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Submitted by Claude Beaunis on 09/02/11 – 09:01
Proceedings of the 28th RIDEF held in
Nantes / Saint Herblain, France
from 20 to 29 July 2010
 
Summary
I. Letter from the President.
II. The work of CA.
III. First session of the FIMEM General Assembly.
IV. Second session of the FIMEM General Assembly.
V. Third session of the FIMEM General Assembly.
 
I. LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT.
September, 2010
 
The contradictions of the XXI century
Some analysts believe that the new century brought as an edition seal a phenomenon that filters all the circumstances of people's lives. This phenomenon is speed.
Speed in the scientific and technological advances that help us understand the major threats facing the planet. Speed in communication, which permits much more accelerated exchanges than ever before and diversity in the graphical languages used to promote an early understanding of the message we want to send.
This speed has also impacted the development of new generations that are early exposed to new technologies and learn much faster to use them than those, like us, who have been born in the last century. The media can now understand facts and phenomena that our generation took several decades.
That speed has also extended the lives of people and has also permitted a number of countries to have more experienced people, but less able to perform fundamental basic tasks that require strength and agility and foster better living conditions. Therefore, these countries have ushered in massive migrations.
Next to this display of advantages, there are other labels that we must recognize: contradiction, imbalance and inequity.

As the digital culture progresses and develops, a growing gap between the population groups that have acquired and already use the new and increasingly sophisticated technologies, and the population groups that don’t have a phone nearby to call the doctor.
 
We know more about climate change, temperature inversion, but the planet decertifies and thousands of people suffer or disappear because of storms as it was the case in Pakistan, or in Veracruz with Hurricane Karl, or in Oaxaca, Mexico.
 
Plants and animals species disappear. In many countries plenty of infants and young children die because of diarrhea, dysentery and pneumonia.
 
This deterioration of life on the planet accelerates conflict for survival and the struggle for basic necessities, which were previously accessible to all and is transformed now into privileges, as in drinking water.
 
Moreover, other contradictions arise on the planet. Digital languages are brandished as symbols of diversity and flexibility, while many governments employ authoritarian and infamous attitudes, not hesitating to discriminate and persecute some parts of the population. See the case of gipsy’s, and more generally, “traveling entertainers” and foreigners in France or the Guatemalan people crossing the Mexican border to go to follow the American dream, the “landless” persecuted and killed in Brazil, the besiege suffered by the population of San Juan Copala in Mexico, the Palestinians expelled from their own territory, the “Mapuche” of Chile fighting for independence, Mexican immigrants in Texas and many other examples around the world.
 
We still see the accumulation of wealth in the hands of few people and at the same time poverty is rooted, and military expenditures and control mechanisms is increasing in a society that guarantees less security of its children who can no longer go to the park, or walk down the street to buy bread because cities have become areas of high violence.
 
How can we explain that in this digital and  computerized, society, there is about 900 million illiterates, millions of children without access to school, millions of children and young people leaving school or academic failure, because the educational systems, curricula and textbooks don’t respond to the needs of present generations?
 
How is it that in the information society, school systems are not adapted to the needs of present generations and that the authorities do not recognize the importance of education and the urgency to transform their school systems?
 
 
The gradual privatization of public schools in many of our countries shows how the state gradually gives up its obligation to educate new generations and reduces progressively the percentage of GDP for education.
 
In many countries, inequality reaches peaks when comparing the life of families in rural areas and those in urban areas. The majority of landless peasants migrate to cities and slums spread constantly. In these areas, there are few decent works for adults, but there are a lot of exploitation and child labor that makes small family contributions, obtained from the destruction of childhood and submission to the worst humiliation.

The hegemony of great powers of North America and Europe seeks to impose models not only for the control of the economy, but also to standardize culture, production and consumption in a world that emphasizes values of individualism, consumerism and competition. Community models and cooperation are undermined and neglected, discredited as a way of life from the past and have no place in the modern era.
 
The construction of responses.
Given these realities, it is clear that governments need to devise new solutions. One can also wonder if the school has a role to play in the construction of social meaning.

During the RIDEF of Nantes we have seen, through concrete actions and some deep thoughts, paths that can provide new ways to cope with the contradictions we live as a society.

In Nantes we testified a cooperative society concerned to promote learning in both everyday actions and in workshops, roundtables, field trips or assemblies. It is worth noting that the society that emerged on July the 20th and was dissolved on the 29th, comprised of voluntary, conscious and committed teachers who went to a special event called RIDEF, which is not mandatory, which gives no score to improve their wages, which gives no degree and does neither promote individualism, consumerism  nor profit.
 
These ridefiens lived in a community space and showed new forms of relationships and learning processes that probably are not the same as those experienced by participants in their country, their schools or even in their classes.

If this is possible in each RIDEF, how to ensure that this can also become reality in our daily life?
 
This cooperative society was formed by many young people that decided to ally to this way of life and learning. They were able to find answers, often denied in the globalized world and hegemonic in their daily lives. For many of them it was an example of the possibility of a different life outside the RIDEF and that they could fight for it.
 
We could hear denunciations of political destruction of public schools, of the state control to delegitimize the educational role of teachers and also injunction to comply with national and international tests in defiance of the knowledge and more formative approaches. It is possible to think crosscurrent; the testimonies of some of our colleagues have shown us the path.

We know that some of them are going to participate in the World Forum of Education, the meeting on the rights of children, projects for children in cities, to pronounce the IILatin American Pronouncement, to the democratic meetings and mobilizations in defense of rights.
 
The struggle for education in developing critical thinking, respect for human rights, the rights of children and youth, nourishes our vision and commitment, and we demand a coherent permanent exercise to face the  violations we daily see,  in various ways, some subtle and others more obvious.

Reflections on the Rights of the Child, the vigilance against xenophobia, the need to open the FIMEEM to critical thinking of the XXI century, such as the Earth Charter, the World Declaration on Education for All, New Latin American pronunciation, the creation the  philosophical sapace that can permit interaction with other actors who live in their daily life as an alternative society, as our ridefien society, should lead us to further reflection on how our Charter becomes a crucible of dialogues and further negotiations, because the world has made great progress, but also left behind many ways to act, to understand the complexity of the world.
 
