Ei-iE

EI officially launched the Organising Network (OrgNet) on 8-9 April in Washington D.C, US, as mandated by EI’s 6th World Congress. The aim of the network is to engage in strategic and targeted organising campaigns to grow and strengthen inclusive education unions. The launch event was hosted by EI’s affiliates in the US: the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA).

Dialogue and cooperation OrgNet will allow union organisers to share strategies and best practices; encourage cooperation between member organisations at national and international levels, within and amongst regions; promote innovative organising schemes; and develop campaigns to be shared and used by all EI affiliates.

The launch was attended by affiliates of 29 EI member organisations in over 22 countries covering Asia-Pacific, Latin America, North America and Caribbean and European regions.

The meeting succeeded in stimulating debates on the current challenges faced by teacher/education unions and effective responses, sharing good practices and experiences, as well as establishing a ground for effective dialogue and partnerships on organising.

Need for unions to be proactive On 8 April, Phil Kugler, AFT Assistant to the President for Organization and Field Services, welcomed the participants and the launch of the OrgNet at this crucial time. Participants agreed that business as usual does not work in the current climate and that education unions need to do more and be prepared to counter the threats posed by the global economic downturn.

Jose Campos Trujillo from FE.CCOO, one of EI’s affiliates in Spain, stated that trade unions need to better communicate with society, rethink strategies and refine their discourse for global audiences. “Connecting and building alliances with other organisations and issues, as well as using the social media to involve younger generations, is also crucial,” he added.

Community engagement As the day progressed, very positive and powerful examples of community engagement in advocacy and outreach works were shared.

Participants noted that, in order to have a successful community engagement, unions need to create awareness in the community, educate the community by reaching out to parents, develop training mechanisms, and maintain an active working body.

On 9 April, NEA President Dennis Van Roekel introduced the keynote speaker: Jim Messina, Campaign Manager, Obama for America 2012.

Messina shared his experience as a campaign manager for President Obama, outlining what he had learned and the main tools and messages the campaign used during Obama’s re-election campaign.

He was adamant that trade unions should work together with people regardless of their age, investing in new technology, using social media, and understanding the power of messaging.

Plans for OrgNet During the third session, participants were divided into seven small working groups where they devised recommendations on OrgNet’s next steps between now and the next World Congress in 2015.

OrgNet will provide EI affiliates with an online community platform to share their challenges, experiences, expertise, resources, and organising strategies. This virtual collaboration will be conducted via the streaming of webinar content and online training, amongst other tools.

In his closing remarks, EI Deputy General Secretary David Edwards thanked participants for their valuable and enthusiastic contributions to OrgNet’s successful launch. He also outlined EI’s wish for successful future engagement by affiliates in developing the network to its fullest potential.