1. GENERAL INFORMATION

The International Study Circle (ISC) project was initiated by the International Federation of Workers’ Education Associations (IFWEA) and its European regional body, Euro-WEA in 1997. A pilot programme to evaluate the feasibility of the international study circle model was undertaken from March 1997 to December 1998. The pilot programme consisted of two international courses facilitated by 12 IFWEA affiliates in different countries including Peru, France, Barbados, South Africa, Estonia, Sweden, England, Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Kenya and Spain. The pilot programme reached over 170 participants recruited from trade unions, community organisations and NGOs.

ISC’s are aimed at facilitating a global education programme on issues concerning globalisation. Experiences of globalisation world-wide have pointed to the need for organisations and communities to develop an understanding of local problems within their international context. This understanding can more effectively emerge if working people in different countries are able to share ideas and information, leading to common strategies and activities.

The potential to conduct global education has been strengthened enormously by new information and communication technologies. The ISC project explores how to make use of the technology in such a way that participants in different countries are able to engage in meaningful international discussion. We hope that the technology will facilitate a global education process whereby local experiences of the effects of globalisation can be communicated and discussed by participants in different countries.

An ISC consists of bringing together groups of participants based in several countries who work simultaneously according to a common curriculum, set of materials and education method. Each study circle has a facilitator. Between meetings, each group has access to materials on the Internet including the results of discussions and work completed in previous sessions by other countries. In this way, we hoped to stimulate discussion and debate between the groups.

The pilot ISC programme focused on transnational corporations. The first course was run on a weekly basis for a period of eight weeks whilst the second course was run fortnightly. The education materials, methodology and project web-site for the pilot programme were designed and shaped by study circle facilitators at an intensive planning meeting held in Seville, Spain in June 1997. See Facing the Challenges of Globalisation: International Study Circles; Report of Seville Seminar, June 1997.

The first pilot course was then evaluated at a seminar of facilitators in Stockholm, Sweden in January 1998. On the basis of this evaluation, decisions taken at the Seville seminar were reviewed and adapted in preparation for the second pilot course which took place from March - June 1998. See Evaluation of Stage One: International Study Circle Pilot Programme. An overall evaluation of the pilot programme and the future of the project took place in Hattingen, Germany in November 1998.

This report is a synthesis of the discussions which took place at the two evaluation seminars. Each country submitted a detailed report for the first and second pilot course based on a common set of evaluation guidelines covering a range of issues including content, methodology, use of the Internet, international communication etc. For the experiences, perspectives and evaluation of individual countries, see the Appendices attached to this report.

2. ROLE OF ISC FACILITATORS

IFWEA and Euro-WEA affiliates from thirteen countries were selected to facilitate the implementation of the pilot programme at a local level including:

• Arbetarnas Bildningsförbund (ABF), Sweden

• Barbados Workers’ Union

• Centre Socialiste d’Education Permanente (CESEP), Belgium

• Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB)

• Culture et Liberté, France

• DGB-Bildungswerk, Germany

• Fédération Nationale Léo Lagrange, France

• Information Centre for Labour Education (ICLE), Taiwan

• International Labour Resource and Information Group (ILRIG), South Africa

• Kenyan Women Workers’ Organisation (KEWWO)

• Masabelani, South Africa

• Open Education Association (AHL), Estonia

• Programa Laboral de Desarrollo (PLADES), Peru

• Trade Union Library and Education Centre (TULEC), South Africa

• WEA with the Transport and General Workers’ Union, England

In selecting affiliates, several factors were considered which included their geographical spread, thereby ensuring that the project was representative; sufficient internal capacity to implement the ISC pilot programme at a local level; reliable access to electronic mail and the Internet; and an ability to communicate in English.

Due to internal pressures, the Information Centre for Labour Education in Taiwan withdrew from the project shortly after the Seville seminar. Thus twelve countries participated in the pilot programme although there were significant variations between countries concerning the nature and level of their involvement.

