Summary by Tom Scheidung

The Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung took part in the COPAC Conference from 27th to 29th September 2019. Various partners and supporters engaged in the different panel discussions, for example David Sauvage from CARES Mauritius, Makoma Lekalakala from Earthlife Africa, Vanessa Black from Biowatch, Patrick Bond from the University of the Witwatersrand, along with many others. The discussions were especially interesting and focused on issues such as the global crisis of capitalism, the climate crisis, and their effects on Southern African countries and their people. Independent from the different grassroots experiences shared by the panelists, all participants stressed the importance of a solidarity movement. Lastly, it was also agreed: The engagement for climate and distributive justice goes on.

Die Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung nahm an der COPAC-Konferenz vom 27. bis 29 September 2019 teil. Auch viele andere Partner und Unterstützer nahmen an den verschiedenen Diskussionsrunden teil, zum Beispiel David Sauvage von CARES Mauritius, Makoma Lekalakala von Earthlife Africa, Vanessa Black von Biowatch oder Patrick Bond von der Universität Witwatersrand und viele andere. Die interessanten Diskussionen fokussierten sich dabei insbesondere auf die globale Krise des Kapitalismus, die Klimakrise und die Auswirkungen auf die südafrikanischen Länder und deren Menschen. Unabhängig von den verschiedenen Erfahrungen der Diskussionsteilnehmer mit ihrer Graswurzelarbeit betonten alle die Notwendigkeit einer solidarischen Bewegung. Schließlich waren sie sich auch einig: Das Engagement für Klima- und Verteilungsgerechtigkeit geht weiter.

Event report: Gender Inequality in Trade Unions.

On the 25th of May 2019, the National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa (NUMSA) and South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) in collaboration with the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung hosted a seminar titled, “Gender Inequality in Trade Unions”. The event was held in Cape Town at the Tshisimani Activist Centre. The event took place in a context where, as argued by Horn (1991), the labour movement and the left have positioned themselves as vanguards of the working class and its struggles. However, it is doubtful to what extent the labour movement can advocate and protect the interests of further marginalized groups such as Womxn and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, and Intersex (LGBTQI) people.

Please click on the “Read More” button to view the report.

Report and photographs by Sikho Luthango, Programme Officer for Labour Relations and Economy.

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