is an education initiative of the International Federation of Workers’ Education Associations (IFWEA), and its European regional body, Euro-WEA.
International Study Circles are aimed at facilitating a global education programme on issues concerning globalisation. Experiences of globalisation world-wide has pointed to the need for organisations and communities to develop an understanding of local problems within their international context. This understanding can most effectively emerge if working people in different countries are able to share ideas and information, leading to common strategies and activities.
The potential to conduct global education has been strengthened enormously by new information and communication technologies. The international study circle project explores how to make use of the technology in such a way that participants in different countries are able to engage in meaningful international discussion. We hope that the technology will facilitate a truly global education process whereby local experiences of the effects of globalisation can be communicated and discussed by participants in different countries.
An international study circle consists of bringing together groups of participants based in several countries who work according to a common curriculum, set of materials and education method. Each study circle has a facilitator. Between meetings, each group has access to the materials on the Internet including the results of discussions and work completed in previous sessions by other countries. In this way, we hope to stimulate discussion and debate between the groups.
Between March 1997 and December 1998, a pilot ISC programme was conducted consisting of two international courses. The main focus of the pilot programme was on transnational corporations, aimed at rank-and-file trade union and community activists. The course was run on a fortnightly basis in two hour sessions for a period of 3 months. IFWEA affiliates from twelve countries participated including Peru, France, Barbados, South Africa, Estonia, Sweden, England, Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany and Kenya.
The Asia ISC is a 12 month project running from June 1998 until May 1999. It is entitled "Globalisation and the Responses of Trade Unions in Asia". The course involves IFWEA affiliates from the Philippines, Korea, Taiwan, India, Pakistan and Australia. Facilitators attended a preparatory seminar in Manila in September 1998, where detailed decisions were made regarding content, materials, and methodology. The ISC is being implemented on a fortnightly basis between February and May 1999.
The Asia project is co-ordinated by Alana Dave from IFWEA/Euro-WEA in Manchester and Marlon Quesada from LEARN in the Philippines. The technical development and management of the project is undertaken by Jouko Muuri from IFWEA’s affiliate TSL in Finland.
