12 more dedicated champions
Issued on November 21, 2011 at 06:19 PM
Twelve more union activists have now been added to the Congress Global Solidarity Champions' network.
Training took place between 3rd - 5th November 2011 in the salubrious surrounds of the MANDATE Organising & Training Centre in Dublin. Participants came from a cross section of unions including ASTI, CPSU, CWU, IMPACT, INMO, INTO, TUI and UNITE. There was a packed agenda with participants eager to learn about the plight of workers and union members from Colombia to Palestine and Bangladesh to Dublin.
The training workshop covered several topics which form the basis of the Global Solidarity Agenda. The aim was to provide participants with a brief introduction to a very broad agenda and alert them to some of the crucial issues globally. It opened with a brief introduction to Congress' Development Education programme and then participants broke into working groups to discuss issues relating to Globalisation.
David Joyce introduced the structure of the ILO, how it works and outlined the core labour conventions. A presentation followed on the terrible situation in Colombia for trade unionists and human rights activists given by Martin MacMaolain.
The second day kicked off with a presentation by Maire Matthews on the work of Irish Aid and their overseas programme. This was a very engaging session as participants were very interested in learning more about where the taxpayers' money is spent and particularly how to input into the White Paper review.
The next session saw Eugene Quinn and Paul McCrea from PSEU outline how their Global Solidarity Committee was set-up, how activists might establish one in their own union and the work which they currently sponsor abroad.
The final session of the morning was jointly taken by Conall O'Caoimh from Value Added in Africa and Fleachta Phelan from Comhlamh who spoke about trade issues, how it works and how trade should work. Participants were particularly interested in finding out how to source new products from the global south and what practical actions they can take in this area.
Eugene Quinn, PSEU
The afternoon covered the topic of globalisation and exploitation not only from around the world but here too in Ireland. Speakers included Brian Forbes MANDATE who spoke about the Retail sector in general and the Clean Clothes Campaign in particular. Peter Gaynor, Director of Fairtrade Ireland then updated participants on developments within the Fairtrade agenda worldwide. The afternoon session then closed with a very informative presentation from Nusha Yonkova, Immigrant Council of Ireland on issues of trafficking and sexual exploitation.
Brian Forbes outlining some of the problems with supply chains in the international garment industry.
A bright and early Saturday morning and all participants made it back for the last days workshop. We opened the workshop with a session, delivered by Philip O'Connor from SADAKA, on Palestine which participants were eager to find out. This was swiftly followed by very informative session on Climate Change and Global warming from Gavin Harte, who was a previous member of the panel at our Summer School in September. This concluded the information provisions of the workshop.
Before the workshop closed, there was a brief review and feedback session where participants discussed how they could use the information they had learned about over the three days in their own workplaces and lives. Participants then discussed actions they could take within their own unions, workplaces and lives and a 10 point list was drawn up which was circulated to each participant after the workshop. Each participant was also given time to complete a short personal action plan detailing individual actions which they commit to deliver on within an agreed time period. Watch this space for more information on these new Global Solidarity champions.