BCTF International Solidarity Program BC teachers making a

BCTF International Solidarity Program BC teachers, making a difference globally

Stephen Lewis 2006 BCTF AGM Click here to view. (WMV video clip)

Cuba Project 2010 What impressed me was the work ethic of the Cubans. The importance of betterment of self, with knowledge rather than material goods, was forefront. It is an important goal that many in our society have forgotten. Deb Forbes Teacher, Surrey

Cuban teachers read Teacher Photo credit: Unknown

Namibia [After earning a certificate in Conflict Resolution from the Justice Institute] I organized workshops where these skills were transferred to leaders such as Regional Executives, Branch Executives and NANTU School Committees. What I realised was that the reports NANTU Head Office received were based on facts and the loop-holes they saw within the officials’ [reports], which assisted them to put the records straight. I was also invited to attend a case, and our regional Leaders quoted from legal documents. Their reasoning skills made me proud knowing that information [I had ] transferred made a difference in their lives as Union leaders, which could also influence their personal lives as individuals. These courses are really valued because they contributed to my professional development status as well as [that of] NANTU leaders. Patrick Kazimbu Director, Research, Information and Publicity, Namibia National Teachers’ Union

Namibia 2011 • • • My best experience with the Namibian Language Enhancement project was. . after training, visiting teachers in their schools and meetings students. I was inspired by. . teachers' commitment to improve their English, their teaching, and student learning. This experience was valuable Professional Development because. . I was required to synthesize ESL theory and practice with different teaching and assessment methods. I found out that common challenges teachers face in the classroom are. . (1) cutbacks, (2) student reality VS. Ministry of Education requirements. Common challenges teacher unions face in supporting their members include. . Reaching members in distant areas, large geography of the country, declining membership, imposed centralized curriculum, ‘competing’ with private schools International solidarity is important because. . We are privileged and have a responsibility to work together to improve public education worldwide. Susan Crowley Teacher, Prince Rupert

Honduras The Non-Sexist Pedagogy Project came to be because as middle- and secondary-school teachers, we didn’t have a module for teaching gender equality. We created a team of eight women teachers, and we selected a series of themes to include within the module. Initially we weren’t sure what the exact focus of the module would be, so we carried out a survey of students and teachers, and we came to the conclusion that the most fundamental need was a module on sexuality and gender equality. Daysi Marquez Secretary of the Women’s Secretariat of the College of Honduran Middle School Teachers (COPEMH)

During the summers of 2011 and 2012 I was fortunate enough to volunteer with Education Beyond Borders (EBB) in Kenya. EBB is devoted to closing the education divide through teacher professional development and community education. I was involved in projects that were in their fourth or fifth year of operation, and I worked with Kenyan colleagues to train facilitators for professional development workshops, assisted in the delivery of workshops, and in some cases helped design workshops. My experiences over the two summers made me appreciate professional development on a whole new level. I was inspired by how my Kenyan colleagues gave so much of their time, their efforts, and their passion towards breathing life into a grass roots professional development model. With the focus of EBB being teachers helping teachers, there was constantly a mutual exchange among all participants, regardless of nationality, level taught, or years of experience. It was a clear reminder to me that schools are places of people, and that there is incredible power and hope when people collaborate to make these places better for children. Ian Robertson Teacher, Coquitlam www. educationbeyondborders. org

EBB in Kenya Photo credit: Ian Robertson

Colombia 2011 The picture most Canadians have in their minds of Colombia is of a violent and dangerous country, ruled by drug traffickers and the corrupt wealthy elite. There is much truth in this belief. Here in British Columbia we see ourselves as something entirely different though. We do not see the commonalities of corruption and loss of democracy we both share, and this is our mistake. What struck me most about my recent visit to Colombia was how vastly similar we are, not how different. It is true the level of violence, murder, and disappearances in Colombia is in great contrast to our own struggles, but if we were able to lift the violence away from Colombia, we would see the struggles for democracy, greater social equity, and the fight against a neo-liberal agenda are entirely the same. Of the many tragic accounts I heard during my visit to Colombia as part of the BCTF International Solidarity program, one that has stayed with me came from the University of Cordoba. . The power of money in undermining democracy is so evident, in both Colombia and Canada. We may have much more in common than we care to believe. Joanna Larson Teacher, Prince Rupert Excerpted from Teacher, Jan/Feb 2012

Namibia Personally, I am very grateful to BCTF and VESTA for offering me the opportunity to attend the two courses at the Harrison Winter School in Canada (2010) as a member of the NANTU negotiation team. It was indeed an eye opener and a wonderful learning experience. This training prepared me in making positive and meaningful contributions during the negotiation meetings [in Namibia]. I wish this relationship to continue for many more years to come. Ponti Musore NANTU Kavango Regional Chairperson

Namibia From the bottom of my heart, I think that the BCTFNANTU relationship has groomed many Namibian teachers as they have acquired skills from several workshops conducted by BCTF in the country and outside. The exposure that some of us got from the sponsorship of BCTF has really made us to gain self- confidence and being assertive as professionals. The Justice Institute certificate has really made me able to conduct myself in this corporate world and being able to face challenges that are coupled with leadership roles and managerial responsibilities. Ndapewatabitha Nghipandulwa Teacher, Principal, Namibia

