Prisedenotes/Secretary:  Maria del Carmen Vicencio, Wanda Grünwald, Birgit Gubo, Gabriela Soria, Elke Hofmann, Mamadou Demba and Luba Kolebinova

Michel Mulat, F-04240 Ubray, France

e-mail: michel.mulat@ac-freinet.org

Mamadou Demba, Senegal

e-mail: mamadoudemba2000@yahoo.fr

Andi Honegger, Bühl 362, CH-9650 Nesslau, Switzerland

e-mail: andi_hon@gmx.ch

Elke Hofmann, Giessenstrasse 3, 79104 Freiburg, Germany

e-mail: elke-hofmann@gmx.de

Luba Kolebinova, 3 Raven Str., Sofia 1618, Bulgaria

e-mail: luba_kolebinova_bg@yahoo.com   

Teresita Garduño Rubio, Emiliano Zapata 60, Colonia la Candelaria Coyoacan, 04380 Mexico D.F., Mexico

e-mail: gardunot@prodigy.net.mx

The FIMEM BD had eleven meetings in Mexico City and in Metepec – from the 23^rd of July till the 3^rd of August 2008:

- There were 2 meetings of the BD with the Mexican organisers to discuss and solve some questions concerning the RIDEF organisation – meeting the participants, accommodation, daily meals, RIDEF Multilettre, RIDEF newspaper, workshops, day schedule, program, exhibitions, excursions…, as well as to work together on financial questions.

- One BD meeting was held with French representatives from the Departmental Group 44 (DG 44) of the ICEM to discuss about their candidacy to organise the RIDEF 2010 in Nantes.

- There were some meetings of the BD or a part of it with the RIDEF participants to discuss about the RIDEF (GA, FIMEM orientations,…) and about the FIMEM (FIMEM affiliation, Florence’s Doctorate these)

Three sessions of the General Assembly were held during the RIDEF in Metepec. The first one was on the 27^th July, the second one – on the 29^th July and the third – on the 2^nd of August.

- Besides the countries having delegates at the GA there were representatives of the following countries: Argentine, Canada, Chile whose movement declared to be interested to become a FIMEM member, Morocco, Portugal and Tunisia.

The fiftieth anniversary of the FIMEM was celebrated on the 31^st of July. A film was made in order to keep the memory of the words of the older FIMEM members, as well as of other moments linked to the FIMEM history: the evening paying tribute to the Spaniards in exile and the short workshop paying tribute to Roger Ueberschlag. The organiser team had prepared a very rich program for all the participants.

The posters as well as many documents exposed during the RIDEF and some DVDs will be sent to the FIMEM Archives in Nice.

 

Many children and youngsters participated to the different activities since our arrival in Metepec till our departure after the end of the RIDEF. A lot of “school parents” helped also before (meeting and accommodation), during and after the RIDEF. Many participants from Mexico and from other countries made the translations during the RIDEF.

 

- Organisation of the presidency and the secretariat of the first, the second and the third session of the GA. The moral report had been discussed before the BD meeting and put in the FIMEM site in French and English a month before the RIDEF.

- Achievement of the delegates’ lists. Collecting the delegates’ documents that have not been presented.

- Decision to work in some language groups (Spanish-Portuguese, French, German and Italian) to discuss the candidacies for the BD and the FIMEM, the modifications of the Internal Regulation, the FIMEM Charter, the orientations 2008-2010 during four meetings of the language groups – on the 27^th, 28^th, 30^th and 31^st of July.

- Meeting the Colombian representative who presented the new registration documents of their movement: Association of the Colombian Movement for Modern School (AMCEM).

- Meeting the representatives of the Chilean movement. They declared to be interested of becoming FIMEM members.

- Meeting a representative of the previous Mexican movement MMEM. They would like to be recognised as a movement.

- The financial report was examined and discussed.

