ICTU Global Solidarity Summer School to discuss Palestine and global workers’ rights.
Canal Court Hotel, Newry, 14 & 15 August
Almost 100 trade unionists from both sides of the border will hear a representative of the Palestinian teachers union, speaking in Newry at the ICTU Global Solidarity Summer School.
Anan Da’ana, of the Palestinian Teachers Union GUPT, arrived from Hebron for this annual seminar, and will also be speaking at an additional pro-Palestinian event for the general public on Wednesday evening. Anan will also speak with trade unionists on Thursday afternoon at the Summer School.
The ICTU Global Solidarity Summer School has been an annual event for many years now, and this year will naturally see a focus on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territories being inflicted by the Israeli state and the complicity of much of the international community.
Other speakers will include Senator Frances Black, David Landy (Jews for Palestine) and Claire Liddy (GAA Palestine). There will be workshops for activists focusing on practical means of supporting Palestinians, such as Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions.
Other workshops will explore building anti-racist workplaces, corporate accountability, Irish neutrality, and the global status of working women and ‘platform’ workers.
The full timetable for both days is below.
Day One Thursday 14th August
12.30 Welcome Address Trades Council
12.35 Opening Address by Congress Vice President Jacquie White (UTU)
12.50 Introduction to ICTU Global Solidarity Summer School Programme 2024
ICTU Global Solidarity Committee Chair: Ann Piggott (ASTI) and Vice Chairs, Dooley Harte and Kevin O'Malley
13.00-14.30 Session 1 Palestine – Solidarity in a time of Genocide
- Frances Black (Online)
- BDS Training Materials
- David Landy Jews for Palestine (Ireland) and Academics for Palestine on IHRA definition of Anti-Semitism
- Claire Liddy, GAA Palestine
- Anan Dana, Palestinian Teachers Union GUPT
14.30-14.45 Coffee Break
14.45-17.15 Session 2 Workshops A (to be run twice to maximise participation)
Group 1 – 14.45 – 15.45
Group 2 – 16.15 – 17.15
- Decent Work for Platform Workers: Darragh Golden, UCD, Tea Jarc, ETUC and Kruskaya Hidalgo, Solidarity Centre
- Central Bank Campaign – Helen O’Mahony, IPSC
- IHRA definition – David Landy
- Beijing +30 – Dr. Norah Burns, School of Law, QUB and Board member National Women’s Council
Day Two Friday 15th August
09.30 Address by ICTU AGS Gerry Murphy
09.45 – 10.45
Promoting peace, defending Irish neutrality including the Triple Lock, and opposing further militarisation – Neutrality Roadshow with John Maguire, Professor Emeritus in Sociology at UCC, and Fionn Wallace
11.15 – 12.15 Session 4: Workshops :
- BDS training materials
- Community Collaborations to Challenge Racism – David Carroll and Philomena Obasi (Irish Network Against Racism).
- Corporate accountability – Irish Coalition on Business and Human Rights, Chris O'Connell (Trócaire)
- “What is Divestment – the ‘D’ in BDS?” – Dooley Harte and Jack Ferguson
12:15 – 13:00 Final Session Round up