Each country selected a facilitator to co-ordinate ISC activities at a local level. The role of the facilitator included recruiting study circle members, translating education materials, convening and running local study circle meetings, writing up the results of each session for the web-site, downloading the discussions of other study circles, compiling national evaluation reports, attending international project meetings and liaising with the ISC Project Co-ordinator.

The role of facilitators was crucial in ensuring effective local delivery and maintaining coherence at an international level. The importance of this role was under-estimated initially, and therefore the educational functions of the facilitator were not fully appreciated. It was only as the pilot programme progressed that we were able to define the precise role of the facilitator. In particular, we recognised that the unique feature of the ISC model is that it is international in both scope and focus. A central aim of the project is to stimulate thinking and action on a global basis. Thus whilst the study circles in each country are informed by local needs and allow for grassroots participation in the preparation and delivery of the courses, there is a need to maintain the international dimension and ensure that each country is involved in a common process which goes beyond local problems and issues. The study circle facilitators are central to maintaining this balance in the education programme.

Similarly, the focus of international study circles is on globalisation and related issues. Since globalisation is a complex process which is largely concealed from workers and local communities, members of study circles will not be able to discuss and understand these issues solely based on their own experiences. Facilitators therefore play an important educational function in introducing new information, and assisting participants to develop a picture of the world which links their local experiences with experiences in other countries and therefore to the overall process of globalisation. Since it was the facilitators who were mainly responsible for the international communication between study circles, it is essential that their reports of local discussions are designed for this educational purpose.

Given the crucial role of the facilitators in delivering the education process, it is recommended that there is more intensive training for facilitators in future programmes. Whilst most facilitators are likely to be experienced worker educators, many organisations do not yet have the confidence to address international issues in their education programmes. Even fewer have had any practical experience of conducting education which involves other countries in a common curriculum. Therefore training should aim to develop analytical and practical skills relating to both the content and methodology of global education. Since the Internet has been identified as a useful tool for this kind of education, the training process also needs to advance facilitators understanding of the potential of the technology for education purposes, and the different on-line mechanisms which are available for making international links.

3. DEFINING THE TARGET AUDIENCE

The majority of participants were from trade unions, with only a few countries involving other organisations like NGOs. The trade unionists were largely rank-and-file activists such as worker leaders and shop stewards. However, in several countries, there was also participation from trade union organisers and officials. Participants were recruited from different industries and sectors including food and beverages, metal, motor, chemicals, retail clothing and services. Whilst most participants worked in the private sector, there were a minority of participants from the public sector or from companies which had recently been privatised. Within the private sector, several participants were based in transnational workplaces like Volvo, Nestlé, Guinness, Hyundai etc. Others were in local firms. A small number of participants were self-employed or unemployed.

There were several reasons for the lack of participation from community organisations. In some instances, facilitators did attempt to recruit participants from other organisations but were unsuccessful due to the internal organisational weaknesses of these organisations, and/or lack of interest in the topic. Several participants however did not target their recruitment drive beyond trade unions.

In evaluating the impact of the ISC courses, it was assessed that the target group needs to be defined more narrowly than in the pilot programme. Participants came from diverse industries and companies, with only very general interests in common. For ISC’s to result in sustained international links and concrete activities between workers and trade unions, the target group must share a practical need for this level of contact. Such needs are more likely to exist between workers in the same transnational workplace, in the same industry or between groups of workers who face particular problems like young workers, women workers or workers who have experienced privatisation in the workplace. The content of the education programme would then be tailored to address the specific experiences and concerns of these groups, and concretely link local and international issues. This focus is far more difficult to achieve if participants are from a wide spread of workplaces, companies and organisations.

4. COURSE CONTENT

Participants overall were extremely positive about the ISC focus on globalisation. Many study circle members had never participated in an education programme on international issues. So ISC courses meet a real need which participants themselves feel, but which is rarely serviced by their organisations. Workers are hearing about globalisation and it has become part of the mainstream language of the trade union movement, yet there is little education focus on the issues. Often where trade union education on globalisation is taking place, it is treated abstractly and is far removed from the everyday experiences of the shopfloor. So the ISC project is filling an important gap in providing education which has an explicit focus on global issues.

