Outgoing Euro-WEA General Secretary Dave Spooner introduces some of the issues to be debated at Euro-WEA’s forthcoming conference in Lulea, Sweden.

Over the last four years, Euro-WEA’s priority has been to explore collaborative education activity between affiliates concerning globalisation. This was the starting point for the International Study Circle (ISC) project. The ISCs were not for Europeans only, but engaged all IFWEA affiliates. Despite financial strains, the ISC idea has developed into a major programme attracting interest from a wide range of organisations.

Euro-WEA - with a new host organisation from June - can now look beyond the ISC project, and consider new priorities. The conference offers an opportunity to debate and agree new directions, and develop a clear policy framework.

Euro-WEA in Brussels

We must lift the profile of workers’ education in the European institutions. Whilst much has already been achieved, our presence in Brussels has been relatively low-key. We particularly need to engage in some of the debates concerning ‘life-long learning’, and counteract those who interpret life-long learning purely in terms of European competitiveness in a global labour market. This is long-term and time-consuming work, requiring strong co-ordination between affiliates, and a consistent physical presence in European seminars and conferences.

It is important that the objectives of Euro-WEA are not subordinated to the agendas set by funding opportunities, not should we simply become sub-contractors for EU programmes. Euro-WEA’s secretariat does not have the capacity to be the movement’s fund-raiser, nor should it be. Affiliates are more than capable of organising funding support from the European Commission for their own activities.

Euro-WEA can identify EC programmes which might be appropriate for workers’ education activities, find project partners, or even provide training in project design and management. But its most important function in Brussels is to raise the political profile of workers’ education, to publicise its contribution and importance to ‘civil society’, and to be seen to have something important to contribute to the future of the European project.

If successful, affiliates when approaching Brussels institutions, will find a more fertile environment where the notion of workers’ education is understood and supported.

Learning the Tools of Internationalism

Euro-WEA remains a European organisation of internationalists, rather than an international organisation of Europeans. There is enormous potential to conduct education programmes to improve trade union members’ abilities to engage in international work. This is urgent as globalisation accelerates and more workplace representatives are facing global issues in collective bargaining. International work is no longer the specialised function of an international officer, but has moved into the trade union agenda at all levels.

As the International Trade Secretariats become more important to national unions, as European company councils are extended towards world councils, and as evidence of global collective bargaining strategies accumulates, more trade unions in Europe recognise the need for structured educational support for local representatives. This covers a range of issues, whether practical training (languages, international meeting skills), background knowledge (the history and structures of the international trade union movement) or strategic thinking (organising in a global economy).

The workers’ education movement has much to offer: education capacity and expertise, close relations with national and international unions, and the building of strong alliances between NGOs, trade unions, ‘traditional’ WEAs, and the international workers’ aid movement.

A possible role for Euro-WEA is to develop new materials, new ideas on teaching and learning methods, and the exchange of good practice which encourages labour movement organisations to build local and national education programmes supporting a global organising perspective. This should not be restricted to the trade union movement. The same needs for engagement with global organisation exist in community-based organisations.

Extending Regional Activities

Euro-WEA must also support the development of regional IFWEA organisations elsewhere in the world. This year, with the support of the WEA (England & Scotland), funds from the British National Lottery Charities Board have been made available to develop regional activities. Over the next few months, seminars will be held in Budapest, Barbados, Lima, Cape Town, Manila, and Luleå, to which IFWEA affiliates and fraternal organisations will be invited to discuss priorities for regional activity.