We can not maintain our self comfort, while at the same time, in our country, cities, and even, unfortunately, often, in our schools and classrooms, the fundamental rights are violated. It is necessary to promote an  education that respects children and youth as individuals, to promote their culture, which recognizes differences in terms of living conditions, health, disability, learning styles, social and economic status, tastes, aptitude and family situation.
 
It is necessary that in each RIDEF we leave more confident and convinced of the need to rethink our work to strengthen our practical cooperation, critical examination of our attitudes, deepen our arguments to continue to make the school the best location for the development of intelligence, creativity, respect for differences and multiculturalism.
It is necessary, not only to discuss, but also to live with our belief and to defend that education:
  • Is a fundamental right, waived and that it’s our responsibility to attend it.
  • involves experiences, active participation in social life and a constant exercise of democracy.
  • should be coordinated with social and political life of the people to have a real impact on people's lives.
  • involves integration, social inclusion, solidarity and cooperation.
  • should promote the development of personalities and self criticism.
  • must restructure its ongoing educational models of action.
 

To return to our everyday reality, it is important to ask what the DIDEF left us, what we have learned, what we scored, what are the thoughts and words we have appropriated, which actions or examples of others have made us rectify our own route, what do we take to our classrooms, colleagues or families.

It will be then able to say that Freinet’s pedagogy is an answer to new challenges facing the planet ...

 Teresita Garduño Rubio.

September 2010
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
II. THE WORK OF THE BOARD
Board Members FIMEM 2008-2010:
president: Teresita Garduño Rubio, Emiliano Zapata 60, Colonia la Candelaria Coyoacan, 04380 Mexico DF, Mexico
E-mail: gardunot@prodigy.net.mx

Vice President: Mamadou Demba, Sor Ndiolofène Thierno Ousmane Sy . Str... St. Louis Senegal
E-mail: mamadoudemba2000@gmail.com
Treasurer: Elke Hofmann, Lorettostr. 58, 79100 Freiburg, Germany
E-mail: elke-hofmann@gmx.de

Director: Michel Mulat , F-04240 Ubraye,France
E-mail: @ ac-michel.mulat freinet.org
Secretary: Luba Kolebinova, 3 Raven Str., Sofia 1618, Bulgaria
E-mail: luba_kolebinova_bg@yahoo.com
a) Meetings
 The  FIMEM’s BD had numerous meetings in Saint Herblain - from July 19th  to July 30th  2010:
Two meetings were held with the organizers:
- To discuss and resolve issues concerning the organization of the RIDEF - the work of various committees and the work of the BD - the moral report. There was also a joint work of treasurers on financial issues during a few meetings.
- A meeting was held with representatives of Spanish MCEP about their candidacy to the Board and for the RIDEF 2012 in Spain.
There were meetings of the Board or Board members with different movements and groups:
- With representatives of Burkina, who will work together in a national movement;
- With 3 Brazilian movements which manifest the intention to work together;
- With the Club Freinet of South Korea. The Koreans presented their  activities since the inception of the club and his intentions to form later a movement;
- With representatives of CAMEM to discuss to their future plans (see Summary on the site by entering “CAMEM / decisions");
- With CAMEM and representatives of Burkina Faso for the creation of a single movement of the Burkinabe Modern School (formal contract of training the "Burkinabe Movement for Modern School - MBEM)
- With competent people, interested  in ensuring the smooth functioning of the future FIMEM site.
- Two other movements have become FIMEM members and were warmly welcomed by the participants of the GA - Georgia and AECEMO from Cameroon.
- In addition to member countries with delegates at the AG, there have been at the RIDEF representatives to the following countries: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Comoros, South Korea, Georgia, Haiti, Morocco and Tunisia.
- Regional or continental meetings were held to strengthen contacts between the movements.
- The Day Forum brought several organizations close to the French movement (ICEM) or that helped organize the RIDEF allows persons who were not involved in the RIDEF to be present and participate the activities.
- A Tribute to The Bohec was made with the projection of images, video clips and personal recollections of participants.
- The organizing team has prepared a rich program for participants and visits of four-Freinet schools- during the day excursions are very popular.
- For children of the RIDEF, activities were held throughout the meeting by a CEMEA team.
Big thank to everyone who worked to organize this RIDEF: Departmental Group 44, Les Amis de Freinet, le Groupe Lyonnais de l’Ecole Moderne (GLEM) and to all those who helped with translations and / or in the restaurant and / or maintenance of pavilions where participants were housed during the RIDEF.
Big thank to the City of Nantes and the Curator of the Museum for hosting the participants in the Museum of the Fine Arts and all those who have subsidized the RIDEF.
b) RIDEF Metepec (2008).
Mexican MEPA movement, organizer of the RIDEF Metepec (2008), has provided for all participants in Metepec, books of memoirs "Freinet in the XXI Century" (in Spanish, French and English) that contain a large quantity of photographs and reflection, analysis and assessments made by ridéfiens. These memories were very welcoming.
 
c) Organization of the GA.
 
Three sessions of the General Assembly were held during Nantes’ RIDEF: July 22nd, 25th and 28th.

- Organization of the presidency and the secretariat of the first and third session of the GA.
- Complete delegate’s lists. Recuperation of the documents of delegates and movements that had not yet presented.

- Organization of the second session of the GA in several groups of languages (French, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian, German and English) to discuss the moral and financial reports, nominations to the Board and FIMEM, changes in Internal regulations, FIMEM’s Charter, FIMEM’s CA guidance 2010-2012. Some changes were made to the moral report and presented to participants before the third session of the GA.
 
d) Finances
- The financial report and the budget estimates were reviewed and discussed.
e) Solidarity Fund.
- The organizers of the RIDEF received large sums from many organizations, which helped bring 34 African, 6 from Georgia and 1 from Haiti. The last African visas were received shortly before the RIDEF, although documents from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs had been prepared and sent to embassies after several months. For this reason, it is recommended again to start the RIDEF attending these actions in advance, as well as airline tickets.
- The FIMEM subsidized participants from Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe. In this context it is noteworthy that there was a very large participation of Brazilians. (Brazil 52, Mexico 25, Chile 1).
- Sums of solidarity provided for some representatives of our movements that could not come to the RIDEF have been used to assist in the registration fee for one participant from Senegal who was not taken into account in the list of participants from Africa and the rest was shared between groups of East and Central Europe and Brazil.