The ISC pilot programme was fascinating in revealing the tensions involved in the delivery of this kind of education. For example, international topics are not as immediately relevant for trade union members as are the more traditional areas of trade union education such as health and safety, collective bargaining or shop steward training. Therefore the link between local problems and international issues has to be made for an education course to make an impact. In the first pilot course, this link was not sufficiently addressed. Facilitators evaluated that the course content was too general and did not have enough concrete relevance to the daily work and living environment of the participants. As a result, substantial changes were made to the course content for the second pilot course. However, in a course which is being delivered internationally, the precise links to local situations will obviously differ. Therefore there is a need for flexibility in the curriculum at a local level. Whilst the bulk of the materials are uniform between the study circles, there is a need for facilitators to introduce local content which helps to contextualise the wider global issues.

An additional problem with the general orientation of the first pilot course was that, in some instances, the emphasis on the power of transnational corporations resulted in feelings of helplessness amongst participants. It was felt that concrete and recent case-studies of positive action taken in response to transnational corporations needed to be incorporated. The second pilot programme included selected case-studies which highlighted the issue of protecting workers’ rights and exercising democratic control over the activities of transnational corporations. Since international issues can appear large and overwhelming for participants, course content needs to maintain a balance between a critique of global forces and processes and the action which can be taken by labour movement organisations in response.

An interesting debate emerged concerning the political orientation of the pilot course. On the one hand, there was a view that the course content needed to be more critical and focused on looking at what the political alternatives are to the power of transnational corporations. However, others argued that the course was too negative about transnational corporations and needed to present information in a more objective and factual manner. It was argued that independent perspectives on the role of transnational corporations should have been presented, so that participants had access to different views. Underlying this debate, is the vastly different political contexts in which the study circle facilitators and participants are located. It is also a reflection of the different traditions of workers’ education. Tiia Kask from Estonia commented that transnational corporations have only recently entered the Estonian economy and therefore: "Due to our situation, we need more neutral information on the topic. We are not yet in a position to be critical". Yet in other countries, like South Africa, there is a different tradition of political education in the labour movement and workers have expectations of a more explicit political focus in education programmes.

This debate was important in revealing the different realities which need to be dealt with when conducting an international education programme. It raises the question of how courses can be designed in such a way that different levels of political experience and consciousness are accommodated, whilst driven by a shared goal and outcome. Since education on globalisation cannot be politically neutral, what is the most appropriate methodology to uncover the underlying political issues without imposing a single political ideology? How can we make available a framework which assists workers to interpret their experiences politically? In the second pilot course, questions were carefully constructed to enable participants themselves to generate and explore political ideas.

5. ISC METHODOLOGY

The pilot programme exposed the need to further develop our methodological approach to global education. It increasingly became clear that educational methods used for local or national courses, are not necessarily appropriate or effective in an international education programme. Since IFWEA is attempting to run ISC’s which are integrated and coherent at an international level and are not simply about running the same programme separately in different countries, a methodology is needed which results in learning outcomes which have an international dimension as integral to them.

In this respect, the ISC approach did have significant strengths, including:

(a) ISC methodology has international contact and communication at its core. Therefore international experiences and solidarity do not just exist as abstract ideas in the education programme but are part of the practice of how the education is being conducted. This approach helped establish the reality of globalisation for participants, and exposed the value of international trade union and worker links.

A common experience of all the countries was the extremely stimulating effect of this aspect of the methodology. Many of the participants were very excited about having direct international links and contacts through the project. The practice of international trade union work is often remote from the daily experiences of rank-and-file trade unionists. The international study circle therefore gave participants an important opportunity to build relationships with other workers and trade unionists globally. For most of the participants who had either limited or no involvement in international activities previously, this was a new and inspiring way of working.

