa from Zciea Zimbabwe who is part of the C.190 Study Circles. He started a C.190 Awareness WhatsApp group for educational and communication purposes.

Fatou Diouf is a Project Coordinator with Public Services International (PSI), the global union federation of workers in public services. She speaks about the IFWEA course she is enjoying.

IFWEA Programme Manager Saliem Patel talks about the new Training of Trainers course – what it’s about, how it works, and why it was designed in the first place.

A new web tool that will help seafarers looking for jobs avoid slippery manning agents and cunning scammers has been launched by IFWEA affiliate International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).

Courses directly offered by the IFWEA Secretariat, as well courses by IFWEA affiliates supported by the Secretariat, include workshops and study circles on topics ranging from climate change to sexual harassment to migrant workers’ rights.

U.S.- and Canadian-based comrades from the United Association for Labor Education (UALE) held their biennial conference from May 24-27, 2021 with over 200 participants joining from around the globe given the online format. Mary Bellman, UALE President, reflects on the event.

At the 2021 United Association for Labor Education (UALE) Conference in May this year, the closing plenary was titled Innovations in Online Teaching: A Global Perspective and focused on how, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic,  two organisations used online teaching to further workers’ rights.

The Global Women’s Leadership Course is a sixteen-hour course approved and certified by the IFWEA Online Academy. The course for 2021 is currently underway, with over 30 participants drawn from six countries – Zimbabwe, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bolivia, India and Venezuela.

IFWEA affiliate StreetNet talks to Gbenga Komolafe, General Secretary of the  Federation of Informal Workers Organisation of Nigeria (FIWON) on their membership of over 700 community-based associations of informal economy workers from 27 Nigerian states.

Three new publications have been released by UNI Global Union / Professionals and Managers (UNI P& M)

IFWEA has released its Operational Plan for 2021, with a full programme of study circles, online training, education courses, research, and promotion of digital awareness and skills.

Three reports that explore trade union responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, including feedback on digital communication systems, online education, and the use of websites and online applications to build digital solidarity, have been released.

From ODL, Guatemala Labour Rights Observatory – ODL Guatemala – is an initiative of a coalition of trade unions in Guatemala, CGTG, and UNSITRAGUA HISTORICA, supported by National Confederation of Christian Trade Unions of the Netherlands – CNV International’s programme since 2018.

The WEA has had long-standing connections with IFWEA which have waned over the last couple of years.  On joining the WEA as CEO we have sought to rebuild our international connections.  We are both members of SOLIDAR and through this, myself and Sahra Ryklief have renewed the relationship leading to this application