As part of the General Conference, a series of regional meetings were held. Regional Co-ordinators provide a brief overview of the main discussions and decisions.

Seventeen affiliates attended the meeting of the African region. A three point plan was developed, including:

The development of a regional IFWEA perspective on strategies for workers’ education.

The region will focus on educational methods for Africa, especially as applied to:

	organisational and trade union skills training,
	trade union organisational development and alliance building,
	developing women's leadership.

The development of a regional programme of activity:

  The region will try to raise funds for regional programmes which have as their focus the effects of globalisation on Africa, with regard to the following issues in order of priority:

	Human rights (socio-economic and labour)
	Structural Adjustment programmes
	Export Processing Zones
	Privatisation of state services
	Trans National Corporations
	The effects of South African investment into Southern Africa
	Trade issues
	HIV/Aids

The development of IFWEA Africa region and a framework for regional co-ordination.

We will develop an IFWEA Africa campaign. Our campaign will be to raise the profile of struggles for human rights in Africa.  We will publicise the struggles for human rights in other countries, through our educational work, our websites and newsletters.  We will use IFWEA organisations as a source of information. This will serve as an IFWEA watch on human rights abuses in our countries.

Each IFWEA affiliate in Africa will nominate one person as the contact person for IFWEA programme activities.  They will be the people whom the regional co-ordinator keeps contact and who will work on future IFWEA regional activities.

The regional co-ordinator will set up a co-ordinating committee, who will assist in the work of co-ordination.  The committee will be quite small, and will keep in regular contact.

The UGT in Portugal will be approached to continue their assistance with translations into Portuguese.

Those IFWEA affiliates who do not have Internet facilities will report this to the regional co-ordinator. The information will be taken to the IFWEA Executive Committee for further action. 

By Sahra Ryklief, Africa Co-ordinator; sahra@lrs.org.za (email)

Presently, IFWEA in Asia and Pacific has 22 affiliates (including an observer) in 14 countries. Ten of these affiliates met in Helsinki to review past activities and to shape ideas for future co-operation and co-ordination. Delegates from KLSI-Korea, ICLE-Taiwan, HKCTU-Hong Kong, MLI-Mongolia, DWRC-West Bank, IIH-Israel, PILER-Pakistan, SEWA-India, NLI-Philippines, LEARN-Philippines and incoming IFWEA affiliates from SALIGAN-Philippines and PWWS-West Bank, deliberated on how IFWEA in the region could be strengthened and how it could address the needs of its member organisations.

After lively and intense exchanges of thoughts and experiences, the regional delegates agreed on the following initiatives for the next four years:

Strengthening of contacts and co-operation among affiliates at a subregional level.

Joint international campaigns and action-based activities by regional affiliates for instance during Labour Day.

Greater information exchange, using the Internet, on: a) impact of globalisation on workers, trade unionists, women, etc; b) education programmes, courses, modules and activities of IFWEA members; c) situation of countries and organisations.

Development of a 2-3 session "action-oriented ISC" in which the ISC course design and guidelines would be developed using e-mail and a web-site.

Building the Asia-Pacific website to be managed by colleagues from Korea.

Getting the active involvement in IFWEA activities of affiliates from among international labour organisations (IUF, IMF, EI, ITF, UNI and FES) in the region.

Active recruitment of strong workers' education organisations, trade unions and labour groups.

By Marlon Quesada, Asia-Pacific Coordinator; learn@info.com.ph (email)

The affiliates from Latin America met to evaluate what we had achieved and to devise a strategy for the future. Our first task was to assess the downturn in trade union activity in our countries, which is obstructing the trade union education work developed by affiliates.

The neo-liberal policies which have spread over the whole continent have brought with them the relaxation of work contracts, reductions in wages and major restrictions on collective rights such as: the right to join a union, collective bargaining and the right to strike. In the majority of countries this has resulted in a large reduction in trade union membership, a worsening of work conditions and a loss of union leadership.

While neo-liberal logic is predicting the end of trade unions, reality shows us that the conditions of workers' lives mean that it is more vital than ever to be unionised. In this context, trade union education is a transforming and revolutionary force. Strengthening union structures, modernising management capacity, but also tackling new themes demanded by the modern age.

Some of the new themes which have burst upon the labour scene in the last few years include: incorporating new information technologies into unions; debating international business and transnational corporations; the role of trade unions in the process of economic integration; the role of women and the informal sector.

Latin American affiliates have to increase our level of activity in the region. We clearly have to continue to affiliate new organisations and reach countries which do not yet have a presence, promote different forms of distance learning such as ISCs, and create a mailing list by email to establish rapid communication.

We also will arrange that IFWEA materials will be translated into Spanish. Proposals were also made to initiate study circles on women and unions, the informal sector, processes of integration and active citizenship. First and foremost, we will have to raise finance in order to ensure that we meet these objectives of regional co-operation.

By Jose Marcos Sanchez, Latin American Coordinator; pepemsz@plades.org.pe (email)

Euro-WEA has four main areas of priority:  

1.       Central, Eastern and Southeast Europe – Co-ordination for increased efforts on democratic development and human rights

The main aims are to build networks and alliances with other NGOs; with the trade union movement and Labour related parties, deepen democracy, human rights and solidarity; contribute to preparation for entry into the European Union (EU); and to support trans-border cooperation.  

2.       Building Organisations and Networks in the Mediterranean

The main aims are to increase the number of affiliates in Southern Europe; carry out workers' education on migration issues; and to build networks around the ACMACO Summer School in Tunis.  

3.       Workers' Education and Civil Society

Prior to its AGM in June 2000, Euro-WEA organised a seminar on the above topic. It was decided to follow up the seminar in various ways. Much of what emerged will be incorporated into the other three strands of activity relating to Central/Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean and EU enlargement.  

4.       EU Enlargement

Euro-WEA will facilitate an exchange of experiences concerning EU enlargement. The main purpose would be to look at how ordinary people can be made part of the process. Issues such as work, social justice, trade union rights all need to be addressed.