- After the contacts with the movements and after the long work, of Michel especially on the lists of the persons needing solidarity, the invitations and the organisation of the travels the FIMEM subsidised participants from Africa, Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America. Nevertheless the solidarity funds sent before the RIDEF have not been sufficient to allow Samie to come because of the visas and the flight tickets. The African participants, the Russians, the Colombians and some Brazilians received their visas thanks to the help of Teresita and to the efficiency of the Mexican authorities. The visas arrived very late, some days before the RIDEF, the reason for which we recommend to take these steps in advance, same for plane tickets. The flight tickets have been bought the last week thanks to Elke and they were very expensive. 

- Some solidarity amount has been sent or given even during the RIDEF by the participants of the German language group, the Swedish movement – KAP, the French Departmental Group (GD) 14 and Silvia Herzog from Switzerland. It has been used to help partially for the subscription fees of one Colombian and one Polish participant and for the expenses of three African participants.

- Necessity to harmonise the lists of the participants who will need some solidarity: 

ask them to prepare and present in time the necessary documents for their travel;

make reservations as soon as possible and at reasonable prices in order more persons to have the possibility to be beneficiaries of the solidarity for their movement.

- Necessity to ask again the movements and the groups having decided to make a donation of a certain solidarity amount for the next RIDEFs to send the information to the BD as soon as possible in order to let it make the repartition between those who will need this.  

- The rule for every country to take in charge 40% of the travel costs of its BD member has been newly formulated after the modification of the Internal Regulation voted by the GA in Metepec:

“If the B and C countries do not manage to pay their whole national part, they pay what they can. The rest is covered from the FIMEM solidarity fund.”

As only the German movement FKEV will pay 40% for their BD member and as the BD is trying to diminish the travel costs paid by the FIMEM, it will look together with the GD 44 for subsidies for one of its meetings having for objective the RIDEF 2010 preparation.

- The question about the sense of the presentation still persists: does every BD member represent his/her own country or the whole FIMEM.

- The candidature of Nantes, France for the RIDEF 2010 – their presentation and the discussions were during the second session of the GA. 

- The candidature of Spain for the RIDEF 2012 was announced by the MCEP at the second session of the GA.

As it was decided that the FIMEM Charter could not be made from the national Charters the BD boosted the commission in charge to remake the Charter asking it to consider the propositions made by the movements till then. The commission has worked before and during the RIDEF in Metepec. A new commission will be constituted and it will open a discussion by the movements then they will be asked to give their opinion in order the new Charter to be submitted to the vote of the GA 2010. (See the site)

- The remade flyer can be printed in French, English and German from the FIMEM site.

- Appeal to the movements to update the information in the part of the site called Movements and to fill the address lists of their members so that we can hold them up to date and register people in the site.

- There are still some problems of organisation to be solved. A subscription of the adherents should continue to be made via the movements. An administrators’ team is always necessary.

Several points were added to the orientations proposed by the BD. Some commissions are going to be formed with the movements’ cooperation to work on the voted orientations.

It will be in March 2009 in Nantes, France.

 

 

 

Agenda of the first session:

Proposition accepted by the General Assembly:

President: Hortensia Fernandes

Secretaries: Maria del Carmen Vicencio and Luba Kolebinova

Guard/Guardian of time: Elisa de Tapia

 

Demand of the BD: pay the contributions of all the countries to be able to participate in the vote during the third session of the GA and appeal to give the proxy forms of the delegates.

 

Information: Andi, Michel and Luba ended their mandate of 4 years. Andi decided not to present his candidacy for a second mandate of 2 years. Michel and Luba are candidates for a second mandate. Michel's candidacy is presented by the MEPA and that of Luba - by the MEMB.

Question: Why is another country presenting Michel's candidacy – there was no a precedent for it.

Answer: there were problems with the ICEM at the beginning which were afterward settled. The ICEM is not against Michel's candidacy but the ICEM decided not to present candidates for the BD for the next two years because they had other national problems to be settled.

Remark: during every GA we discuss internal problems of the ICEM.

Question: how many candidates for the BD can a movement present?

