Guest Editorial: Forever Indebted to Women
2009; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 55; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1080/00086495.2009.11878838
ISSN2470-6302
Autores Tópico(s)Caribbean history, culture, and politics
ResumoInequality retards not only the advancement of women but the progress of civilization itself. . . The world of humanity is possessed of two wings: the male and the female. So long as these two wings are not equivalent in strength, the bird will not fly. .. Baha'is USA This publication concludes the Hugh Lawson Shearer Trade Union Education Institute's first celebration in honour of the women in the Caribbean trade union movement who have been involved in creating, from the very start, a space for workers' and women's rights: women whose commitment to rights and justice knows no bounds. We, therefore, honour these women in words, thought and memory, by way of the series of twelve lectures. The series was launched by the Mona-based Hugh Lawson Shearer Trade Union Education Institute, in recognition of their invaluable contribution to our social, economic and political development. The first lecture was delivered in St. Kitts/Nevis on November 1, 2007 under the theme Forever Indebted to Women. The theme, which forms the main title of all the lectures, captures the essence of women's relationship to men and to society, because after all, we all are forever in their debt in many ways. Tthe Hugh Lawson Shearer Trade Union Education Institute has been in existence for 46 years, having been established in 1963. It was founded through the foresight and initiative of Hugh Lawson Shearer of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU) was a concrete manifestation of the importance placed on workers, their rights and their condition of life by the leading trade unions in Jamaica. Shearer, also a young Senator in the Jamaica Government of the day, had found support for this initiative among his friends and trade union colleagues, all of whom were, themselves, young labour leaders at the time. The most prominent among them were Michael Manley of the National Workers Union (NWU) who was, later, to become prime minister of Jamaica and Hopeton Caven of the Trades Union Congress of Jamaica (TUC). Hence, these three labour unions are recorded as the founding unions of the Institute. Other members of the team responsible for the establishment of the then Trade Union Education Institute (TUEI) were George Eton and Hector Wynter who were at the time members of staff of the University of the West Indies. Still with us today are the Hon. Hopeton Caven and Professor Emeritus George Eaton, of York University, Canada. The Rt. Hon Michael Manley and Ambassador Hector Wynter passed sometime ago while The Rt. Hon. Hugh Lawson Shearer passed away more recently, on July 5, 2004. In its own tradition of recognising the foresight of its founding fathers and understanding the need to genuflect before our fore parents, the Institute has to date hosted three Symposia in honour of Caribbean Trade Union Leaders. The first was in honour of the late Rt. Hon. Michael Manley, labour leader and former Prime Minister of Jamaica which took place on October 13-14, 1999 shortly after his passing. The next was in honour of national heroes, Rt. Excellent Hon Marcus Mossiah Garvey, labour leader and black liberator along with Rt. Excellent Sir Alexander Bustamante, labour leader and former Prime Minister of Jamaica which was held on November 8-10, 2000. In 2007, from September 16-19, the symposium in honour of trade unionist and national hero of Barbados the late Rt. Excellent Sir Frank Walcott, labour leader and national hero of Barbados was held in Barbados It was during this activity that we learnt of the passing of Anne Liburd , trade unionist, political activist and women's advocate of St. Kitts/Nevis. On hearing of Anne's passing there was a sense of deep loss and deprivation and the need to, in some way, celebrate her life. On her passing, I realised that I could no longer delay honouring and publicly paying tribute to trade union women in the Caribbean. After discussions with my colleagues Judith Soares and Olivia Edgecombe Howell a lecture was planned in honour of Anne Liburd. …
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