CAE
Paving the way towards ICAE World Assembly in Nairobi, 2007
Virtual Seminar
March 6 - 24, 2006
Welcome to ICAE Virtual Seminar: Paving the way towards ICAE World
Assembly in Nairobi, 2007 that is starting today,
March 6 and ending on March 24.
Through this virtual Seminar we intend to provide a participation space
with relation the preparatory process of ICAE World Assembly and the
definition of strategic and organizational aspects. At the same time, we
want to promote the reflection on global networks, their functions and
challenges in the present global context, incorporating new perspectives,
experiences and lessons learnt, as part of this preparatory process and as
a new step for the renewal of ICAE.
Programme
Session 1: March 6 - 10
Session 2: March 13 - 17
Brainstorming: How do we want ICAE to be in 2009?
Contributions from the Executive Council, regional and national members
Babacar Diop Buuba - ICAE Vicepresident for Africa
Robert Hill - ICAE Vicepresident for North America
Comments to Paul´s and Bob´s papers by Berni Brady, Director, AONTAS,
National Association of Adult Education Ireland
Networking from the perspective of a field worker
Inputs
by Joyce Stalker
Inputs
by Inayatullah from Pakistan
Inputs by Carol
Añonuevo
Some
ideas for the brainstorming Prepared by Raul Leis
Paper
by Jeanine Anderson
Inputs
by Budd Hall
ICAE what’s in it for me?
By Sturla Bjerkaker
Inputs by
Prakash Bhattarai
My comments from my
experiences in JAPSE
Summary of the expectations and visions for ICAE towards 2009. (The
systematization of this session could give place to a 2nd.
virtual seminar)
Session 3: March 20 - 24
Exchange of proposals on:
Definition of a “Slogan” for the Assembly
Thematic lines to be dealt with in depth at the Assembly.
Issues / work guidelines
Creation of commissions for the organization of the Assembly
Forced Displacement and its Consequences on People’s
Education
Summary of proposals
Final conclusions
Regarding logistics, we would like to remind some practical issues
about this virtual seminar:
* All of you have been suscribed to the seminar list to follow the whole
seminar. If you do not wish to participate, or if you wish to do so
through another email address, please write to:
secretariat@icae.org.uy or oficina@icae.org.uy
* In order participate, sending your inputs and comments, you have
to reply to the list:
icaeworldassembly@listas.chasque.net
* The seminar will last 3 weeks and will be coordinated from
Montevideo, with weekly summaries through a moderated list, that is to say,
we will try to gather short messages into single messages so as to make
reading easier and to avoid receiving hundreds of messages per day.
* The documents will be put up in our website:
www.icae.org.uy
We invite you to participate and enrich the debate through your
contributions and comments, from your vision and experience.
Warm regards,
Celita Eccher
ICAE Secretary-General
I would like to see the International Council for Adult Education:
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THESE ARE ONLY PROPOSALS FOR DEBATE; LET US REACT AND DISCUSS TOGETHER
The Role of the International Council for Adult Education
Bob Hill
bobhill@uga.edu
Vice President for the North American Region
International Council for Adult Education
This reflection is filled with
questions; however, I am most interested in discussing a primary question
before us, "What should the ICAE look like in 2009"? Of course what ICAE
will look like in 2009 will be determined by what we do in the coming 3
yearsit will not happen all at once. Thus, the question can not be
divorced from "What do we need to do now to allow a collective
vision of ICAE to emerge at the next 7th World Assembly in
2007”? And, “What are the expectations of the regions, and their member
groups”? is another fundamental question.
Before I begin, I want to share my positionality since it influences how
and what I am proposing. I recognize my privileges as a Euro-American,
white male who has been engaged in both academic and grassroots struggles
for women’s rights, and racial justice in the U.S. for more than 30, and
for the rights of gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender and self-identified
queer people for more than a decade. From my privileged perspective, I
offer the following thoughts.