Answer: in section 4 of the Internal Regulation it is said:

“When convened to the General Assembly, each movement is given a form, which is to be filled in with the names of their possible candidate(s) and sent to the Board of Directors.”

Remark: at the beginning of the FIMEM history there were only French members in the BD. In 1982, in Italy the FIMEM changed and we should look for new solutions.

Question: are not we opening the door with such a precedent to anybody being not very honest to enter the BD through another national movement?

Answer: the political situation could bring other candidates to be presented by a movement different from their national movement.

Remark: a BD member does not represent its movement or its country, but the FIMEM.

Question: The Italian movement does not propose a candidate for the BD because it has financial problems. Who is going to pay Michel's participation to the BD meetings?

Question: should not section 7 of the Internal Regulation be modified so that the MEPA does not have to pay Michel's participation.

Answer: the MEPA proposed Michel after having discussed the procedure and especially his work for the FIMEM. The MEPA is not a minor movement in age and it does not belong to the Europeans to tell them what they have to do.

During the discussions the movement noted that:

- we are all witnesses of the big work of Michel for the opening of the FIMEM - in Brazil, in Russia, in Rumania, in Portugal as well as for making work and meet the FIMEM members through the site.

- About the financing of the BD meetings: the MEPA being a FIMEM member of category B, it pays less than 40 % of the travel expenses. If the RIDEF 2010 is in France, Michel's expenses will be very reduced, as for Teresita in Mexico and for Mamadou in Senegal.

Proposition: discuss section 7 in the language groups.

Try to modify the texts of the Internal Regulation so that they correspond better to the international character of the FIMEM.

 

- MOUVEN (Movement of the Teachers Innovators) of Togo

Michel on the place of Samié and Mamadou, for the ASEM (Senegal) which has recommended the MOUVEN, presented the candidacy of the MOUVEN of Togo because their representative was not able to come for financial reasons.

- Amis de Freinet (Friends of Freinet)

François presented the candidacy of Amis de Freinet, association recommended by the ICEM.

- Classes Virtuelles Coopératives – CVC (Cooperative Virtual Classes)

Max presented the candidacy of the CVC, association recommended by the MEPA.

Question: are Amis de Freinet and CVC going to be able to present candidates for the BD if they are accepted as FIMEM members?

Proposition: because of the numerous propositions we could discuss them, as well as some other points of the agenda, in the language groups.

 

 

 

 

Agenda:

1.      Introducing of new movement candidates

2.      Moral and activity report 2006-2008

3.      Financial report 2006-2008

4.      Orientations 2008-2010

5.      Preliminary budget 2008-2010, proposal of FIMEM auditors

6.      RIDEF 2010

7.      Proposals for the RIDEF 2012

8.      Internal Regulation

9.      Reflection about the new FIMEM Charter

10. Various question

 

Declaration of the BD: The BD supports Michel’s candidacy for two more years and to finish his work. They plan to discuss the repartition of the tasks in the BD after the elections.

 

President of the session: Leonardo Leonetti

script: Wanda Grünwald and Birgit Guboscript for the BD: Mamadou Demba

 

time-watcher: Andi Honegger

 

1. Introducing of new candidates to be members of the FIMEM:

„Amis de Freinet“, „Classes Virtuelles Coopératives“, movement of Togo

- Amis de Freinet: They are 120 members in France, Belgium, Spain, Italy and other countries. The association was founded in Nantes in 1966, after the death of Celestin Freinet. This group would like their work to be recognised and to have the possibility to send delegates to the FIMEM as well as to work for the preparation of the RIDEF 2010 in Nantes.

- Classes Virtuelles Coopératives: the Mexcian movement has discussed about the Virtual Classes and they decided to represent their association at this Assembly. The Virtual Cooperative Classes is a network of about 60 school classes which correspond with each other. They have a bureau since November. They want to become FIMEM members because then it would be possible to gather money from official institutions from their countries to help for the financing of the FIMEM.