(b) ISC methodology is geared towards making the international experiences of participants themselves an integral part of the course content. ISC courses have workers’ lived experiences as an important component of the learning process with participants from different countries learning from each other rather than only relying on experts or secondary sources.

(c) The use of the Internet as a tool for international education requires far less resources than if participants were having to meet physically. ISC methodology is capable of reaching significant numbers of participants and countries in a cost-efficient way.

However, there were also serious problems with the quality of the international communication between the countries. With the first pilot course, it was felt that the reports submitted between sessions were fairly bland and unimaginative. There was only a limited exchange of information and that there was no sustained discussion and debate. The general expectations amongst participants in individual countries was that the international contact between the groups would generate new information and ideas which would be a fundamental part of the learning process. In practice however, the international exchange of views between participants was too weak to influence meaningfully the education process.

Facilitators identified several factors which contributed to these difficulties. The education materials were considered to be too rigid thereby restricting the flow of discussion in the international study circle. There were also insufficient activities which were conducive to generating collective discussion and debate. It was proposed that the education materials must be more flexible thereby encouraging a flow of information and discussion between the participating countries. It was further proposed that the education methods used in an international study circle need to have international communication at their core. Therefore concrete issues and problems must be identified which are linked to people’s daily experiences. Without this sense of immediate relevance, participant’s will not have the motivation to engage in discussion.

The education materials therefore were redesigned for the second pilot programme to ensure that they were more discussion based. Activities were introduced which were aimed at generating active exchanges between the groups. Thus there was an improvement in the international communication in the second pilot. However, many of the problems experienced in the first pilot were still apparent in the second course.

An additional problem was the difficulty of maintaining focus in the exchanges between the participants. In the weekly reports from sessions, each country would raise a vast amount of disparate issues. This made it difficult to develop a clear focus in the international communication between groups. In order to ensure that commonalties and differences are being debated, there is a need for the International Study Circle co-ordinator to act as an international ‘moderator’ who synthesises and focuses the issues which emerge from the individual countries. This role is particularly important if the programme is to retain its international coherence, but is reliant on each country meeting deadlines for the submission of reports.

There were numerous other difficulties of a more practical nature. Reporting was often inconsistent in the first pilot due to the pressure of meeting on a weekly basis. Particularly for those countries where materials and reports were being translated into other languages, the workload was enormous. There was a fortnightly time period between sessions in the second pilot course in order to overcome this problem. Facilitators found this arrangement far more manageable.

It was also felt by some countries that the international communication would have been more sustainable if there were fewer countries involved. Perhaps twelve countries in an international study circle is too ambitious. Future international study circles need to take this into account.

The pilot programme did not result in many long-term activities or links between participants from different countries. As has already been discussed, a range of factors contributed to this weakness including the diverse interests of the participants, and the difficulties of formulating a methodology which could result in high quality international communication.

6. USE OF THE TECHNOLOGY

From the inception of the project, the use of the technology was deliberately confined to the facilitators. Since the project was considered primarily to be about education rather than technology, it was felt that the use of computers was simply a means to make links between the groups in different countries and should be kept to a minimum.

However, participants themselves developed a keen interest in the use of the Internet as a tool for the education, campaign and international work of trade unions and other organisations. They became frustrated at their lack of involvement in making use of the technology. In the first pilot course, there were no activities which exposed participants to the potential of the Internet. This resulted in a strong recommendation that for the second pilot, activities involving the use of the Internet (linked to the topic of transnational corporations) were built into the course. The intention is not to provide intensive Internet training as this is beyond the current resources and purpose of the project. Rather, the international study circle would provide a general exposure to the technology. The purpose being to provide participants with a practical sense of how the Internet can be used for information gathering, research, education and solidarity purposes. However, it was not possible for all countries to have a computer available during study circle sessions, and therefore only some groups were able to directly involve participants in the use of the Internet. Where this did occur, participants responded extremely well. In some instances, it resulted in participants making more direct use of the communications technology available in their workplaces. The extent though to which computers are integrated into ISC courses is wholly dependent on the technological capacity of the participating organisations. An assessment of this capacity would need to be made for each individual ISC.

