GFTU BGCM Minutes 2017

One of the problems, of course, particularly with Crane’s first logo for the

GFTU, was his worker, his building together, he was putting together the old

parable of the sticks that are far stronger together than when they are

separated. How many times have we seen imagery of the left purloined,

distorted and destroyed by the right. That is what happened to that one. Let us

not have that happen again, comrades, brothers and sisters, because I think

we are at a period where if we do not start doing the right things, if we do not

start investing, thinking-- We will not always get the right, we will not always

get the results we want, I am not saying there is not a role for training, but that

education is the key to what we are doing and this may take a generation to get

right and a generation to bring on new activists. If we make that commitment

we might just survive, we might just carry on doing these things, we might well

be able to stand on the shoulders of all those giants in an age where, I think,

increasingly we are facing the choices between socialism and barbarism.

I am not going to quote Shakespeare, you will be relieved to hear, but I am

going to quote Brecht and one of my favourite lines of Brecht is: “Sometimes

never becomes before the day is out” and that is what we have got to work for,

that is what we have got to strive for. I am new to all this. I am around for the

conference. I am keen to start talking about what the individual members want,

how we can tailor courses, how we can sort your needs, but let’s go forward

together and confidently and then really never will become before the day is

out. Thank you. (Applause)

THE PRESIDENT: Does anybody want to make a contribution to this discussion

about education? We have obviously done a huge job here of introducing what

is actually a very substantial programme of work for the future and we have

tried to give you a kind of intellectual context of what we are seeking to do with

this very ambitious programme, but I am very conscious of the fact that you

have sat and been talked at for quite a long time. So does anybody want to

make a contribution themselves before we move on? (No response) Fine. I

had assumed that that would probably be the case. I am not going to insist on

it.

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