Democracy Ascending
July 29-August 2, 2024 the Albert Shanker Institute had the opportunity to offer Shanker Conversations as part of the Education International World Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This followed ASI’s inaugural participation in the 2019 World Congress in Bangkok, Thailand. Because Albert Shanker cofounded Education International, the Albert Shanker Institute’s participation at EI’s World Congress is a natural extension of Al’s vision of learning and building power together globally, just as ASI’s Shanker Conversations are an extension of Al’s commitment to free and open debate.
This blog is a companion to the video of the conversation, Democracy Ascending.
While extreme right wing political movements have been making news, it has been encouraging to see political movements committed to maintaining and growing democracy rise in recent elections as well. From the historic presidential election in Mexico this spring to this summer’s Labour election landslide in the United Kingdom and leftist coalition in France, thanks to the persistence of people in every region of the world demanding their rights be respected and their voices being heard, we’re seeing real indications that we may be turning the tide in favor of Democracy rising.
These promising wins are in direct opposition to the shift stirring up a new nationalism that takes pride in casting the media as the enemy, seeks to debase the voting process, weakens the judiciary, threatens our freedoms of speech and association, and undercuts workers’ rights.
That last point about undercutting workers is an important one – which, of course is why we form trade unions to fight for fair wages, decent work, and labor rights: first by giving voice to workers to have access to economic success, and second, by standing with civil society organizations fighting for racial equality, gender rights, and social justice. It is also why, on July 30th, the Albert Shanker Institute brought together international trade union leaders to be in discussion about democracy ascending. This conversation was moderated by Shanker Institute and AFT president Randi Weingarten and included panelists Odile Cordelier, the Secretaire Nationales (SNES-FSU) of France; Ivan Ilich Gonzalez Contreras, the General Secretary, SNTE-Section 42, of Mexico, and Emma Rose, the president of the National Education Union (NEU), in the United Kingdom.
The conversation ranged from discussion of the political climate to longstanding trade union commitments to actively engage in community. Odile Cordelier began by grounding the conversation in a commitment to students, “We are fighting hard for critical thinking for all students.” Later in the conversation acknowledging that education unions still have the responsibility to explain what the far right would do to schools.
Emma Rose recognized the need to unite and do something about the rise of the far right, especially after 14 years of austerity policies. Conservatives tried to shift the blame of the outcome of over a decade of austerity policies, like large class sizes or difficulty getting medical appointments, on immigrants rather than taking responsibility. The election results in the United Kingdom are promising and NEU recognizes that 14 years of austerity cannot be addressed solely by election results.
Ivan Ilich Gonzalez Contreras explained that SNTE also committed to a long campaign, outlining 2013 and 2018 constitutional reforms that created an opportunity to make electing Mexico’s first female president a realistic goal. SNTE named goals and identified political spaces to work in, from the local to the federal level.
In moderating, Randi Weingarten put a spotlight on all this work and drew parallels to the potential the 2024 elections have in the United States of America.
Please take time to watch and listen to this entire, illuminating and motivating discussion here.