(There is a need to harmonize the lists of participants who need solidarity. These lists must be prepared in time, and everyone must prepare and submit necessary documents in time for its journey to be welcome. If there are early reservations, we have reasonable prices.  It is important that many people have the opportunity to benefit from the sum of solidarity to help their movement.)
 
- It is also desirable that the movements and groups who made the decision to donate money for solidarity for the following RIDEF, to inform the Board as soon as possible so they can provide that amount for those who need it.

Big thanks to everyone who has helped by paying money to the group and FIMEM. This solidarity allowed the participation of representatives of poor countries in this RIDEF.
 
f) New CA.
- To reduce travel costs, the BD will try to have just two meetings before the RIDEF 2012 in Spain, but with more days of work.

Giancarlo Cavinato will assist the work of the BD without asking to be reimbursed for his trip during the Board meetings, the MCE cannot pay it I case of considering him a member of the Board in its own right (see bylaws).

g) RIDEF 2012
 
- The nomination of Leon in Spain for the RIDEF in 2012 was presented and voted unanimously during the third session of the GA.

h) The Charter of FIMEM.

The commission (Mexico, Spain and Italy) responsible for the modification of the Charter and which took into account the proposals made by the movements so far, has presented its proposal and the one presented by the Freinet Kooperative of Germany which worked on the proposal of the Austrian movement. The GA voted for the Charter of the Committee. (See Annex 1)
 
BD wanting to keep the work of all movements and individuals, has proposed the creation of a philosophical space in which many documents will be kept: the old Charter of 1968, the Charter of the Freinet Kooperative and other documents of organizations close to FIMEM such as the Charter of Children's Rights, the Earth Charter, etc…

i) FIMEM’s Internal regulations.

The two proposals of the commission responsible of the modifications of the Internal regulations were voted by the General Assembly:

Adopt the grouping of countries of the World Report on Human Development, for example:
Very high human development category = A;
high human development category = B;
medium and low human development category = C.

Add in the third article a new coefficient between those used to calculate the contribution of the movement of A category (K = 0.0001) and B category (K = 0.00005).
 
 "Countries whose Class A average annual salary is less than 50% of the maximum average in this category will be eligible for K = 0.000075. "(Changes made in French and English on the website)
 
j) Booklet
- The updated pamphlet can be printed in English, French and German from FIMEM site. ("Animated BD / flyer)
- Request all Movements to update their own information in the section of "Movements" in the site and fill the tables of addresses of their members so that we can keep the lists updated.

k) FIMEM site.
- A team of administrators will work on creating a new site and transfer the current site.
l) Guidelines.
Some points were added to the guidelines proposed by the Board, and all were passed by the GA. (See Annex 2)
m) Motion of the Round Table.
- A text was prepared following the roundtable with the theme “The destruction of public schools in Europe”.  The roundtable organizing group will work on the text proposed to the participants and will send it to the movements to describe it in their respective countries.
n) Next Meeting of the Board.
- It will be held in León in April 2011. July 2011 (probably from July 4 to 11) in Spain, during MCEP’s Congress in Huelva.
 
III. FIRST SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
Thursday, July 22, 2010 - Nantes, France.

The agenda and report:
1. Welcome and presentation of the various delegations.
President of FIMEM, Teresita Garduño, surrounded by the BD, welcomed all delegations and participants, who were introduced to the Assembly.
The delegations were:
Germany: AKS, Kooperative-Freinet.
Austria: Salzburg Group.
Belgium: EPB AND FBV.
Benin: ABEM.
Brazil: ABDEPP and MREMNN.
Bulgaria: MEMB.
Spain: MCEP.
Finland: ELS.
France: ICEM several groups Departmental.
Italy: ERM.
Japan: GGUS.
Mexico: MEPA.
Poland: PSAPF
Romania: ARSM.
Russia: AFR.
Senegal: ASEM.
Sweden: KAP.
Switzerland: FGS.
Togo: MOUVEN
 
2. Installation of the president and secretaries of the GA.
 
After the installation of the President (Andi Honneger) and secretaries of the GA (Patricia Despaquis and Mamadou Demba), we went to the structuring of AG before wishing Gitta Kovermann of Germany, one of the deans of RIDEF, happy birthday.
 The agenda will continue pointing out the importance of the payment of the fees of each movement, then the presentation of candidates to the Board and the movements that are knocking at the FIMEM’s door.

Mamadou Demba

3. Candidate presentation.
Ingrid Dietrich, presented by the German movement the Freinet Kooperative,
Patricia Despaquis, presented by the French movement, ICEM.
Pilar Fontevedra presented by the Spanish Movement MCEP.
Giancarlo present his proposal to participate in the BD, "from outside".

The question of the presence of an associate member in the Board.
 
A representative of the Italian movement, the MCE said, through a text that, currently, the financial position of the movement, given the current economic situation, is unable to present Giancarlo Cavinato, as candidate to the FIMEM’s BD, and meet that commitment.

Giancarlo proposed to participate in the activities of CA and its meetings, assuring himself its expenses.
It's not about the status of "associate member" as defined in the statutes of FIMEM.
This situation is unique and will be dealt with by the new Board.

4. Presentation of movement’s candidates to enter the FIMEM.
Cameroon: Papa Meïssa Hanne, President of CAMEM, provides the favorable evidence to the entrance of this country in FIMEM.
Georgia: the IDEM 44, departmental panel, co-organizer of the RIDEF, explains how this movement has flourished since 1999, and has explained that many projects have combined these two groups. (Internships, exchanges, workshops and exhibitions in the RIDEF since 2002).