Given that the Internet was primarily being used by the facilitators, they would write the reports of each session. This has the effect of the facilitators talking to each other. The participants were not engaged actively in the process and their voices were largely absent. Thus they were removed from the reality of the international links. After the first pilot course, the facilitators felt strongly that if international discussion is to be meaningful, then the process of communicating must be in the hands of the participants themselves. Participants must be involved in writing the reports so that both their collective and individual personalities influence the character and content of what is being communicated. Reports should not simply be a summary of discussions, but include different views on the issues being discussed. In other words, reports must be conversational and educational for the other countries. Participants should then also be involved in sending the reports, giving them a sense of how the Internet and email can be used.

It was also felt that the Internet could be used more creatively to stimulate free flowing discussion between participants with similar interests. In addition to formal reports, the second pilot course experimented with other techniques such as an on-line discussion page. It was intended that the discussion page would be used to pursue topics of particular interest which could not be accommodated by weekly reports, and thereby stimulate links between groups of workers with long-term interests in common. The full potential of the discussion page was not realised, partially due to facilitators not feeling confident about how to make use of it and therefore unable to involve participants. The pilot programme obviously did not exhaust all the possibilities which exist for international communication using the Internet. Future international study circles could consider the range of other on-line options which the Internet offers to strengthen international communication and links.

In this regard, a proposal did emerge that an ISC should include a 2-3 day workshop (in addition to the weekly/fortnightly sessions) with groups in different countries meeting simultaneously (within the limitations of different time zones), so that participants could make use of email and then receive a response from other countries whilst still in the workshop. It was thought that this could result in more free flowing discussion between the groups, and introduce participants to the potential of the technology in a more systematic and interesting way.

It needs to be appreciated however that to sustain an exchange of ideas and information using the Internet is complex. Participants are not in physical contact, and therefore it is difficult for them to get to know each other. The technology cannot give the same sense of human contact which is possible with direct meetings, and therefore there will be a ‘distance’ between the groups. This is compounded by cultural and other barriers. Language, for example, was a fundamental factor influencing the flow and nature of discussions between the groups. Translation through the facilitators is bound to lose the spontaneity of free flowing communication. Furthermore, written communication tends to be more formal and less dynamic than direct conversations between people. This might contain the emergence of deeper discussions and debates.

Recognising these difficulties, it was felt that the technology does make a project of this nature possible. International education programmes would otherwise consume vast amounts of resources. Within the existing limitations imposed by the technology, cultural and other differences, it is possible to strengthen and improve the international communication so that it impacts meaningfully on the education process. New methods and approaches will develop as we become more experienced in the application of the ISC model.

It is significant that in the pilot programme we did not experience any major technical difficulties. As a prerequisite for participation, each country had access to a computer and the Internet. There were no major differences in technical efficiency between the small organisations based in developing countries and larger organisations based in Europe. Whilst their technological capacity might have differed, this did not impact significantly on the implementation of the ISC which only required a basic infrastructure. This is an important factor. The web site was designed so that each organisation could make use of it without having access to the most advanced hardware and/or software.

The management of the project web site was undertaken by IFWEA affiliate, TSL based in Finland. Since the site is crucial to the successful functioning of an ISC, their management role was extremely important. It is a time consuming task which involves setting up the site, and keeping it updated. It is a necessity that an ISC is efficiently serviced by a central person/organisation with technological expertise. A web site for ISC purposes cannot function effectively, if there is no central point from which information and communication is sorted, organised and distributed.

