Countdown to Congress! The 6th World Congress of EI will convene in Cape Town, South Africa, on 22 July. Congress related events will begin with the EI/PSI Sexual Diversity Forum on 18 July and conclude with the final session of Congress itself on 26 July. In between there will be seven half-day sessions of Congress itself, eight Breakout Sessions, five pre-Congress events and five special events, as well as regional meetings of Congress delegates, meetings of the Executive Board and meetings of the various Congress Committees.
Congress will be opened on 22nd July by President Zuma of South Africa. Because of heightened security on that morning participants are asked to be in their seats by 8.45 am. Seating will be allocated for delegates in the main Congress Plenary Room. Areas will be reserved for observers and visitors and for guests. Stewards will be available to assist delegates in finding the seats allocated to their organisation.
Has your organisation paid its 2011 dues yet?
The final statement of dues paid and entitlement to votes and delegates will be prepared immediately after 30th June, which is the final deadline for the payment of 2011 dues. The calculation of entitlement to delegates and votes at Congress is based on the average number of members for which dues have been paid for the years 2008/9/10 and 11. Appeals to the Credentials Committee regarding the allocation of delegates or votes should be submitted at the latest to the EI Secretariat (congress6@ei-ie.org) in Brussels prior to 16th July or after 18th July in the CTICC in Cape Town by 5.00 pm (Cape Town time) on 21st July.
Congress Resolutions and Amendments
One hundred and forty five amendments were received to the forty eight resolutions for Congress. The Officers met to consider them after the final date for submission of amendments and decided, in order to try to ensure that there would be sufficient time at Congress to deal with all of them, that they would recommend to the Resolutions Committee, when it is appointed by Congress, that it should combine a number of the resolutions and ask proposers of resolutions to accept non-controversial amendments to their resolutions. The Executive Board will make a proposal to Congress for the membership of the fifteen person Resolutions Committee.
Is your first arrival in South Africa in Johannesburg?
For some participants, Johannesburg may be the first entry point into South Africa. They will have to clear immigration and customs before proceeding to the Domestic Departures Terminal. Please make sure, where possible, to check luggage through to Cape Town at the beginning of your journey. If this is not possible, you must remember to pick up your luggage in Johannesburg and then re-check your luggage through to Cape Town. There will be assistance in Johannesburg airport for anyone who has difficulty in dealing with immigration or with lost baggage. For participants arriving in Cape Town, there will also be an EI/Winners desk before Immigration to assist with any problems relating to entry visas or customs declarations.
Transportation from/to the airport
A shuttle bus service will be provided from the Cape Town airport to the Congress Centre and to the hotels in the immediate vicinity of the Centre, from 19th July to 21st July. Look out for staff with EI signs which will be located just outside of the customs hall after you have collected your luggage. You will be directed to the Transport Desk where you will be taken to the next available departing bus. If you have had problems with your luggage not arriving on your flight, staff at this desk will also be able to help you. The bus service will also be provided back to the airport on the evening of 26th and on 27th July. Details will be advertised at the Winners Desk at the CTICC with a timetable of departures.
If you would like to arrange individual or group transportation for your delegation, you can do this via Winners at maritha@winnerstours.co.za. Payment for this service should be made directly to Winners.
Pre-Congress Events, Breakout Sessions and Special Events
Registration is still open for pre-Congress events, Breakout Sessions and Special Events, for those who have not already registered for these events. Due to space limitations at the venues reserved for these meetings, it may not be possible to accommodate all of those who wish to participate in particular meetings. Spaces will be allocated on the basis of pre-registration and then on a first-come, first-served basis.
The venue for Breakout Sessions 1 and 5 has been changed from the Congress Plenary Room to the Ballroom on the 1st floor of the CTICC. Interpretation will be available into the same languages as in the Plenary Room.
If you have not registered your choices yet please do so soon on the Congress website (www.ei-ie.org/congress6).
Information on the pre-Congress events, including the EI/PSI Diversity Forum, the Higher Education Caucus, the Women’s Caucus, and the Indigenous Caucus, the Breakout Sessions, and the Special Events, which include a Vocational Education and Training Seminar, a Forum on Migration of Teachers and a Workshop on Privatisation of Public Schools, is also available on the Congress website ( www.ei-ie.org/congress6).
Social Functions
A Welcome Reception will be held in the ballroom of the CTICC (Conference Centre) at the end of the opening day of Congress. All participants are invited to attend. The host organisations, SADTU, NAPTOSA and SAOU, have arranged a programme of entertainment for the evening.
