From the Desk - Aslak Leesland
IFWEA’s General Conference meets in October

In just a few months’ time IFWEA’s 19th General Conference will assemble in the south of Portugal to define a way forward for the organisation as well as finding inspiration in workshops and seminars. A women’s seminar is going to be arranged the day before, the purpose of which is partly to revitalize the women’s network in IFWEA but also to secure that a proper women’s perspective is introduced in the deliberations. The conference delegates are all invited to take part in this seminar – both men and women.

The General Conference will convene on Thursday morning, October 2 for opening formalities. After lunch, the meeting will adjourn and continue as a seminar with a number of workshops until Friday afternoon under the headline “The Impact of Globalisation – the Right to Know”. Walden Bello will give a keynote speech on the need for greater knowledge about the consequences of corporate globalisation. There will be workshops on trade union education, training of workers in the informal economy, basic skills, approaches to modern technology in adult learning as well as discussions about the future development of IFWEA.

The General Conference will resume its work on Saturday morning to elect a new leadership and decide on the budget for the next four years. Joao Proenca of the UGT-Portugal is expected to be elected new President and Dave Spooner of the Workers’ Educational Association of England and Scotland is expected to take over as new General Secretary. What decisions the Conference will take on the budget is, however, more unclear and could be hotly debated at the meeting. Less debate is expected on the plan of action for the four-year period, although the two issues – affiliation fee and activities – are obviously closely linked.

The General Conference will demonstrate a lot more than the financial problems of the organisation. It will largely focus on the strength that lies in the network itself, the impressive quality of the affiliates and the stimulation that is inherent in meeting kindred spirits.

A special conference issue of Workers’ Education will be published shortly before the event. Affiliates who do not show up in Portugal during the first week of October are going to miss a chance to connect with the only global network of workers’ educators in the world. So what are you waiting for? Sign up for Albufeira!

email to IFWEA Journal: Aslak.Leesland@aof.no