7. OTHER ISSUES

Several other issues emerged during the pilot programme which need to be considered. They include:

(a) Role of International Project Co-ordinator

In addition to the facilitators in each country, the ISC project is co-ordinated centrally by one full-time person based with the Euro-WEA secretariat in Manchester, England. Her role proved to be crucial in ensuring the smooth functioning and sustainability of the pilot programme, and has an important education function. An international co-ordinator of an ISC is required for the following tasks :

• maintaining contact with facilitators in each country

• providing an international focus, coherence and perspective

• preparing education materials

• compiling international reports

• conducting international meetings/seminars of facilitators

• acting as a moderator of discussions between countries during an ISC

• ensuring that the web site is meeting ISC educational aims and objectives

(b) Language

The international communication in the pilot programme was conducted in English, whilst local study circles were conducted in national languages. This solution to the "language problem" was far from adequate. It was extremely time-consuming for facilitators to translate education materials, and weekly reports. Whilst facilitators were confident to speak in English, participants were not. Language barriers between participants therefore made international communication extremely difficult, and put this vital aspect of the ISC programme into the hands of facilitators thereby enhancing their power vis-à-vis the participants.

Dealing with language differences in an international education programme is an obvious priority. However, we have not yet found an appropriate mechanism. Where resources permit, it would be useful to attach a skilled translator to each local group. However, this would require a vast amount of resources which are extremely difficult to obtain and therefore cannot be depended upon. Another possibility would be to select countries which have a language in common, for example the Francophone countries. Whilst for certain ISC’s this might be appropriate, for others it might be extremely limiting geographically and culturally, and result in a very narrow target group.

(c) Finances

The pilot programme was financed through a variety of sources, but on the whole it was under-funded. It became apparent that the structures and priorities of many donors do not yet reflect the need to work globally. Some funding agencies operate through regional desks (Africa, Asia etc) and therefore do not know where to place a project which is international in scope. Others are still only interested in supporting activities in developing countries, and therefore do not relate easily either to an international organisation like IFWEA based in Europe or to programmes which include participants from the industrialised countries.

Whilst an ISC programme does not require a large amount of funds, support is required for running a preparatory and evaluation meeting of facilitators, and for covering the running costs of local ISC’s which includes the work and time of the facilitator. In particular, it is essential that adequate funding is secured for local groups, so that small organisations are not put under undue financial strain. This is even more important, if language translation is required.

8. OUTCOMES AND PRODUCTS

At a national level, there were important education spin-offs from the pilot programme. Several countries reported that sections of the education materials from the ISC project had been incorporated into local education programmes. This has had an enriching effect. In Bulgaria, a group of brewery workers who were interested in the topic set up a separate local study circle using the ISC materials. In Peru, PLADES is now running a telematics course in response to demands which arose out of the ISC. It has also convened a Social Watch group on TNCs and foreign investment in Peru. Members of this group were all recruited from the two ISC pilot courses.

Whilst the pilot programme did not result in long-term links between participants, there was one exception which captures what the potential outcome of an ISC might be. It was through the international study circle pilot programme that the Volvo workers in Peru established links with Volvo workers in Sweden. This resulted in a delegation from Sweden visiting Peru and the Peruvian workers have now become involved in the International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF) World Council for Volvo workers.

There were reports from individual countries that many participants had expectations concerning the continuation of the international study circle. It was strongly felt by the facilitators that we should encourage participants to develop international links through their organisations using the skills and contacts developed in the international study circle. It was important that the international study circle encouraged independent activity and was outward looking rather than self-perpetuating. IFWEA affiliates in each country could provide support to those independent activities which emerged. However, if this process is to occur, then part of the curriculum of an ISC needs to focus on how participants can take course materials, activities and links back into their organisations and reproduce the education process. It cannot be assumed that participants will automatically feel confident to play this role on completion of an ISC.