Proposition: to discuss the candidacies in the language groups.

 

- Togo: Mamadou introduced the movement of Togo with which the Senegalese movement has worked together for 15 years in a very good atmosphere. The group is very involved and productive. He doesn’t know the number of their members, but they are a lot. He is recommending to the GA to vote for their membership in the FIMEM.

 

At this time the report is ready in English and French. In this session of the assembly we should talk only about the most important things, the other should be discussed within the language groups.

 

The participants got an extra paper with the details.

There is an excess of € 3.412, in comparison to 2006.

The new website is a great sum in the budget. It costs € 4.000 and this was not planned in the last preliminary budget. But on the other hand there were fewer costs as Mamadou could not participate to the BD meetings because of his visa problems.

Andi is satisfied and hopes it to keep that good.

Question: Why are there no costs for the Multilettres?

Answer: Because it was decided that after Varenholz there will be Multilettres in paper-form only for the next RIDEFs.

Question: Why is the new website that expensive? For example the Spanish site costs € 60 per year.

Answer: Because it was created and developed by professionals from an enterprise and it functions in a rather new manner.

In this session of the assembly the preparation of the RIDEF, as a main point was presented to the auditorium as well as the subsidies, the communication, the revision of the Internal Regulation... Written versions will be prepared by the BD for the language groups with the new proposals from the auditory.

Question: What’s about the pedagogical work within these orientations?

Answer: it consists in the construction of the new website at that moment. On the site one can find a special section with a pedagogical workshop, as was wanted by the FIMEM members.

Remark: It is not enough to talk about the website, it is also necessary to evaluate the previous RIDEFs so that the whole movement can be able to develop on a new basis for better work to get forward.

Answer: the BD will put everything they have done on the website after they have made an evaluation of their work.

 

Andi presented the preliminary Budget, which is balanced.

The BD proposed to have only two BD meetings till the RIDEF in 2010 for saving money. The organiser Group 44 took the charge to finance a third meeting in Nantes.

Question: Are there already some Project proposals in the budget – there are some € 3.000 planned for them?

Answer: Not until now. The projects could be international events where the FIMEM is represented. Here is another example – to support a movement like the Portuguese one – to have a meeting with their representatives.

The language groups have to think about it. At this time there are two possibilities suggested: the new website and the communication networks between teachers coming from different movements.

 

François made the presentation of Nantes. They have already prepared a provisional plan for the budget. They would like the RIDEF to take place where they proposed it in 2006. The BD already visited the place, the house and the surroundings. Nantes is the city where the FIMEM was founded in 1957. The group of Nantes consists of about 70 members who are used to organising big meetings, because they have one meeting for two days each year, the „Pedagogical Salon” with more than 500 participants. A first version of the provisional budget was presented. François thinks that 4 years would be necessary for the preparation of a RIDEF in order to obtain European subsidies.

The participants in the General Assembly were shown some pictures of the place for the RIDEF. (Applause)

The Spanish movement is ready to organise the RIDEF in 2012! (Applause)

 

8. Internal Regulation (Point 12-15 in the Agenda of the Multilettre):

At this time the proposals for a change should only be told orally, but they should be written before the next meeting of the language groups on 30^th July.

The German speaking language group made their proposals: It’s about the membership of networks. They want to discuss the categories first and that’s why a voting should take place not at this RIDEF, but in 2010 when the character of such working-groups and networks has been defined.

Question: why not to vote at this Assembly if every point is clear and well defined?

The Italian group wants more or less similar things. Such networks should constitute themselves as working groups and because of that it should not be possible for them to become members like the movements.

They are in favour of the 2^nd suggestion of the BD for section 7.

The Spanish speaking group will prepare their suggestions in a written form.

They said that there were lots of very ambivalent formulations within the Statutes. They think that this is also discussed in different ways (and they might not be understood in the same way…). That is why it would not be good just to take small parts of it, but one should re-formulate the whole text. They propose a commission for this to be created and to discuss the changes at the next RIDEF in 2010.

