VOICES RISING

YEAR III - VOL 3. Nº150
August 26, 2005

CONTENT
1.- VENEZUELA / MEETING OF THE HEMISPHERIC COUNCIL OF THE WSF
2.- INTERNATIONAL ADULT LEARNERS WEEK 2005
3.- SIGN UP NOW TO A LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE
4.- VI LITERACY WEEK
5.- ANNOUNCEMENTS
********************************************************
1.- VENEZUELA / MEETING OF THE HEMISPHERIC COUNCIL OF THE WSF

By Hortencia Coronel
ICAE/GEO
fresiaco@adinet.com.uy
17/08/05

Today, August 15th, opened in Caracas the meeting of the Hemispheric Council of the World Social Forum, which is organizing the VI World Social Forum and the II Americas Forum; this is one of the three polycentric instances to be held in January 2006, in Caracas (Venezuela, Latin America), Karachi (Pakistan, Asia) and Bamako (Mali, Africa).

The Council will work until Thursday, inclusively, and its main task is to identify and define the axis that will orient the call of the event, as well as a set of tasks in relation to the logistics and organization of such an event, with an estimated attendance of approximately 60,000 to 80,000 persons.

Most surely, the calls for registration to organizations and individuals wishing to participate in these new instances of the WSF will be available on-line next week.

Today there was a presentation about the location of the VI WSF, and among the foreseen activities, most probably there will be a new instance of the World Education.

I will send further information shortly.

Best regards,

Hortencia

**********************************************************
2.- INTERNATIONAL ADULT LEARNERS WEEK 2005

Education for All in an Era of Increasing Mobility: The Implications for
Adult Learning
Oslo, Norway, 24 – 26 October 2005

Following the tradition established by Brazil in 2002 and South Africa in 2004, International
Adult Learners Week this year will be hosted by Norway, in conjunction with the national
Norwegian Adult Learners Week. Jointly organized and supported by the Norwegian Ministry
of Education and Research and the UNESCO Institute for Education (UIE), and in
cooperation with the Norwegian UNESCO Commission, the Norwegian National Institute for
Adult Education (Vox) and the Norwegian Association for Adult Education (NAAE), the
event will take place in Oslo, Norway, on 24 - 26 October 2005.
The theme chosen for the event is “Education for All in an Era of Increasing Mobility: The
Implications for Adult Learning”. It aims to provide a forum for exchange, policy dialogue
and advocacy on the importance of adult and lifelong learning. Mobility will serve as the
overall background against which the role of adult learning will be examined, on the one
hand, through the lenses of the EFA agenda – with a focus on life skills – and, on the other
hand, in the perspective of increasing participation as embedded in the CONFINTEA
framework.
While the notion of mobility refers to geographical movements of individuals and groups –
both undertaken on a voluntary basis as well as with a view to forced migration – mobility
here also includes social, cultural and economical fluctuations and the rapid transformations
of our physical and societal environments. From an educational perspective, mobility is
marked by a constant path of learning and re-learning within a context of growing complexity.
This means above all learning to change, and thus requires the acquisition of learning skills
and access to ongoing learning opportunities for all.
Three major thematic blocks will be tackled during the meeting:
1) Bridging Gaps through EFA in the Context of Mobility,
2) Acquisition, Recognition and Transferability of Life Skills in the Perspective of
Increasing Mobility, and
3) Shaping Mobility: Adult Learning for Diversity and Participation.
Aside from presentations and debates, the event aims to strengthen the international
movement of learning festivals as advocacy instruments for learning and participation.
Learners, being at the heart of learning festivals, will take part in the meeting, and their
achievements will be honored. Together with policy-makers and education stakeholders, they
will present, discuss and analyze experiences in EFA and adult learning.
For further information, please contact: Bettina Bochynek, UIE, b.bochynek@unesco.org
*******************************************************
3.- SIGN UP NOW TO A LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE


National Institute of Adult Continuing Education
www.niace.org.uk
Press Release
22nd August 2005
PR37/05


Ed Melia
Ed.Melia@niace.org.uk

A nationwide campaign to encourage adults into learning will start in September 2005.  Sign Up Now, organised by the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE), encourages more and different adults to sign up to a whole range of new learning opportunities.

Throughout September thousands of adults, will be embarking on - or continuing - their learning journeys.  Local colleges, adult education centres and community and voluntary organisations across the country will be opening their doors to enable adults to enrol on the courses which they have always wanted to do.

Learners who have had a life-changing experience through learning include winners of this year’s Adult Learners’ Week Awards –

Peter Fewell, from St Leonards on Sea, said, “I firmly believe that adult education opens many doors – doors that were once shut to the more unfortunate.  Once an adult learner starts in a learning curve, their self-belief and confidence blossoms to such an extent that one might say, ‘the world is my oyster’”.

Donna Sherwin, from Stoke-on-Trent, said, “Learning has built my self-esteem which helped me to get where I am today. It has made me completely confident and proud of myself and I will still be learning when I’m very old.”

Robert Mallows, a former Adult Access Into Higher Education student at Derwentside College in County Durham, said, “Learning means to me a way forward, it has increased my self-confidence and proven to me I am capable of learning to a high standard, regardless of age and the length of time I have been out of education.”

Balbira Sandhar, from Leamington Spa, who’s recently completed a chemotherapy module at Coventry University, said, “I am more confident, I have been encouraged to continue learning to my heart’s content and not allow anyone to stop me as in the past.”