ICAE will continue to self-organize, and in doing so, we should not turn
away from the multitude of issues that press upon people today, and seek
new ways that lifelong learning can address these issues. A look at the
following list seems to make this a daunting task; however, the
organization of ICAE must be shaped by issues such as:
* Democracy - Is democracy still a desired (and an attainable) goal? Have
we entered a post-democracy period? What is the role of everyday people
in building democracy…the role of good governance by political leaders…the
role of the media and the press? What new forms of democracy will be
needed to make another world possible? How does adult education
participate in the process of democracy building?
* Gender Justice: Global Women’s Rights - Where do we go from here? How
do we ensure justice for women and girls? These questions are about
visioning a new form of democracygender democracy.
* Sexual Orientation & Gender Expression- How do we promote tolerance/acceptance
of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people? Can we have
celebrations at the achievements, while challenging opposition to
liberation of sexual minorities? These questions are about visioning a
new form of democracy - the democracy of intimacy?
* Empowering the Majority World in the Face of Euro-American Empire and
Neoliberalism - How do we build “globalization from the bottom up”?
* The Hegemony of Language - How do we contest linguist (and cultural)
imperialism? This question is about visioning a new form of democracya
democracy of language.
* Millennium Development Goals, Education for All, the Eradication of
Poverty and other InitiativesWhat are the most strategic approaches to
address these? This question is about visioning a new form of democracythe
democracy of resources.
* HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and other Health Situations - What strategies are
working, and what are not? How can we build on the successful strategies?
These questions are about visioning a new form of democracythe
democratization of health care.
* Environmental Health, Clean Air, Water, Earth & Freedom from Genetically
Modified Organisms (GMOs; for those who Desire this freedom) - This is a
vast topic that needs to be broken into component parts, which include
solutions to pollution, and agricultural and land reform, among many other
things. What are the best practices to achieve goals of living on and
with a healthy Earth? This question is about visioning a new form of
democracy - the democracy of sustainability. The Earth’s resources,
as well as the burdens of pollution and resource extraction, should be
held to a minimum, and shared equally by all people.
* Responding to Global Conservativism, Fundamentalism, Terrorism, and
Extreme Ideologies - What should our response look like? How do we
achieve it?
* Building a Culture of Peace and Mutual Respect - In a time of both large
scale and local wars, this may well be the most pressing issue. This has
a significant component related to religious tolerance. How do we achieve
peaceful coexistence? Do we teach the notion that to have peace, we must
first have justice?
* Indigenous Rights - How do we work with indigenous people to make space
for autonomy and voice?
*Trafficking in Human Beings - We need to further develop our
understanding of human trafficking? How do we address it? In what ways
can advocacy for sex-workers’ rights help to fight trafficking in human
beings?
* Youth - Can we learn how to “step out of the way” of youth so their
vision of all that is possible can flower?
Demanding Global Corporate AccountabilityHow do we strategically
challenge the global corporate agenda, turbo capitalism (vampire
capitalism that regards corporate rights over human rights, and that
causes the rich minority to get richer and the poor majority become
relatively or absolutely poorer)? How can we better fight for worker’s
and labor rights?
* Human Rights, Prison Justice and Reform, Elimination of the Death
Penalty - The ultimate question is “How to build just and equitable
communities, nations, regions, and world”?
Although this list is breath-taking, it need not paralyze us, and it
should, in fact, help to direct the shape of ICAE as we move toward 2009.
More questions come to me. The discussion about the shape and nature of
ICAE should include the following, “How do we engage in advocacy and
activism aimed to strengthen the skills of adult education practitioners
and activists in supporting adult learning for change”? “How do we
generate a broader vision of adult education within the framework of human
rights, active citizenship and new visions of democracy”? “Will
the organization of ICAE consolidate a global network of people committed
to the right to learn and to facilitate the emergence of new global
leadership”? These questions may look familiar to some, since they are
key points in ICAE’s International Academy of Lifelong Learning
Advocacy, and something that active members of ICAE have been thinking
about for several years.
