Education International and Public Services International have joined forces for a high-profile conference that brings together leading progressive thinkers and union leaders to discuss the post-Covid19 future and how to shape it. The online event will take place on 29 June.
The Conference will feature a stellar lineup of speakers, including Reverend Al Sharpton, President and founder of the National Action Network, and influential economist Professor Mariana Mazzucato.
Reverend Al Sharpton will highlight the power of unions and civil rights movements (such as Black Lives Matter) working together to end systemic racism and address the glaring socio-economic inequalities which are fuelling division around the world.
Professor Mariana Mazzucato will argue that now is the time to re-imagine the role of the state in order to tackle societal challenges and deliver public purpose.
The conversation will be moderated by Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers, member of both Education International and Public Services International and one of the largest unions in the United States representing education and health professionals.
The conference panellists are outstanding union leaders and champions of democracy, social justice, and equality:
- Mugwena Maluleke | General Secretary of the South African Democratic Teachers Union and Vice-President of Education International
- Annie Enriquez Geron | President of the Public Services Independent Confederation PS LINK and PSI Executive Board Member
- Jalila Al-Salman | Co-founder and Vice President of the Bahrain Teachers Association, General Coordinator of the Human Rights Observatory in Bahrain and Education International Board Member
- Carolina Espinoza Tapia | Vice-President of ISP’s Inter-America Women's Committee, Gender officer of the Confederation of Municipal Health Workers in Chile
David Edwards, General Secretary of Education International, said: “Now is the time for progressive forces to stand together. Going back to business as usual is not an option. We must mobilise and organise so that the world that emerges from this crisis is better and fairer for all. We are taking the lead to make it happen.”
The Conference will be livestreamed on Facebook on 29 June, from 13.00 to 15.00 CEST.