A brief history. In 1999 delegates to BCGEU's convention passed a resolution to establish the BCGEU International Solidarity and Humanities Fund.

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2 A brief history In 1999 delegates to BCGEU's convention passed a resolution to establish the BCGEU International Solidarity and Humanities Fund. Later, the fund was renamed the BCGEU Diane L. Wood International Solidarity and Humanity Fund in recognition of the international work done by former secretary-treasurer Diane Wood. BCGEU contributes 20 cents per member per month to the fund to help support a number of projects and partner our organization with different unions, community groups and non-governmental organizations.

3 What does the International Solidarity Committee Do? Make recommendations to the PE regarding: union policies in support of international solidarity funding of solidarity and development projects through the Diane L. Wood International Solidarity Fund and the Tom Kozar Scholarship Fund donations in response to emerging humanitarian crises relevant resolutions to BCGEU, BCFed, NUPGE and CLC Conventions promoting the work of the committee and international solidarity amongst members, the labour movement and the community.

4 Key concepts Millennium Development Goals poverty, education, gender equality, child health, maternal health, HIV/AIDS, environmental sustainability, global partnership Solidarity treating people as equals, working at the roots of the problem, challenging the power structures, recognizing your privilege Charity short-term solutions to a problem, crisis management, demands fast action, working within the existing power structures

5 As a union, we are in a unique position we understand solidarity, and we have the means to make real changes

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7 ACORN INTERNATIONAL India Community Development, Workers' Rights Organizes informal workers: wastepickers, domestic workers, rickshaw pullers, hawkers, street sellers Creates a recycling program to use the products the pickers generate Manages 5 migrant worker housing and info centres

8 Adopt-An-Organizer Philippines Workers' Rights, Early Childhood Provides salary for one youth organizer Supports leadership training and a camp for youth, women's leadership campaign, worker's campaign Supports childcare centre for families of women in the leadership program ANCI Cuba - Eyesight Association for the Blind provides support for visually impaired Cubans Provides aids for the visually impaired such as adapted watches and clocks and their batteries, recorders and talking calculators, magnifiers, medical aids such as blood pressure monitors, glucose meters, etc.

9 Burmese Labour Solidarity Organization Thailand/Burma Workers' Rights Manages a safe drop-in solidarity centre for migrant Burmese workers near the Burma Thailand border Offers legal aid, medical assistance and labour rights training to marginalized workers

10 MEC Nicaragua - Workers' Rights, Women's Rights Offers legal training and assistance to women garment factory workers in Nicaragua CODEMUH Honduras Workers' Rights, Women's Rights Provides OHS training and assistance to women garment factory workers in Honduras APSIES El Salvador Women's Rights, Community Development Runs women's rights training and rural health organizing in El Salvador NOMADESC Colombia Workers' Rights, Community Development Manages a network of human rights training and organizing in rural communities in Colombia CoDevelopment Canada Latin America Workers' Rights, Women's Rights, Community Development Creates partnership between workers in Canada and Latin America, based on solidarity and understanding

11 DARE Network Thailand/Burma Medical Relief Medical assistance and drug abuse counselling to Burmese refugees near the Burma Thailand border East Meets West India Community Development, Early Childhood Supports a childcare centre in Kolkata, initiative of a GEU member in Kelowna Maquila Solidarity Network Canada Workers' Rights, Development Education Valuable source of educational and policy tools for the garment industry and its workers around the world Instrumental in getting the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, signed by over 80 major retail apparel manufacturers, now moving into implementation Partners in the Horn of Africa Ethiopia Women's Rights, Community Development Provides responsive programming to various community needs, including education, child protection, basic infrastructure, water and sanitation, gender equality, food security, and natural resource management Radio Labour Canada Workers' Rights, Development Education Produces daily internet newscasts on international labour issues, with original interviews and reports 50,000 visits per month to the website, 2600 webcasts from Facebook

12 Seva Tanzania, Zambia, Ethiopia - Eyesight Combines networks of women's microfinance training and community eyecare outreach workers Women have small businesses and pinpoint eyecare needs for referrals in remote communities Stephen Lewis Foundation continental Africa - AIDS Provides care at a community level to women dying of AIDS, orphans and other AIDS-affected children Supports associations of people living with HIV/AIDS STIMMA Canada Medical Relief, Development Education Provides medical and community support to people in need Initiative of a GEU staff member, part of an educational opportunity for Canadians Tom Kozar Scholarship Fund Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Colombia Workers' Rights Scholarships for members of each of our CoDev partners to receive extra training, or to allow someone to attend who wouldn't be able to otherwise VIDEA Africa Community Development, Development Education Supports youth internships to sub-saharan Africa for capacity building to women's groups, legal aid organizations, community organizations, fair trade organizations

13 Two new projects in 2015 Rainbow Railroad Helps LGBT people escape state-sponsored violence around the world with support, transportation and arranging safe transportation Since its founding in 2006, it has helped over 70 LGBT people escape persecution Russian LGBT Network Our first project in the region It provides human rights support to the LGBT community in a country where being homosexual is illegal Helps to create support networks throughout the country, and to advocate for change

14 Another BCGEU initiative for international solidarity is supporting café etico: BC s only unionized fair-trade coffee company - a social enterprise where all profits go to support the work of CoDevelopment Canada

15 WAYS TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY COMMITTEE Thanks for asking us to speak! Keep informed on the issues Labour Start Talk to members they will be surprised and proud about where their dues go Let others know we can speak at meetings to stimulate local interest presentations to components Financial commitment Component 3 Buy café etico There is lots of clicktivism change.org CW/gg cope378