Presentation of a new movement.

The Korean movement, under development, is represented by five of its members. It asked the General Assembly recognition of its existence.

5. Moral report of activities 2008-2010.
It is read and discussed in order to refine the content and to complete it.

6. Financial Balance Budget estimates 2008-2010 and 2010-2012.
Elke Hofmann, observes that the global economic situation has an impact on the financial position of the movements.
The operating cost is high because of the distances between its members. (Senegal-Europe-Mexico)
(See Appendix 4: Budget 2008-2010 Budget estimates 2010-2012)
7. FIMEM guidelines.
The guidelines were presented.
8. Next RIDEF:
2012: Spain, Leon.
2014 in Italy? The economic and political situation is not favorable now.
9. Charter modification project: This project is approved.
 Three proposals were presented in the motions.
1. Keep the current Charter. (Position of motion of the French Belgian movement)
2. The text proposed by the Austrian and German movements.
3. The text sketched by the commission composed of members of Spanish, Italian and Mexican movements. Giancarlo Cavinato, member of the Committee, reflects the difficulties encountered in the transmission and circulation of documents at work.

 Elements of the debate
What can we do make so that the different movements can recognize each other in  a the new, founding,  text?
The structure of the current Charter shall be open to educational environment, social contexts of countries, times.
A lot of work has been done by the committee for 4 years, which should be taken into account and needs to be validated.
A delay could still be useful.
Delegates are invited to continue discussions with participants in their movement by the GA.
10. Modification of the FIMEM’s internal regulation
This change was made.
Patricia Despaquis
 
 
 
IV. SECOND SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
Language Groups - Sunday, July 25, 2010

 French language group
1 - Nominations
BD candidates: no comment
• Partner in BD: Is it the responsibility of the GA? Is it consistent with the statutes? Nothing otherwise.
• It is not normal that a movement can not enter the CA for financial reasons, because it cannot pay 40% of its trip.
FIMEM candidate satisfies the conditions: no comment
2 - Finance:
Conclusion: no comment
Estimate: We specify that the 300 Euros are intended to promote international publication, DVDs, newspapers, newsletters, books if possible ...
3 - Moral Report
Chapter 5: a protocol that improves communication between BD’s and the organizers of the next RIDEFwould be welcome.
The paragraph about Jean Le Gall will be written by himself or at least reviewed.

4 - Orientations:
We clarify the question of “the future of FIMEM” . The balance Europe-Africa-Asia and America is changing and requires us to consider another organization so that all movements should be represented in our meetings and so that training can also be crossed.
Fimem site.
Everyone wants to change or replace the FIMEM site. But  there is no concrete proposal.

FIMEM FILES. If the responsible commission doesn’t function, we must recognize that many countries are now aware of the fact that it is not the work of one person: Bulgaria, Poland, Russia, Romania, Mexico, Brazil, Senegal, Tunisia, Cameroon, Germany, Belgium, Japan, Benin etc... Not to mention individuals. These files are managed by a professional organization at Nice that publishes the inventory in the internet and makes them accessible to all.
Organize an international network to fight against the dismantling of our global virtual education system.

5 – Internal regulations
 
After discussion we trust the group that worked on the IR.
Our working table for calculating contributions will be posted on the wall FIMEM at the entrance of the bar. Correct any errors on the average salary of a teacher with 15 years seniority.
6 - Charter:
People complain of the lack of information: the charter was sent to movements in the month of May to be discussed before the RIDEF.
The Belgian movement is seeking to uphold the charter of 1968.For ideological freedom the question of the paragraph taken in the 1968's charter, applied to the ICEM FIMEM, by FK , may open the door to all fundamentalisms.
However any movement should at least adopt the passed charter.
68’s charter was not political enough already in his time because it has not been able to integrate self-management in its chapters. The updating focuses on globalization, ecology and child´s wrights. It is that secularism is explicitly written.
The Board will propose a vote integrating the Brazilian proposal of a central core and satellites. The first being voted in Nantes and additions may be offered before each AG without limitation. Is it manageable?
For the least of Latin American countries it is an urgent need to updated the charter. Can we vote on a base which would be refined in the future?
7 - Other matters:
Display: all the documents to be voted are posted on the FIMEM’s Wall (bar) because all the delegates did not have any documents (see end rushes AG 1)
A motion will be written and signed by the FIMEM concerning the destruction of the education system in many countries.

Post a new lexicon for those who do not understand the concepts of trial and error, natural method, etc... or our acronyms. (See those who have already been made in the movements cf. Switzerland).
Nantes July 25, 2010 Patricia Despaquis ?
  -------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------
2nd AG .- Spanish, Italian and Portuguese Group.
NANTES, July 25, 2010
Discussion Topics
1. Candidates.
The candidates were presented:
• Teresita Garduno, Mexico. (2 more years)
• Mamadou Demba, Senegal. (2 more years)
• Ingrid Dietrich, Germany. (4 years)
• Patricia Despaquis, France. (4 years)
• Fontevedra Pilar, Spain. (4 years)
__________________________________________________
Not voting:
Associate Member: Giancarlo Cavinato, Italy
No comments.

2. Financial Report 2008-2010 and budget estimates 2010-2012.
No comments.

3. Activity report and moral report.
It was explained to the Assembly that the Board had received comments about the Moral Report presented at the first AG.
The differences between the first and the second report were:
Rights of the Child.
Jean Le Gal has been assigned by the Board to represent the FIMEM (due to his implication in the defense of
 the rights of children) in both events around the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and in all actions aimed to raise awareness of this issue.
Grants for the preparation of the RIDEF
• Grant applications have been conducted only by the host country. We are very impressed by the long list of donors. The choice of these grants under the jurisdiction of the organizers of Nantes, Lyon and Friends of Freinet.
• The African group is especially grateful for the grants received by the RIDEF’s organizers through solidarity  and also by the funding from partner organizations.
These changes were accepted.
4. Orientations.
The proposals made at the first session of the General Assembly FIMEM (22 / 07/10) were accepted, but participants have added others.

