The International Workers’ Institute (IWI) participated in the 20th Congress of FISE (World Federation of Teachers’ Unions) which was organized in Rabat, Morocco, on 5 and 6 April, 2025.
See below the speech which was delivered by Alexandra Liberi, on behalf of the IWI:
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Thank you for the invitation and the opportunity to speak about a very significant development for the international trade union movement—one that fills a major gap we, as trade unionists, have long recognized: the need for education and the empowerment of trade union leaders and members with theoretical ammunition. This involves not only learning about history but also addressing the contemporary issues that arise in the struggle.
The International Workers’ Institute (IWI) was founded in 2022 out of an urgent necessity for the militant trade union movement of the working class. We live in an era where the international bourgeoisie is launching a relentless attack against workers—not only on their economic conditions but also on their minds, particularly targeting younger generations. This attack is ideological and theoretical in nature. The battle of ideas is critical for trade unions. The IWI aims to further equip trade union members and leaders in this ideological struggle, which takes place on the adversary’s terrain.
Capitalists seek to win the consciousness of workers because they understand that if they succeed at this crucial level, the system of brutal exploitation will gain new life to serve their profit-driven objectives. Monopolies and multinational corporations, in their efforts to manipulate workers, have the support of their governments, mainstream media, and the pro-capitalist union bureaucracy of the ITUC. They also rely on a global network of think tanks and NGOs, funded both openly and covertly. These institutions operate in every country, every industry, and every corner of the world, backed by vast sums of dirty money.
Against this ideological and theoretical anti-worker offensive, the global working class is organizing its defense and counterattack. This is being done through militant trade unions, coordinated struggles, rich activities, and revolutionary optimism.
The class-oriented theory is essential in the battle of ideas against the bourgeoisie because it provides a framework for understanding and challenging capitalist oppression. The ruling class promotes capitalist ideology to maintain power, portraying capitalism as natural, just, endless, and inevitable. Unlike liberal or reformist perspectives, which see inequality as a mere flaw of capitalism that can be mitigated through policy changes, class-oriented theory demonstrates that capitalist exploitation is systemic. It explains key concepts such as surplus value, revealing how the bourgeoisie extracts wealth from workers—wealth that could otherwise be used to meet modern social needs.
The bourgeoisie divides workers along racial, national, and gender lines to weaken their unity and fuel social fragmentation, division, and rivalry. Class-oriented theory, on the other hand, emphasizes solidarity, helping the proletariat recognize their common enemy and organize effectively.
As educators, you, dear colleagues, continue to enhance your knowledge to better serve working people and their children. You understand the importance of providing trade unionists with a structured platform to discuss new and specific issues, evaluate them, and scientifically formulate positions and demands.
The International Workers’ Institute (IWI) brings fresh energy to this effort by prioritizing modern ideological needs and supporting the workers’ and popular resistance from its own trenches. The foundation of the IWI is a collective effort involving trade union leaders from Italy, Cuba, Spain, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the United States, Greece, Palestine, Peru, Colombia, India, South Africa, Belarus, and France.
Since its founding, the IWI has organized 16 major theoretical seminars, lectures, union forums, and successful trade union training groups. More than 800 trade unionists from over 92 countries across all continents have participated in these initiatives.
The IWI stands firmly alongside the WFTU (World Federation of Trade Unions) and is open to all trade unions and trade unionists. It is ready to collaborate and undertake joint initiatives on all issues related to trade union education, as well as in the field of scientific studies and cultural exchanges.
PROGRAM FOR 2025
The Executive Committee of the Institute has held a special session and decided on a modern and relevant program of seminars and trade union lectures.
Key Topics for 2025:
- Workers’ nutritional needs & monopolies in agro-food production
- Climate change: Green business and global competition
- Internationalism: Lessons from studying the Spanish Civil War
- Trade unions and their history in different countries
- Culture and the global working class
- The teachings of Fidel, Che, Ho Chi Minh, and other revolutionary leaders
- Key characteristics of the modern working class
- Embargoes and economic blockades: Their impact on the people
- Historical distortion and revisionism
- 80 years of the WFTU
- Geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East and their implications
Additionally, trade unions and sectoral organizations may suggest additional topics based on their needs. We welcome your thoughts, proposals, and recommendations.
We invite all trade unionists to engage with the IWI. This institute is a common theoretical tool for all of us in our shared struggle against capitalist exploitation—until the final emancipation of the working class.
Contact us at:
📧 Emails:
- info@theoryandpraxis.eu
- wftu@gmail.com
- iwi.ioi@gmail.com
🌍 Website: www.theoryandpraxis.eu