 

The BD suggested that there must be a misunderstanding: At that moment the discussion is only about the Internal Regulation not about the Statutes. Therefore it is not necessary to discuss a very new version of the text. Maybe some changes in the Statutes will be necessary also.

 

There is a new version of the Charter of modern schools, coming from the Spanish and the Mexican movements. It’s a completely new text which must be translated into French and English. One BD member ought to be responsible for the coordination. Everyone who is interested in taking part should sign in a list. The translation will be sent by mail and will be also put on the website to make sure that everybody got the possibility to read it and react.

 

1. Installation of a president: Henry Landroit;

secretaries for the Minutes: Gabriela Soria (English) and Elke Hofmann (French);

guardian of time: Emiliana Zhelyazkova

The Assembly accepted the proposal.

 

19 movements were presented at the GA. All the 22 delegates were present for the vote.

 

 

Discussion on the Moral and the Financial report.

Question: During the GA in Senegal the Spanish movement has promised to help Mexico in the organisation of the RIDEF 2008 and insure the logistic. Why did it not carry out with this task and it was only the BD the one that have helped for the RIDEF organization?

 

Answer: The MCEP did not have the responsibility to help in the RIDEF 2008 organisation.

 

Question: Had Andy Honegger already made the correction concerning the expenses for the WEB Site.

 

Answer: The correction is already made in the preliminary budget 2008-2010.

Information: all the movements have been asked to send their activity report before the RIDEF. Only 5 movements have sent it to the BD before the third session of the GA.

 

Odile Perdrial

Máximo Pérez Rivas

Manolo Gómez

 

·         Moral report – 22 delegates raised their flag voting for its approval.

 

·         Financial Report – 22 votes.

 

 

Information: The BD gave the movements a first proposal of orientations to be read and discussed in the language groups. Then the BD received back their comments and proposals and re-elaborated the orientations. Now the movements could approve them.

(15 minutes for the discussion)

 

The Spanish language group considers about point number 3 (“Continue the reflection of the Charter”) that there has been enough time to discuss this document and that it is time to close the discussion and pass to its approval.

The Mexican movement proposed 6 months more: 4 to receive the comments and the suggestions and 2 months more to make the modifications.

 

There was a long discussion around this point. Other movements argued that they were interested in this discussion but that 6 months is insufficient because they don’t have assemblies with their movement soon.

 

The BD proposed to ask the movements when their assemblies will be and will guarantee the voting of this document for NANTES 2010.

 

The Italian movement proposed some topics for the pedagogical projects: Alphabetization, How to face and answer the neo-liberalism, Actualization of the FIMEM’s yearbook with the movements’ reports. 

 

Michel Mulat answered that this proposal is too difficult and it should be a job for all the FIMEM members and not only for the BD.

 

The points 1, 4, 6, 7 and 8 didn’t change. 

In the second point was added a proposition of a research commission on the alphabetization, the neoliberalism, the privatization and the mondialisation that should be coordinated by the BD.

In point number 3 the BD assumes the responsibility to vote the Charter in Nantes 2010 after coordinating the work with the movements.

In point 5 the word “in charged” for “will coordinate”. In this point they also added the formation of a network against globalization.

Many thanks to the Mexican, Spanish, Brazilian and Italian movements for their work on the FIMEM Charter.

 

Proposal for a point number 9: to continue working on the yearbook with all the movements. (Every movement is asked to inform the BD about any changes in their addresses, BDs… by putting the information on the site.)

 

Vote of the Orientations – 22 votes. 

 

Questions/propositions:

- Point Projects: for ex. Support the CAMEM

- Proposition to constitute a commission to look after a financial help for the site.

The vote of this point will be after the vote of the changes of the Internal Regulation.

 

Vote for the RIDEF in Nantes: It was approved with 21 votes. There is one abstention.

 

An indicative vote was proposed.

There were 21 votes FOR and one abstention.