Orientation were added to the 2nd session of the general assembly (25/07/10)
Create a network of resistance to oppose the destruction of public schools.

Establish relations with international organizations.

Create a new collaborative site that makes it possible for all members of the FIMEM to be informed, to communicate and work together. This site that collects all information from the FIMEM’s website should be accessible to other interested persons.

Publish an inventory of the files that hold the memories of the International Freinet movement and its addresses (postal and web site). People can also visit Mayenne, Nice ...sites

5. Internal regulations

The Internal regulation Committee has seeked for an actual classification for the countries and among the statistics released, they chose the 2009 Global Report on Human Development, which takes into account not only economic growth but also building human capacity.

The proposal was accepted.

6. FIMEM Charter.
The voting process has been presented with the following steps:
First vote: "Change or not change the Charter.
Second vote: If the vote "to change" wins, we vote the two proposals for a new charter:
Ø proposal of the Committee charter FIMEM
Ø  proposal of the German movement Kooperative-Freinet (based on the proposal of the Austrian movement)
Opportunity for the vote:
Ø  this charter is accepted absolute result (50% + 1)
If not, 3rd vote
 
Third vote:
Ø Vote between the two proposals
Ø  the proposal with the most votes is the new FIMEM Charter
4th vote:
Ø  FIMEM philosophical Area around the Charter
Last step:
Ø Create a drafting committee to finish the job.
Ø Proposal of the Board that deals with each RIDEF: a FIMEM Charter philosophical space
 Members of the congregation protested because they are unwilling to vote for "Do not change the Charter" because it was a mandate from the Assembly of Metepec change the Charter and was the reason for the formation of the Commission.
On the other hand, there was a discussion because of the text of the Charter contained in the site. It does not represent the final work. They decided to work the draft and submit the final text to ridefiens before the third meeting.

July 25, Teresita Garduño.
   

Regional Meeting / Continental - Western Europe group
Nantes, July 23, 2010
Theme of meeting: The Future of FIMEM
 Greetings, Introduction
Agenda:
1. Such events, federation
2. Solidarity and Finance
3. Unifying Europe Group. (This relates to point 1) The west and east.
4. Memories and archives of the FIMEM
 
1. - 3.
Arguments for an European federation:
• Moving towards an European federation based on our experiences and rich exchanges to take advantage of European institutions in terms of support and finance.
• To be recognized at European level for training and to have a real influence, it is essential to create such a federation
• To receive grants for our travels.
It is too early for such a federation, it is desirable to continue
4.Proposals “Friends of Freinet”
• Create an international commission and Archives cooperative
• Promote a dynamic in every movement around the issue of the memory of international and national movements.
• It must simultaneously be able to access a website that centralizes the archives and a place that brings them together.
July 24, 2010, Elke Hofmann
 
ASSEMBLY OF THE AMERICAS
In the Blue Room of the Lycée Jules Rieffel Saint Herblain were summoned the American ridefiens for the Assembly of the Americas. It was attended by 52 Brazilian, 25 Mexican and one Chilean, another Chilean staying in Nantes, a Haitian and a Canadian resident.
We talked about the importance of strengthening the cooperative work between Freinet national movements. Secondly, we stressed the urgency to integrate more teachers who practice alternative ways of learning.
The Latin American countries share a common reality: rising poverty, deteriorating public schools, illiteracy, exploitation of children. That's because of the need to construct an identity that guides our American practices and helps us solve similar problems: large school groups, very low wages for teachers and loss of legitimacy of teachers' work.
At the meeting, we saw the beginning of reconciliation between the movement of the North-Northeast of Brazil, with ABDEPP because both movements have decided to work together to organize the First Meeting of Freinet educators in America (RADEF) to be held in the National Meeting of Educators Freinet in Brazil
Flavio Boleiz Júnior proposed to establish an American Freinet Network. He began working a few days after RIDEF and he has now (October 15) over 125 members. The Freinet meeting of America will be held in Teresina, Piaui, Brazil from 15 to 22 July 2011. His organization has the responsibility of the Partners of the Modern School North / Northeast of Brazil. (Chair: Waldília Neiva M S Cordeiro.)
July 23, 2010. Teresita Rubio Garduño.
 
V. THIRD SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE FIMEM.

 Wednesday 28 July 2010 (15 - 17.30 pm)
AGENDA
1. Designation of the President of the GA. / Welcome and Installation of the President of the GA
2. Roll call of delegates. / Presentation of delegates and vote count
3. Agenda Voting / Approval of the agenda and installation of the voting committee
4. Moral Report
5. Balance sheet. / Financial Report
6. Election of new auditors.
7. Election of new board members.
8. FIMEM guidelines.
9. Projected Budget 2010-2012.
10. Integration of new members to the FIMEM. / Affiliates FIMEM
11. RIDEF 2012.
12. Charter FIMEM.
13. Changing the Internal Regulations.
14. Other matters.
 
1. Welcome and Installation of the President of the GA.
Teresita Garduño - Chairman of the Board of FIMEM (2008-2010) thanked all participants for their collaborative work and translations in various sessions of the GA.
After, she called the composition of the Directorate of GA
Chair: César González Trapiello. (Spain)
Secretaries: Ingrid Dietrich (Germany) and Luba Kolebinova. (Bulgaria)
Master of Time: Dobanda Mihaela (Romania)
2. Presentation of delegates and vote count.
Delegates from different movements were presented. Vote count: 23 delegates were present and 1 absent.

3. Approval of the agenda of the 3 rd Session of the GA.
The agenda was approved by the GA.
Installation of the Voting Committee:
Miriam Valladares (Mexico), María Eugenia López de Vicuña (Spain), Yacouba Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso)
 
4. Moral report.
Teresita Garduño underlined the changes in the original Moral report considering the comments received during the 2nd session of the General Assembly and a meeting with the organizing team.
After the presentation of changes and the reading of paragraph 5 about the relationship with the GD 44 for the preparation of RIDEF, the Moral Report was voted on and accepted unanimously - 23 votes.
The moral report was unanimously adopted. (See Appendix 2)

5. Financial report.
The auditors Niklausen Renate (Germany) and Andi Honneger (Switzerland) said that after checking the balance, the financial report is in order, clear and presented in the period.
Vote for the Financial Report: 23 votes.
The financial report was passed unanimously.
The Chairman warmly thanked the treasurer Elke Hofmann for her excellent work.
 