There are several education resources which have resulted or will be produced from the pilot programme which can be used to support the independent activities of participants, and other organisations interested in running ISC’s or education programmes on global issues. They include:

(A) Project web site. The site will now become publicly available and can be usefully used by practitioners in workers’ education and others interested in TNCs. The site contains important information on TNCs and has links to other organisations globally with a similar focus. It also includes the education materials on TNCs which will be available in several languages, and the discussions which took place between the groups. The site is therefore an interesting example of how the technology was used for the purposes of transnational learning. The site will also include an opening page in different languages, providing information where ISC support can be found in those countries which participated in the pilot programme.

(B) ISC Manual. A manual will be produced, based on the experiences of the pilot programme. The manual will provide practical guidelines on running ISC’s, and could be used to train ISC facilitators or local tutors to run education programmes on globalisation nationally. Topics to be covered include reasons for an ISC, experiences of ISC’s thus far and lessons, how to set up an ISC, ISC Methodology, evaluation and outcomes, and useful contacts. The manual will be published in both printed and electronic form.

(C) CD Rom. The education materials and discussions between the groups will be made available on a CD Rom. The CD Rom will also include the ISC Manual.

(D) Booklet. In addition to the CD Rom, education materials from pilot course one and two will be integrated, and made available as a course booklet on TNC’s.

In addition to the above, IFWEA and Euro-WEA will continue to offer an ISC on TNC’s. This course will be advertised on the IFWEA web site, and interested affiliates will be able to sign up.

The pilot programme has resulted in a group of facilitators who are now confident and skilled in ISC methodology. It was decided at the final evaluation that these facilitators have an important role to play in promoting the programme at a national and regional level. Thus these IFWEA affiliates will now begin to operate in a more decentralised manner, taking the initiative to offer ISC courses linked to their particular areas of interest and work. Using the IFWEA web site, they will then attempt to recruit IFWEA participants from other countries who share similar interests (possible topics include Structural Adjustment, European Works Councils, Racism and Xenophobia, Recruiting and Organising). In order to target interested organisations, it is necessary for IFWEA to update its web site directory on affiliates. The ISC International Co-ordinator will play a supportive role. This decentralised approach would include these organisations developing the skills to manage the web site linked to their ISC. This would be of enormous assistance to TSL in Finland. However, training programmes in each region would need to be developed in order to develop web site production skills.

9. CONCLUSION

At the Seville seminar in June 1997, the first pilot programme was developed in detail. Whilst there was much interest and enthusiasm for the project, it was largely unknown whether this model of education was feasible. We recognised the need for global education and the potential of the technology as a tool, but had little idea of how these would combine practically.

The implementation of the pilot programme has now proven that such a model is feasible. Whilst there were many problems and weaknesses, we have a basic approach in place which allows us to improve and move forward. With the experience of the pilot programme, we are much more conscious of the precise issues which need to be considered if an international education programme is to be successful. We are also more aware of both the possibilities and limitations of using the technology for this kind of education. Within these parameters, we saw enormous improvements from the first pilot course to the second.

An enormous amount of interest has been shown in this project by other organisations including international trade union organisations, NGOs, researchers etc. We have the benefit of having learnt from the strengths and weaknesses of two pilot courses. We are now in a position to consider the implementation of this model in other contexts, for example, in the workplace. Future plans include developing regional international study circles; using the international study circle method to deliver international courses on women workers, racism and xenophobia, structural adjustment, child labour and other issues linked to globalisation; and working with the international trade union organisations to build international study circles in transnational workplaces.

IFWEA and Euro-WEA are grateful to the following donors for supporting the pilot International Study Circle programme: Olaf Palme International Centre, Socrates Programme of the European Commission, Regional Government of Andalucia, Government of Norway, Government of Finland, ABF Sweden, AOF Norway, TSL Finland and DGB-Bildungswerk Germany.

For further information please contact:

Alana Dave
International Study Circle Co-ordinator
Euro-WEA
c/o GMB College
College Road
Whalley Range
Manchester
M16 8BP

phone: +44-161-8605952
fax: +44-161-8811853
email: alana.dave@mcr1.poptel.org.uk
Internet: http://www.ifwea.org/isc