Namibia It gives me pleasure and honour to write about the relationship of NANTU and BCTF as well as how it has assisted me personally and the country in general. We are the first to be trained at the Justice Institute and graduate also with the certificate in Conflict Resolution. The training has improved me as an individual and has paved a way for me to be able to use different skills to handle issues in my working environment as well as personally. The training has brought the following changes to my life and professionalism, such as: a) became a resource person for my union in the country b) became a national trainer, mentor in school, and a good negotiator at my level. c) helped me move from being an ordinary teacher to a manager and from a school manager to a politician. d) was able to develop workshops such as Negotiation and Mediation for the Union e) being able to handle conflicting situation in work environments and able to solve my own and others’ problems. David Hamutenya Namibia

Peru Project 2011 Photo credit: Carol Jokanovich

Peru Project 2011 In my workshops, I recommended award-winning Vancouver instructor Joan Acosta’s materials, available online (at no cost) at www. bestofthereader. ca. Included are tongue twisters, word puzzles, and amazing true stories. I also highlighted positive social struggles around the world—from Ghandi’s salt march to the sea to Colombia’s children’s peace movement. A Peruvian teacher commented later, on a feedback form: “I learned you can teach a language and have students think, too. ” Janet Nicol Vancouver teacher

Nepal – Project Overseas The Tibetan teachers were incredibly gracious and were excited to learn new ideas for their teaching. Their traditional ways were so different from our methods in BC. I took the teachers outside to study concepts in Natural Science. The idea of leaving the classroom was so foreign to them. Teaching, to them, meant sitting on the bench, attentively listening to the teacher and not questioning what they were being taught. In my kindergarten class, I taught them games, singing and rhymes. Most of their kindergarten teaching consisted of teaching the 3 alphabets: Nepali, Tibetan and English. It was not uncommon to see 9 year olds still in kindergarten as they still couldn’t print the 3 alphabets. Learning through play was a whole new idea for Tibetan teachers. We had a lot of fun. Sherry Philpott-Adhikary Teacher, Okanagan Similkameen

Nepal—individual initiative The Nepal Library Foundation was cofounded by BCTF members as direct action to support library development in Nepal. We especially applaud teacher librarians of the Vancouver School District for their sterling work this and other years. Paul Bird Retired Vancouver teacher http: //www. nepallibrary. org/

Peru Project 2012 Participating in the BCTF Peru International Solidarity Project renewed my passion to teach languages but also made me realize that in BC we struggle with many of the same issues that Peruvian teachers face a continent away. As teachers, we want our students to have the conditions that they need and deserve, for learning a second language. It was clear that we have the same resolve in making public education a priority for our governments. Karen Andrews Teacher, Terrace

Education Beyond Borders Through my global travels and passion for personal reflection and life-long learning, I realised an opportunity to share and gain valuable and professional experiences that would strengthen my capacity and those of my peers to facilitate learning and develop global professional learning networks. As a BC teacher of over 20 years, I observed the need and collaborated on and created a model that would see teachers work together to help improve the quality of and participation in education to close the global education divide. Through our work with Education Beyond Borders and with the generous support and annual grants provided by the BCTF International Solidarity mandate since 2008, BC teachers along with our global colleagues have participated in a successful model of professional growth and student engagement that enriches classrooms and empowers teachers to make a difference in the lives of their students here in BC and in the communities where we work abroad. Consider joining our network for free at educationbeyondborders. org Noble Kelly Teacher, West Vancouver

EBB in Kakamega, Kenya Photo courtesy: Noble Kelly

El Salvador My name is María Eugenia Morelos de Ária. I work at a school in Colonia Guadalupe in El Salvador. My experience has been that when we received training on Non-Sexist and Inclusive Pedagogy, we’ve felt supported, and that has helped us reproduce these themes in our own schools and districts, and we can see the impact in teachers who have no experience with theme. There was a very different behavior than what we see now. For us, it’s been very satisfying to be able to support the education of boys and girls, and especially the gender equality that has been developing in my region. We’ve carried out many workshops, thanks to the work we’ve been doing with Co. Development Canada, BCTF and ANDES. Another important impact has been that before, ANDES was seen as ANDES always protesting, and today, we see ANDES as ANDES making proposals for quality education in El Salvador. María Eugenia Morelos de Ária Member of the Women’s Secretariat of the National Association of Salvadoran Teachers (ANDES 21 de junio)

Teachers and hope in Colombia “I believe in the pedagogy of hope—hope that things can change, ” says Ávila. “We must make every effort to re-learn the meaning of solidarity. ” (“Solidarity is not just money, ” says human rights lawyer Yessika Hoyos Morales. “It is love and commitment. It can never be seen as charity. ”) Ávila thanks Canadian unions for their solidarity, saying “we have to rebuild social ties and realize, again, that we are a group. We need your minds and hands in the task of weaving this dream [of] another kind of education in a better world. Let us join our hands to fight together. ” John Avila Secondary-school social sciences teacher, currently the director of the Centre for Studies and Educational Research (CEID) at the Colombia Federation of Educators (FECODE). Source: Nicol, Janet. “Teachers and hope in Colombia: A lesson in international solidarity, ” Our Times, Vol. 31, no. 6, December 2012–January 2013.

Colombia Photo credit: Barbara Ryeburn, published in Our Times The monument in memory of murdered Colombian teachers (called “the monument to the fallen teachers”) is at the front entrance of the teachers’ union, ADEMACOR (Asociación de Maestros de Córdoba), in Córdoba. Source: Nicol, Janet. “Teachers and hope in Colombia: A lesson in international solidarity. ”Our Times, Vol. 31, no. 6, December 2012–January 2013.