6. Election of new auditors.
Elke Hofmann and Andi Honneger are candidates as auditors for the period 2010-2012. Rating: 23 votes.
The new auditors were elected unanimously.
  
7. Election of new board members.
(The personal presentation of new candidates can be found in Appendix 3)
There was no question about the nominees
The GA elected the following candidates:
 
Teresita Garduño, Mexico (2 more years) 23 votes
Mamadou Demba, Senegal (2 more years) 21 votes;
Ingrid Dietrich, Germany (4 years) 22 votes for;
Patricia Despaquis, France (4 years) 23 votes;
Fontevedra Pilar, Spain (4 years) 23 votes.
 
No voting: The question of the presence of an associate member on the Board:

Reading of a text of the MCE, the Italian movement, explaining that currently, the movement can not nominate a candidate for the Board of FIMEM, for financial reasons, given the current economic climate.

The former president expressed her thanks to the outgoing members of the Board for their cooperative work, commitment and sense of responsibility:
Luba Kolebinova, Elke Hoffman and Michel Mulat.
(The distribution of tasks of the new board takes place later, during their first working meeting.)
Addresses the new AC FIMEM 2010-2012:
Chair: Teresita Rubio Garduño, Emiliano Zapata 60, Colonia la Candelaria Coyoacán, 04380 México DF, Mexico
E-mail: gardunot@prodigy.net.mx
Vice President: Mamadou Demba, 12 Rue Thierno Ousmane Sy, Sor Ndiolofène Saint-Louis Senegal
E-mail: mamadoudemba2000@gmail.com
Treasurer: Patricia Despaquis, 25 Rue du Regnier 69800. Priest ST. France
E-mail: patricia.despaquis @ laposte.net
Secretary: Ingrid Dietrich Hoelderlinweg 14, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
E-mail: dietrich.i @ gmx.de
Responsible for  RIDEF 2012:
Fontevedra Pilar, Calle Escuela Taller, 15 Astorga (León) España CP24700
E-mail: pfontevedra@gmail.com
E-mail: pfontevedra@gmail.com
Associate Member: Giancarlo Via Cavinato Ronzinella 88 / B 31021 Mogliano Veneto, Italia
041 5903693 (prefixo internacional de Italia 0039) 3470154407 mobile
 cavinatogc@aliceposta.it
 
8. FIMEM guidelines.
The President presented the changes in the guidelines that were added after the second session and circulated in advance before the third session. (Annex 4)
Vote for guidance 2010-2012: 23 votes.
The guidelines were accepted unanimously.
 
9. Budget estimates 2010-2012. (Previously distributed to participants)
Vote for the budget: 23 votes.
The budget was passed unanimously.
 
10. Affiliation to the FIMEM.
Vote for the new movements presented:
Georgia (AGPF): 23 votes;
Cameroon (AECEMO): 23 votes.
Georgia and Cameroon were accepted unanimously as FIMEM members.
11. RIDEF 2012.
The Spanish movement MCEP had proposed in 2008 for organizing the RIDEF 2012. A video of the location of the meeting was presented(León, Spain).
Vote for the Spanish proposal: 23 votes.
RIDEF 2012 will be in Spain - voted unanimously.
 
12. Charter.
The voting procedures on changes to the Charter of the Modern School announcedbefore, has caused objections among the participants.
The FIMEM BD, after debate, presented a new proposal and the participants, after debate, presented other.
The French group explains why his delegates will vote for the Old Charter.
The process number 2, after voting, has been chosen:
- Vote for or against the former Charter;
- If the old charter is not accepted, vote for one of two proposed new charter - the Commission or Kooperative-Freinet.
The vote on changes to the Charter gave the following results.
1) To change the Charter: 11 votes.
   Against Charter change: 10 votes
   Abstentions: 2
2) For the text of the Charter Commission: 11
    For the text of the Freinet Kooperative: 7
    Abstentions: 4
The text of the Charter Commission was accepted.
 
The Board has proposed the formation of a Commission of Correction of style in different languages.
After this vote the Board of FIMEM proposed voting to create a space that brings together philosophical documents which explain the philosophy of Freinet Pedagogy (eg. Versions of the Charter  which the AG has not voted, Declaration of the Rights of the Child, the Earth Charter…). In this philosophical space, we can add documents after they have been voted by the GA for each RIDEF.
With 23 votes, the creation of a philosophical Area was passed unanimously.
 
13. Changing Internal regulations.
Luba Kolebinova presented the proposals of the Committee 2008-2010 of the Internal regulations.
The first proposal of the Internal regulation Commission is to consider
- Countries with high human development as Class A
- Countries with high human development as Class B
- Countries with medium human development and human development are low Class C.
Vote to adopt the categorization of the report on Human Development: 18 votes with 4 abstentions.
The new categorization of countries for the FIMEM members was adopted.
Proposal to add a new factor for some countries in category A to calculate the contribution of movement (art. 3 RI).
Vote to adopt the new ratio: 20 votes with 2 abstentions.
The proposal to have a new factor has been adopted.
The category for each  movement is given by the Board of Directors, taking into account economical news. This classification is communicated to the movement itself and published annually with a list of contributions.
If the calculation results less than 15 €, the movement pays the minimum assessment.
Category A countries whose average annual salary is less than 50% of average in this category may receive the coefficient  
K = 0.000075.