A Taste of Cape Town
On the evening of the second day at the end of the Congress sessions all participants are invited by the EI European and North American member organisations to a special “Taste of Cape Town” evening which will be held in Ratanga Junction, a venue near Cape Town. Participants will have an opportunity to experience some local entertainment and culture. Coaches will take participants to the venue directly after the final Congress session of the day. There will be a shuttle service at the end of the evening to return participants, where possible, to the Centre and nearby hotels.
Awards Evening
The Awards Evening will take place on Monday 25th July, the programme for the evening is as follows:
- 7.00-7.30 pm – Reception
- 7.30-8.30 pm - Awards Ceremony
- 8.30-11.30 pm - Dinner and dancing
As space in the dining area is restricted to 900, the number of tickets available is limited. If your delegation would like to sit together, please send us this information so that we can arrange the table plan. Tickets which have been ordered and paid for in advance will be available for collection from the Finance Office at Congress from the first day of registration onwards. If there are tickets still available they may also be purchased from the Finance Office.
Tickets for the event cost €65 (US$95) each and may still be ordered at the Congress email address congress6@ei-ie.org and paid for by bank transfer to the following account:
EI Congress Awards Dinner Account
I.N.G. Bank, Rue du Champ de Mars, 23, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Bank account 310-1006004-06
IBAN BE85 3101 0060 0406
SWIFT code : BBRUBEB
Lunches and Coffee during Congress
Lunch will be available for purchase by participants in the various restaurants and outlets in the CTICC. There will be a variety of hot and cold snacks available at reasonable prices. Lunch may also be obtained at many small restaurants and cafes which are within walking distance of the CTICC. Coffee, soft drinks and other refreshments will be available for purchase in the Exhibition Area and in the CTICC coffee shop. There will be water available for participants from coolers in the plenary room.
Congress Bags and Publications
Each Congress participant will receive a Congress Bag at Registration which will contain hard copies of Congress publications.
Congress Guide - Book 1 - containing practical information about the operations of Congress itself and information about Cape Town;
Key Content: Practical Information, Congress Agenda, Congress Programme, Rules of Debate, Elections, Voting Procedures, Breakout Sessions, Exhibitions.
Books 2A and 2B - Progress Reports - setting out updates on the four annual reports for 2007/8/9 and 10;
Key Content: Membership developments, Policy on Development Cooperation, Development of Policy on HE, Strategy for the development of ECE, Regional Structures in EI, Update of EI Barometer, Quadrennial Report on the Status of Women, Report of the World Women’s Conference, Quadrennial Report on the Status of Indigenous Peoples, Quadrennial Report on the Status of LGBT Workers
Book 3 - containing the Financial Reports;
Key Content: Report of the Special Committee, Report on Dues Structure, Audited Financial Statements 2007-10, Programme and Budget 2012-15, Proposal on Dues Rate for 2012-15, Appointment of Auditors
Book 4 - containing the proposed amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws and the text of the current Constitution and By-Laws; and,
Book 5 - containing the Education Policy Paper and Congress Resolutions and amendments.
The Congress Bag will also contain a memory stick with the full text of the four annual reports and other Congress documents. Some of these documents are also available for download from the Congress website. For Delegates the bag will also contain a Voting Card.
Urgent Resolutions
Urgent Resolutions, on matters arising within three months of the opening of Congress, must be submitted by the proposing organisation to the General Secretary (at congress6@ei-ie.org) prior to 8.45 am (Cape Town time) on the morning of the first day of Congress, 22nd July.
Nominations for Executive Board Elections
The Elections Committee, which will be appointed by Congress at the beginning of the second session on the first day of Congress, will decide on the timetable for the conduct of elections to the Executive Board. The deadlines for nominations will be announced after its first meeting.
Bring a Book for Equal Education!
Almost 70 per cent of schools in South Africa do not have access to a properly equipped library where children can learn and teachers teach so EI is encouraging all participants who are coming to Congress to ‘bring a book’ from their country and help to build a library. EI will be working with Equal Education which is a movement of young people, parents, teachers and unions working for quality and equality in education across South Africa. Equal Education is supported by South African teachers’ unions, NAPTOSA and SADTU. Participants may visit Equal Education at their stand in the EI Congress exhibition area, where they can deposit books and learn more about the campaigns which it runs. More information is also available on its website: www.equaleducation.org.za
And finally...
This will be the last Congress News and Information Bulletin before we all arrive in Cape Town. Any further practical information will be distributed to participants in their Congress Bags at Registration. Registration for Congress will open on 19th July at 3.00 pm!
Have a safe journey to Cape Town!