Francisca Martinez, Campaigns Officer at NIACE, said, “The difference learning can make to your life is enormous.  It can give a boost to your confidence, your career, your health and your social life, culminating in a much happier and more fulfilled you.”

She continued, “If you’ve ever wanted to learn something new, September is the best time to do just that.  To find out what's on offer where you are, call learndirect free on 0800 100 900.  That call could change your life for good.”
-ends-

For further information contact:

Ed Melia, NIACE Press Officer on 0116 204 4248 or 07795 358 870
Sian Pollock, NIACE Assistant Publicity Co-ordinator on 0116 204 2858  

 ******************************************************
4.- VI LITERACY WEEK
Literacy and Human Development

Alexandra Beatriz Henriques Guercio
alexandrahg@alfabetizacao.org.br

http://www.semana.org.br/en/


From September 5th to 7th, Solidarity in Literacy will hold the “VI Literacy Week” in São Paulo with the purpose of discussing and reflecting about Human Development in the context of Youth and Adult Education. See below the program for the Week.


Week Prominences

September 5 - Monday
Opening Ceremony.
In recognition of the efforts from the several Alfasol partners in favor of the reduction of the illiteracy rates in Brazil. In the event, business men, deans of Institution of Higher Education and to the educators and students - winners of the Composition Award - will be awarded.
September 6 - Tuesday
Presidents and Deans Seminar
Managers Seminar
September 6 and 7
International Congressl

**********************************************************
5.- ANNOUNCEMENTS

AWID Resource Net Announcements / Issue 277
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
resource@awid.org 

Universalizing Socio-Economic Security for the Poor 



A short post-graduate diploma programme of the Institute of Social Studies in cooperation with the Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA), Ahmedabad and the Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, in India combining study in The Netherlands with field exposure and study in India / 
11 January - 23 March 2006 /
 
Contact Info: 
 
SEWA Academy 
Krishna Bhuvan, 
Near Hariharanand Ashram, 
Opp Sakar Two, Town Hall Road, 
Ellisbridge, Ahmedabad: 380 006. 
Phone: +91-79-26577115, 26580474 
Fax: +91-79-26587708 
Web:
http://www.sewaacademy.org
Email: sewaacdy@icenet.co.in 
 
 
The diploma programme on Universalising Socio-Economic Security for the Poor (USS) is a unique and innovative study programme imparting knowledge and skill-enhancing training on issues concerning the universalisation of socio-economic security for the poor and socially excluded.  The diploma merges theory and practice by combining 5 weeks of study at the
Institute of Social Studies in The Hague, The Netherlands with 5 weeks of intensive
on-site field exposure to two major pioneering pathways towards the universalisation of socio-economic security in the context of a developing economy. 
The Netherlands-based component of the programme provides a conceptual framework for policy analysis to address the challenges faced by governments, international development organisations and NGOs looking for ways to universalise socio-economic security. Participants explore the development, achievements, and ongoing challenges of two different approaches to universalisation:  the movement-led approach of SEWA and the government-led approach taken by the Indian State of Kerala. Throughout the course, students are guided in applying their learning experience  to the challenges they face in their own work.
 
Target Group
 
The programme is geared to young and mid-career development researchers, practitioners, and activists in NGOs, international development organisations and government involved in social provision and protection and poverty alleviation.  The course aims to attract a wide-range of
students, from different countries and regions of the world and from different professional backgrounds. 
Why an ISS-SEWA-CDS diploma?
The ISS-SEWA-CDS partnership joins two widely-recognized institutes of development studies and research (one in the Netherlands and one in India) with a trade union movement of self-employed women workers.  This combination of knowledge and practice institutions is uniquely qualified to deliver a diploma programme that seeks to combine theory and practice in the learning experience.  This joint diploma course was first offered in 2003. 
 
Learning Objectives
 
§ The course provides an intensive conceptual and fieldwork based training in developing analytical and policy skills relevant for designing and evaluating strategies, policies and project interventions aimed at universalising socio-economic security for the poor. 

§ It aims at enhancing the institutional capacity of governmental and non-governmental research as well as action oriented institutions engaged in this field.
§ It seeks to actively promote cross-border and cross-institutional learning.
 
Programme Structure
The course begins in The Hague with the exploration of the concept of socio-economic insecurity and the causes of poverty and insecurity. 
The course continues with the study of possible forms of intervention and the institutional context of social protection, using a diverse range of cases (including the Dutch system) as examples.  
At the end of 5 weeks of study in The Hague, participants travel to India. 
The first stop is two weeks in Ahmedabad, under the guidance of SEWA. 
Participants gain exposure to SEWA's organization as a trade union; its banking, insurance, health, childcare, and shelter programmes; and to the use of cooperatives for the delivery of these social security services. 
From SEWA, participants travel to the Centre for Development Studies in Thiruvananthapuram.  CDS faculty members lead participants in the discovery of Kerala's model of state-led development.  This programme includes exposure to the government's poverty eradication mission (Kudumbashree),
Kerala's industry-based welfare funds, and the state's model for the provision and expansion of basic services.  These experiences are examined in the context of Kerala's economy, history, and natural resource base as well as through the lens of different societal groups, including women and tribal communities.  
The course ends at CDS with a workshop in which participants present their thoughts about how the learning in the diploma course can be applied to their work contexts at home.