14. Other matters.
- We have a motion about the destruction of the Public School.
Participants demanded the GA the enlargement of the proposal to other countries in the FIMEM and developing a network of resistance and that this be adopted as a focus of his work. (Annex 5)
- Papa Meïssa, president of the CAMEM told the AG that-for the RIDEF of Spain in 2012- Mamadou DEMBA can not pay his fees as well as ASEM. He asked that this matter be handled by the new Board and the organizers of the next RIDEF. According to the Internal Regulation of the FIMEM, Article 7a, the travel expenses of each board member is paid by the FIMEM (60% of total costs) and their original movements (40% of total). Fees inscription must be paid by each member himself. This question must be discussed by the new Board.

 THE FIMEM GA
 July 27, 2010

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MORAL REPORT GA 2010
 
Introduction

The orientations given to the BD by the GA of Metepec were ambitious and involved the movements and incited them to participate by offering a number of committees. The RIDEF finished and we started working because we can not rely on some meetings to run an International Federation. Our main concern has been to achieve financially to operate our movement and to continuously improve communication between its members.

 
Priorities voted at the GA of Metepec

1. Strengthen communication.

In the Internet era, the first communication to make it fully operational is that between the board members. The FIMEM site worked perfectly on this plane, extended with the mailing list. It was evident that this tool is indispensable, especially because we share neither the same working methods, nor the same pace.

Freinet complained already in his time to have enormous difficulties to make the relationship between these movements and to make the responsible persons transmit the information they receive in their own movement. On this plan, did we progress despite the constant BD requests:
spread the information; fill their identity card on the site; if possible add a short history text. The mailing list should permit real exchange between the militants of the movements.

The site commission, suggested in Metepec did not work, so when Michel leaves the BD, if nobody joins the commission before the end of the year, the contract with the hosting company will not be renewed. It would be unfortunate that the thousands of people who continue visiting this site each month (mainly from Latin America and Africa) would lose one of their main sources of information on international Freinet movement, damage to the hundreds of people who use to work alone or with their students. For the latter, it will be considered a solution to safeguard the Cooperative Virtual Classes.
 Could we open less individual blogs to succeed a cooperative work? For example people do not know where to find a Freinet biography on which they could rely.  
The language issue. Despite criticism by some who criticize us for making mistakes in foreign languages, we chose rough translations in English, Spanish and Portuguese, rather than allowing three quarts of FIMEM without information. We would like to thank Pilar, Elisabeth , Giancarlo , Martha and all the others who helped us with the translations.
2. Activity
 
The BD has decided to take a position so that our members or sympathizers are not forgotten in the drama that can live in natural disasters or military aggression. It is always comforting when one has suffered deadly floods that invade the classrooms in the state of Santa Catarina, when he/she has kids under the rubble in Haiti, Gaza and Santiago de Chile, when someone risks his life in southern
Colombia or in the streets of Oxaca, receive a message of encouragement and solidarity from some African, Mexican, French, Spanish and Bulgarian. The BD has chosen, in all cases to inform, comfort and condemn the attacks.
On the other hand we have continued to send appeals to participate in World Social Forums. We very much hope, in particular, that the FIMEM can be represented at the next World Education Forum to be held in autumn 2010 in Gaza.
 
* Information

The Board has continued to spread its INFOR at least in French and English, after each BD meeting. They are accompanied by a letter from the President, discussed well understood by the team. The INFOR are now routinely supported by a grid of tasks open to all activists on the FIMEM site, which is the regular point of commitments and actions of each board member.

When necessary, we have published BD Letters between INFOR.

6 MultiNettes completed the set of information documents. These documents consist of a trilingual page on the site, very often thematic, with short texts and links that connect directly to pages of information on the FIMEM site.

The FIMEM b

udget is updated regularly on the site where each FIMEM militant can consult. We restarted a consultation with our movements in order to renew our teachers’ salary table about the different countries. This table will allow us to "consider the possible updating of our fees during the next GA.

3. Educational Projects:

* Work with CAMEM.

Our work with CAMEM is a very positive sign showing that the future of FIMEM is passing through combinations of proximity:

       The project will use the grant EPI worked after the ICEM Congress in Strasbourg and should lead to decisions in Nantes.
       The representatives of Burkina Faso accepted the contract to unite their movements;
       Support for new practitioners of Freinet pedagogy is currently facing financial difficulties. We still have work to build other training centres like the built in Dagana in Senegal with a team of independent trainers, able to move from one region to another.
 

* Establishment of an equivalent of CAMEM in America

 

       Brazil invited Teresita to participate in its last ENEF, at which it was decided to federate a Modern School Movement in America. This should allow short-term implementation of a referent group. It could help the new movements that appear to form in Chile, Argentina, Ecuador and Nicaragua. However we lost our last activist from the USA. Perhaps the next BD could contact the Ferrer movement for Modern School with which we should certainly be able to work.
       Children’s Rights.
Jean Le Gal got a mandate by the BD, knowing his implication in the struggle for Children’s Rights in order to represent the FIMEM events around the International Convention of Children’s Rights as well in all the activities aiming the reflection of the members of FIMEM movements on this principle which seems to be fundamental to us.

 

* The Future of FIMEM

Before extending to Europe the same grouping principle, we wanted to open a discussion group on the Future of FIMEM as a whole. This includes issues such as solidarity between movements, the financing of FIMEM, the formation of an international group of trainers, proximity or continental federations, the operation of RIDEF and General Assemblies.

4. Charter Commission
 
The MEPA, MCE and MCEP worked to reach the drafting of a single proposal to be submitted to a vote by the General Assembly of Nantes. The militants were able to follow all the steps on the FIMEM site where they were able to intervene since the decision to revise the Charter in 2004 in Varenholz. The BD was represented in this commission by Teresita.

5. Relationship with the GD 44 for the preparation of RIDEF Nantes

GLEM (Lyon Group)were added to the GD 44 and Amis de Freinet. Michel was delegated by the BD, to make a link between the organiser group and the FIMEM BD also in order to succeed to have an approval concerning the budget as it is said in the Internal Regulation. 
The collaboration went well even there were difficulties. At the beginning of the RIDEF a meeting with representatives of the organiser team helped to clarify the last questions about the budget.
It is important to recognize the great work of the organiser groups they invested for the RIDEF preparation with the participation of many young people as well as the financial help for the BD meetings. The presence of young people is a good sign for the FIMEM futur.
We had despite the decision of Metepec, ensured RIDEF information on the FIMEM site so that everyone could take advantage of the information, answer the questions and allow the FIMEM to keep a useful memory.
 
6. Subsidies for the preparation of the RIDEF

We have already experienced in the preparation of the RIDEF in Metepec, it is very difficult for an international organization to manage the administrative issues because we are constantly asked to be born in the country. Only a French person can make a formal invitation necessary to obtain a visa to enter France. It's the same for subsidies. We did not want to fail in our project like in 2006-2008.
 
Applications for subsidies have been conducted exclusively by the host country. We are very impressed by the long list of contributers. The choice of these subsidies for solidarity was decided by the organizers from Nantes, Lyon as well as by Amis de Freinet.
 
The African group is particularly big thanks to: the subsidies obtained by the organizers for the RIDEF attributed to the solidarity fund, as well as the ones financed by partners associations.
 
The countries from Latin America and Eastern Europe are represented due to the Solidarity of the FIMEM movements and the FIMEM BD activity.
7. Revision of the Internal Regulation, which may involve changes in the Statutes:

A small commission has operated within which Luba was the BD representative. It will submit its proposals to the GA of Nantes.

 

8. Continue work on the archives of the FIMEM

Michel hopes the work he will present in Nantes will awaken vocations so as a proper commission could work sharing the tasks. Among the documents we were given:

- A history of the Polish movement with a particularly important issue on Semenowitch Halina.

- A history of the Bulgarian movement.

- All publications of MEPA on the occasion of its annual national meetings.

There are also several translations of articles in Portuguese by Rosa Maria Sampaio, early research on the history of the movements in Tunisia and Cameroon by their representatives.

These documents are inventoried and partially scanned - only lack of time limits us. They will then, before the end of 2010, all be deposed in the Departmental Archives in Nice as advertised. They are included in two DVDs with archive which will be presented at Nantes. Some of them are already available on the FIMEM website.

We have begun work on class presentation by the photo. The idea is to show fixtures and student work with photos with captions, which can be used to advance everyone in his/her everyday teaching. "It is always less stupid when we are more to think and debate together." said Paul Le Bohec.

We have placed particular emphasis on the tributes to those who are most involved in our common history. Celebrating Hispanic-Mexican pioneers in Metepec, with the BD’s partnership (two new videos presented in Nantes), tributes to Halina, Flaviana, Roger, Paul in diverse forms. We continue with our appeal for witnesses: let those who have documents, in particular video (it's an emergency as the material is perishable) think to bring them to us quickly.

Thirty of those videos will also be presented in Nantes.

   9. Continue to work on the directory with our movements

This task is fundamental since almost the origins of the Freinet movement and has always been problematic. One would think that the Internet could facilitate it. This directory has been modernized and is in the form of mailing lists. The list of former BD members is complete now, although we are still asking the movement to help us finish it. We still can not guarantee that our list of responsible persons of affiliated movements or ones in process of being affiliated is up to date, although it now appears largely reliable. For safety, we added an informal list of ridéfiens which includes nearly 900 email addresses. This allows us to inform activists when their movement does not spread the information.

A copy of these lists is updated systematically after each RIDEF on the FIMEM site.

 
10. The commissions.

For reasons of economy, some European movements, at the GA of Metepec, had suggested reducing the number of board members and proposed to compensate the opening of a dozen commissions. We do not do inventory: except the ones we mentioned above, none worked, not even those requested for many years on issues such as education, training or globalization. Perhaps we relied too much to the elected persons!

11. Relationship with the movements

The FIMEM has no longer travel budget except for the BD meetings, so we can make more visits to our movements only as personal expenses, without compensation. We have benefited from our presence in Mexico to meet with groups and in particular Mrs M. Oaxaca. Participation in the Polish National Congress Moszczanka. Internships in Russia. Participation in International Symposium on interculturalism in Naples. Meeting a Polish bus in Vence during an exchange (see video). Participation to the 10th ENEF in Brazil.  

 

Participation to trainings of militants on Freinet Pedagogy as well as in regional or ministry centres in Germany, Bulgaria, France, Mexico and Senegal. Participation to a reform program of nursery and preschool levels in Mexico.

 

12. Conclusion

We wondered in 2008 whether the FIMEM still had a future. We doubt not, of course, but on condition that we think together on this soon future. Proposals will be made to lay the groundwork for a working group on the Future of the FIMEM. We are somewhat in the same situation as the organizers of the World Social Forums. International gatherings cost dear, are reserved to an elite or subject to hazards of subsidies. We must therefore find a solution that allows us to reconcile the neighbourhood meetings and meetings of world increasingly decentred towards emegring countries since they became the majority in number.

On the other hand, we have to recognize the success of the work on training and cooperation between teachers from different parts of the world, which have been started in Metepec   by Florence Saint Luc. We recognize the excellent work of the other militants oin this subject.
 FIMEM BD

July 23th, 2010

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FIMEM ORIENTATIONS 2010-2012
Proposals for the 1st session of the FIMEM General Assembly (22 /07/10)
  • Enforce the communication between the movements. Encourage the regional cooperation and meetings.
  • Establish relations with the Spanish movement (MCEP) on the RIDEF preparation in Spain.
  • Continue working on the FIMEM archives.
  • Continue working on the yearbook with all the movements.
  • Think about FIMEM’s future.
ORIENTATIONS ADDED AFTER THE 2nd SESSION OF THE FIMEM GENERAL ASSEMBLY (25/07/10)
(Spanish and French language groups)
 
  • Create a net to resist and be opposed to the destruction of the public school.
  • Establish relations with the International Organisations.
 
  • Create a new cooperative Site which makes possible to communicate, work together and be informed for all the FIMEM members. This Site keeping all the information from the actual FIMEM Site should be accessible to other interested persons.
 
  • Publish inventory of the archives keeping the memory of the International Freinet movement as well as theirs addresses (post address and Web Site) where they could be consulted. (Mayenne, Nice…)