Capacity
Building of SEWA Members - through SEWA Academy
SEWA
Academy is our members' university. It is the focal point for
workers' education and capacity-building. The Academy stresses
the self-development of the worker in order that her talents may
be encouraged and developed, and she develops self-confidence
and leadership skills. It is also the means by which SEWA unites
its large and diverse membership through common ideology, thus
building our movement - the SEWA movement.
Towards
developing a common understanding of this movement, our vision
and strategy, this year SEWA Academy focused on process of mutual
learning by sharing between SEWA union leaders. These grassroot
level 'aagewans' were elected as their local union representatives
in SEWA's elections in July 1999. Five hundred of these elected
representatives or 'pratinidhis' meet every month in small groups
to share ideas and experiences and learn of and from each other.
This
new educational process is in addition to last year's members'
education programme, also developed with Academy's special input,
20,000 women participated in the workers' education which covered
issues such as organising, our role in the economy, women's movement
and values of the SEWA movement. In addition to these educational
programmes, SEWA Academy activities are centred on:
