In the context of increasingly visible far-right narratives in mainstream media, politics and society, EIS members seek to embody hope over fear and rise up for a better future.
Over two days, the EIS Social Justice and Solidarity Conference ‘Still We Rise’ explored how educators and trade unionists can join together to create a fairer and more equal world for all. The first day of the conference involved equality related leadership learning for EIS equality networks, whilst the second day engaged all members in key emerging issues for the equality agenda.
EIS President Allan Crosbie opened the conference, noting that this first, bespoke learning day for members who are BAME, disabled, LGBT, neurodivergent, or under 30 years of age, was, “an opportunity to build solidarity and provide a space for organising, for sharing your activist journeys so far, for reflection on how to engage and utilise the equality agenda and how to harness your collective power so that the leadership capacity of groups who are underrepresented both within the Union and within the wider education system can grow and flourish.”
The first day of the programme was inspired by the EIS’s Our Voices in Union (OViU) Leadership course and continued through hearing the reflections of OViU participants Kelsey-Ann Caldow, Sunita Nayyer and Jehan Al-Azzawi about their own leadership journeys, in a panel session chaired by Professor Khadija Mohammed. One participant noted the personal value for them, of being part of a programme where each identity was celebrated as an important perspective, and intersectional connections were made.
Facilitated by anti-oppressive trainer, therapist and supervisor Ellie Muniandy, members thereafter engaged in a half-day programme exploring mental health and inequality, dynamics of power, privilege and oppression, and the Fair Work Framework. The purpose of the day was also to build intersectional solidarity and connections across lived experience and equality networks, which was evident from the enthusiastic buzz of the conversations across the conference hall.
The day was followed by a dinner and entertainment by Musicians in Exile, a Govan based community project that nurtures the talents of musicians who have experience of the asylum system, providing them with instruments and a place to play. The band performed a variety of songs from their home countries and regions, including in Arabic and Spanish.
Reflecting on the conference theme, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley delivered a rallying call to inspire delegates on the second day of the conference. “Out there is deepening despair, alienation and desolation, particularly in the poorest, most marginalised, minoritised communities…
“Potentially a breeding ground for those who calculate that their interests can be best served by fanning the flames of racism, antisemitism, islamophobia, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, ableism and anti-trade union hostility.
“So, in the face of that, do we as trade unionists bound by our collective solidarity, our collective understanding of our shared moral purpose whether we’re women or men or non-binary people, whether we’re Black or white or Asian, whether we hold a faith or hold none, whether we are disabled or not… do we as trade union educator activists step back? Do we say nothing about the pursuit of equality and the realisation of the equal human rights of all? No, we don’t. We rise up and we raise our voices in unison.”
Delegates then took part in a series of workshops, each selecting four out of six topics. The workshops were developed by participants on the OViU leadership course, who selected the key and current equality issues in focus and created input to facilitate peer learning discussions around these
Workshops
- Neurodiversity Works: towards inclusion and equity for neurodivergent workers and workers with ‘hidden’ disabilities
Jade Lucas and Ronja Bethke with Marion McLaughlin
(Aurora Consulting) - Equality for All: Cultivating anti-racist educational establishments
Elizabeth Webster and Sunita Nayyer with Eirece Colbert
(NEA) - Equally Safe in Education: Understanding and addressing misogynistic attitudes
Mary Grace Betsatda-Petrie and Hannah Lafferty with Lorvica Matthews
(NAPTOSA) - We Need Peace in the World – what role for educators? Exploring the EIS peace policy
Jehan Al-Azzawi and Claire Chalmers with Isabel Olaya Cuero
(FECODE) - LGBT+ Inclusive Education: How we get it right for Trans* and Non-Binary Learners
Carmen Sullivan, Dorothee Nys and Kelsey Caldow with Bruno Roy
(CSQ) - Standing Up Against Poverty: How to take solidarity action in education
Sherrif Kwame Awiagah and Christina Fleming,
(PACT Project)
International delegates, and three additional contributors had been invited to include case studies detailing their work in relation to each workshop theme, fostering a sense of international collaboration and learning.
The final session of the day, chaired by EIS Equality Committee Convener Nicola Fisher, featured a panel on international solidarity with guests Bruno Roy (CSQ Quebec), Lorvica Matthews (NAPTOSA, South Africa), Eriece Colbert (NEA, USA) and, Martha RocÍo Alfonso and Isabel Olaya Cuero (FECODE, Colombia). Delegates reflected that, though the struggles may manifest differently in each context, the challenges of rising up against the far right is a shared endeavour, one where we can lean on one another’s strength and solidarity.
Closing conference, EIS Vice President Adam Sutcliffe encouraged delegates to continue engaging with the union’s equality agenda: “Teaching unions are at the forefront of the fight for equality. Through our work, we are not only investing in the future of our education system but also in the future of our society as a whole.”
‘Still We Rise’ social justice and solidarity conference is part of a programme of work by the EIS Equality Committee. If you are interested in finding out more about the EIS’s equality related resources and learning, please visit our website.