I was privileged to represent CAUT at an international conference held by Educational International in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in July, accompanied by CAUT executive director James Turk and associate executive director David Robinson.

EI, a global trade union organization of education personnel, has more than 29 million members representing all sectors of education from preschool to university. Founded in 1993, EI has 319 affiliated member unions and associations in 162 countries and territories.

The Fourth World Congress, by far the biggest that EI has ever had, was attended by 1,500 delegates from 159 countries.

A key theme of the congress was defending public education from a range of threats, including international trade agreements like the General Agreement on Trade in Services. At EI's last world congress in Thailand, delegates authorized the creation of a task force to examine the impact of GATS on post-secondary education and research, and to make recommendations on how EI and its affiliates should respond to the pressures of globalization.

CAUT played a central role in that task force. Its final report, presented in Porto Alegre, called on EI to develop a more proactive response to the pressures of privatization and commercialization embodied in the GATS and other trade agreements. Delegates unanimously adopted the task force's resolution urging EI to develop an alternative instrument through UNESCO that would govern transnational education and be based on educational - not commercial - values. The overriding objective of this new instrument is to ensure the future of post-secondary education and research is determined by democratically elected governments in consultation with their academic communities, and not by narrow special interests.

In several speeches at congress events, outgoing EI president Mary Hatwood Futrell addressed the HIV/AIDS crisis. In a fiery speech to the general assembly, she described the devastating impact the AIDS pandemic has had on teachers and students in many developing countries. She told her audience that the teachers' union in Namibia spends half of its income on paying survivor benefits to families of members who have died of AIDS. And in some African countries, one in seven teachers is infected with the HIV virus.

EI has responded to this crisis by establishing programs to make medication and health care more affordable and available. It has also developed curricula and teaching materials on HIV/AIDS prevention.

In the women's caucus, attended by more than 600 delegates, Futrell discussed the effects of HIV/ AIDS, especially on female teachers and students in so many countries. She also stressed the importance within EI of equity in educational access and equity in the teaching profession. She noted that women bring many strengths to learning environments, not the least of which is the ability to show men the value of solidarity in contrast to a focus on competition.

Her closing remarks to the caucus exemplified the spirit of co-operation and empowerment. "Never be afraid to walk through the door of success when it opens for you," Futrell said. "But turn around, grasp the hand of another woman and pull her through the door with you."

Other speakers at the forum were Manuela Tomei of the International Labour Organization who spoke about her ongoing research on the relationship between poverty and exclusion from employment opportunities.

Margaret Flomo, president of the National Teachers' Association of Liberia, talked about the struggles of her country to try to get back on its feet after 14 years of war. The education system in Liberia at all levels fell apart during the armed conflict. Flomo thanked the Canadian Teachers' Federation and the United Nations for their support, but said much more needed to be done to create a safe and viable environment in which students and teachers can thrive.

Tarcela Farolan, president of the Teachers Organization of the Philippines in the Public Sector, described the problems in her country of fragmentation caused by competing teacher unions and the challenges of winning better maternity leave provisions - an issue delegates from Belize, Cameroon, Botswana and Ghana also agreed was a priority in their countries.

Lok Yim Peng, the first female secretary general of Peninsular Malaysia's National Union of the Teaching Profession, told delegates that workload was a key issue for her members. She also reported that the government recently imposed an assessment exam on all educators and only those who passed were eligible for promotion. Less than one per cent passed the exam.

The delegate from Taiwan explained how difficult it is to persuade female educators to become more politically active as they are already made to feel guilty for leaving their homes and families during the work day.

The delegate from Nepal reported the buying and selling of women and girls are practices still alive and well in her country, and violence has increased the magnitude of trafficking in recent decades. As a result of armed conflict, thousands of women and children are homeless in Nepal.

There were many more speakers, trying to help their members overcome injustice, government repression, the ravages of poverty and centuries of discriminatory customs and folk beliefs. An overriding theme throughout the forum was the need for solidarity.

I came away from the meeting feeling CAUT has much it can share with educators in other parts of the world. Those in developing countries have not had the opportunity to participate in the global village. Those of us used to the sleepy comforts of the developed world know how small the world can be, if we are willing to reach out and help those who desperately need us. It is time for CAUT to take its place on the world stage.