 

There was a long discussion about the voting process proposed for this article.

 

The BD accepted that there was a mistake and made some changes in the procedure.

Vote for a modification of section 2:

A modification was not accepted.

Vote for the modification of section 7:

 

There were 4 proposals of modification.

The Japanese delegates missed to vote and asked the Assembly for a second vote. Proposal 2 was taken out because it was nearly the same as number 4.

The voting was done again only with three of the proposals: 

 

Proposal 1 was accepted with 9 votes: If the B and C countries do not manage to pay their whole national part, they pay what they can. The rest is paid from the FIMEM solidarity fund. 

 

Vote for the modification of section 13:

Vote on the simulations for section 13:

 

 

Vote on the modification of section 16:

Proposal 2 was accepted with 20 votes: The (solidarity) application must be communicated to the BD through a movement, at least 4 months (6 months - it's an error in the INFOR 55) before the meeting takes place. 

 

Vote on he Provisional budget:

The delegates voted for the following maters:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

·         FIMEM affiliation: the group from Chile and the one from Morocco received the documents they have asked for in order to present their candidature to the FIMEM. (Chile does not correspond to the exigencies??? to be a FIMEM member because they have only one school). Georgia will probably ask to become a FIMEM member at the GA in Nantes 2010.

·         Two lists are opened in which the treasurers and the presidents of the movements should write down their addresses (see the Orientations 2008-2010)

·         Information about Columbia: there was a change of the Columbian movement and their Statutes. The documents were given to the BD.

·         Thanks to Andi Honegger for his work in the BD since 2004 to 2008

 

 

 

 

Teresita Garduño Rubio, Emiliano Zapata 60, Colonia la Candelaria Coyoacan, 04380 Mexico D.F., Mexico

e-mail: gardunot@prodigy.net.mx

Mamadou Demba, Senegal

e-mail: mamadoudemba2000@yahoo.fr

Elke Hofmann, Giessenstrasse 3, 79104 Freiburg, Germany

e-mail: elke-hofmann@gmx.

 

Michel Mulat, 6, rue de Colmar, F- 04240 Ubray, France

e-mail: michel.mulat@ac-freinet.org 

Luba Kolebinova, 3 Raven Str., Sofia 1618, Bulgaria

e-mail: luba_kolebinova_bg@yahoo.com  

 

  

1 - Enforce the communication between the movements: working with Latin America, motivate the movements in spreading information which is transmitted (Infor, Multilettre, etc.); discuss the working on the website (virtual newspaper, forum, blog)

2 - Pedagogic projects:

- working with the CAMEM;

- enlarge the network, started at the RIDEF, designed to organize the reflection between all the FIMEM members: work on themes such as the alphabetization, the neoliberalism, the privatization and the mondialisation

Research commission coordinated by the BD

3 - Continue working on the Charter after every movement has discussed it to vote it

Commission coordinated by the BD

4 - Preparation of the RIDEF: making a list of the different tasks, motivate the participants to get prepared by informing themselves (GA, visas, solidarity…); improve the relation between the program schedule and Freinet pedagogy

5 - BD: one member is in charge to work on the pedagogy and the organisation of the RIDEF; all movements should support the BD financially and/or in its pedagogical and its political work

6 - Subsidies for the preparation of the RIDEF under the responsibility of the BD: communication, travels; support of a BD member by another movement

Solidarity

7 - Revision of the Internal Regulation, what could involve changes of the Statues (calendar - see attachment); study the classification of the movements (A, B, C)

8 - Continue working on the archives of the FIMEM

9 - Continue working on the yearbook with all the movements

 

1- Charter - Teresita

2- Opening to the big Organisms concerning the Education - Michel

3- FIMEM Site to work and communicate between the movements - Michel

4- Revision of the Statutes and the Internal Regulation - Luba

5- Alphabetisation network and pedagogic projects in general - Michel

6- Globalisation - Michel

7- Search of subsidies - Elke

8- Archives - Michel