ACTIVISTS FROM PARTNER ORGANISATIONS CONVERGE TO PLAN FOR A POPULAR EDUCATION PROGRAMME
On the 29th & 30th September 2016 twenty five young activists from around the country came together to plan AIDC’s Political Education Training (PET) programme at the Alternative Information Development Centre (AIDC) Solidarity Centre in Cape Town.
Half of the delegates were young women because AIDC is prioritising the development of young women leaders. The popular education workshop began by investigating the economic, political, social, environmental as well as political landscape affecting our communities.
The system that is based on exploiting and oppressing the working people was identified as responsible for unemployment, inequality and poverty in our communities. Popular education has to assists us in understanding the society we live in, how we can change it and also in describing the new society we want. Delegates agreed that we need to build strong leadership in the social movements with a vision and a strategy to change society. Popular education will play a significant role in this historical task.
Delegates will go back to their organisations and begin a process of rolling out popular education. The will establish reading groups, organise workshops, training, winter and summer schools. There will be a popular education programme based on assessed training needs that could cover topics such as
- Understanding how society works
- Political Economy
- Race, Gender and Sexuality
- Revolutionary politics (How do you change society?)
- Political ecology
- Economic literacy
- Unemployment
- Service delivery and local government
This popular education programme is understood as being a journey of learning that will be undertaken over time. Through this journey leadership will be developed and partner organisations will begin to design and implement community campaigns to improve their situations.
It will be a journey of empowerment, growth and enrichment. Delegates left the workshop excited and enthusiastic about launching this popular education programme in their communities.
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