PrintAn Introduction to the AFT's Work
in International Affairs
Since its founding nearly 100 years ago, the AFT has had a tradition of active involvement in international affairs. The union's international activities and projects are grounded in its commitment to the principles of democracy and trade union and human rights. MORE...
• Building Free Trade Unions
• Defending Children
• Promoting Human Rights
Urgent appeal: Stop the execution of teacher unionist Farzad Kamangar
REACHING ACROSS CULTURES
Training Teachers in Yemen
This past February, the AFT Educational Foundation organized two back-to-back training seminars with the Syndicate of Yemeni Teachers. The first seminar, attended by the Syndicate’s national and regional leaders, focused on capacity-building skills – democratic leadership, coalition building, planning and organizing. Participants at the second seminar were drawn from the ranks of school-level leaders. "Train-the-trainer" was a key element of the seminars, thereby supporting the Syndicate's efforts to educate new activists in the principles and practices of democratic unionism. In all, 50 Syndicate leaders participated in the seminars.
The two AFT trainers came from Education Minnesota. In addition to their work as trainers, Anne Krisnik works as an attorney for Education Minnesota, and Richard Herriges is on the field staff. Krisnik and Herriges reported regularly back to their Education Minnesota colleagues on their experiences. Click here to read excerpts and view the pictures.
Zimbabwe Opposition Leader Arrested Again
Zimbabwean police have arrested the country's main opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, once again, just prior to the start of a major regional summit to discuss his country's deepening political crisis. Mr. Tsvangirai, who’s leader of the Movement for Democratic Change and a former Secretary-General of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, has frequently spoken out against the escalating campaign of violence and intimidation by his government. His arrest comes a few weeks after he was badly beaten in custody following police action that violently dispersed a group of peaceably assembled protesters. That incident, which saw several other opposition figures also seriously injured, prompted an international outcry against the Zimbabwean government. The AFT has joined with the world community in expressing its shock at recent developments in Zimbabwe in a protest to President Robert Mugabe. Click here to see the letter.
Iran Arrests Striking Teachers
The government of Iran has stepped up its campaign against teachers seeking better salaries and working conditions. Several demonstrations have been organized by teachers in recent months, bringing tens of thousands to protest in the street in front of the national parliament and ministry of education. Peaceful protestors have been met by police violence and as many as a thousand arrests. Speaking out in favor of teachers’ rights in Iran, the AFT has sent a letter of protest to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Click here to see the letter.
McElroy Calls for Release of Ethiopian Teacher Union Officials
AFT President Edward J. McElroy has written to the prime minister of Ethiopia to protest the arrest and torture of teacher union officials in that country. Three Ethiopian officials of the Ethiopian Teachers' Association were arrested last month and detained without warrant. McElroy noted that Education International has informed the AFT that two officials—Tilahun Ayalew and Antenech Getnet—have been tortured while in custody. "The arrest and torture of these teacher union representatives is a direct violation of ILO Convention 87 on the right to freedom of association, which Ethiopia has ratified," McElroy states in his letter. To read the complete letter, click here.
National Democratic Institute Staffer Killed in Iraq
AFT President Edward J. McElroy has written to the head of the National Democratic Institute, former U.S. Secretary of State Madeline Albright, to express the AFT's condolences on the death of Andrea "Andi" Parhamovich, a young staffer killed in a recent attack in Iraq. "What a remarkable young woman Andi must have been, and what a terrible and heartbreaking loss this must be for her family, friends and co-workers at NDI and in Iraq," McElroy wrote. "One can only hope the sadness that surrounds her untimely and tragic death will never replace the facts of her too-short life: the joy she brought to those she worked with and to those she sought to help, and the passionate commitment she demonstrated to the cause of freedom and democracy." Read more about Andi Parhamovich. To read President McElroy's letter of condolences, click here.
AFT Postcard Campaign
The AFT has developed a powerful post-card campaign to raise awareness of the Chinese government’s oppression of labor activists. Hundreds of cards, pre-addressed to the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., were distributed and signed at the AFT convention in Boston this past summer. The card includes the names of some leading labor dissidents in China and demands that the Chinese government respect the rights of workers to organize and to join independent trade unions. If you would like to receive 50 postcards to distribute at your workplace or in your community, they are available for free from the AFT international affairs department. Send an e-mail to Dolores Parran (dparran@aft.org) and ask for a supply of China Labor Postcards. Include your mailing address and the name of your local AFT affiliate. To read more about the postcard campaign, click here.
New Child Labor Resources
The International Labor Organization estimates that 250 million children under the age of 14 are working throughout the world today. Many of these children are toiling under oppressive and dangerous conditions and may be permanently crippled emotionally and physically. We have now added new materials to our Child Labor section of the Web site, including information and links to curriculum modules.
Urgent Appeal for Action To Help Zimbabwe Unionists
AFL-CIO human rights award honoree Wellington Chibebe was among the trade unionists and others arrested and beaten by police in Zimbabwe earlier this month following peaceful protests. To read full story, click here.