I believe our challenge is how best to design ICAE so that we are a global
team committed to working togethernetworking horizontally, deeply, and
critically to promote lifelong learning strategies, committed to seeking
new and different forms of democracy, committed to principles of
intersectionality, committed to building a new and better world beyond the
explosive tensions and injustices that characterize our times.
Finally, as we gather - whether in Nairobi in 2007 for the 7th
World Assembly of ICAE (and the World Social Forum), or for the next
CONFINTEA in 2009 - we must insist that the host country safeguard the
rights of all people, but especially those who are marginalized and
oppressed (including women, youth, indigenous, people of color, disabled,
sexual minorities [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, and queer
individuals and communities], prisoners, religious people and atheists,
laborers, sex-workers, urban and rural poor people, farmers, and others).
Our hosts must pledge to allow free, safe, protected discussions on topics
important to these groups, and to others in attendance. This is a
condition that is essential to success of the gatherings, and also crucial
to the outcome of our process of re/visioning ICAE.
Key to our deliberation will be to approach what we do with kindness, as
Buddha has said, “kindness should become the natural way of life.” The
U.S. religious nun, Sister Joan Chittister reminds us that as spiritual
beings we have a duty to leaven our times - to stretch our times - to
bless our times- to break open our own times. Whatever form ICAE takes as
an organization, it must ensure that we can do these things.
The time is now, not in 2007 or 2009, to think about what we want ICAE to
be and to become. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. reminded us, "Justice
denied anywhere diminishes justice everywhere." This is not the occasion
to delay learning with (through engagement) and learning against
(through resistance) our times. ICAE must be an organization that
promotes engagement and resistance. The real question before us is “What
kind of organization will ensure this”? We are many people, but we have
one future: A future that ICAE must continue to shape through lifelong
learning advocacy. After all, another world is not only possible -
another world is indispensable.
Comments to
Paul´s and Bob´s papers by Berni Brady, Director, AONTAS, National
Association of Adult Education Ireland
Paul I think the suggestions you are making are
very important ones for an organisation as deverse as the ICAE. Because
there are so many issues in which adult education can play a role as
outlined in the paper by Bob Hall, an organisation can be pulled in too
many directions resulting in a lack of clarity about its work and mission.
I absolutely agree that we need to have an overarching vision encompassing
the many aspects of adult education but within this the organisation needs
to prioritise issues and work towards strategic achievable objectives.
Perhaps a number of themes could be agreed for putting energy into each
year instead of trying to do everything together.
We all know that the mdg goals are less than perfect, nonetheless they do
present opportunities to explore how adult learning is critical to their
achievement but also to their improvement. I know from experience how
difficult it is to promote change and structural organisational
development and perhaps some of the strategic planning work done by
national organisations like ourselves would be interesting to explore and
indeed the EAEA. It has become a much more effective and better regarded
organisation since it developed its strategic plan , identified themes and
objcetives and members agreed to pursue different aspects of its work.
I think the translation of Voices rising into other languages will add to
its effectiveness.
Good luck with this work.
Before we move on to share the papers specifically received for this brainstorming week, I would like to share with you this contribution, which, despite being written based on last week reflections, we think is highly relevant, and gives us a more clear horizon so as to have the maximum possible range of proposals.
Hortencia, from Uruguay, has provided a very illustrative comment based on her work experience at local and national level, and the challenge of keeping linked to global processes.
After this additional contribution, we shall go on with the interesting papers that are waiting for us.
Cecilia Fernandez
My motivation for participating in this seminar comes
from a logic that is different from the logic of those who have
directorship responsibilities. Therefore, the questions and
contributions are based on my capacity as field worker and the daily
tasks that have to be carried out: how to participate in the network?
How to make the most of the assistance provided by the network to
support the field work? How to overcome difficulties?
The last decade has meant a challenge for those of us who have left more
traditional and delimited ways of working (structured organizations,
with more or less clear and standardized norms, and a physical space
that supports the field of action, while limiting it). We engaged with
the world of organizations that work with the new technologies, in
distance communications, with partners in far-off places, without real
faces in many cases, and above all, with the possibility of making
personal decisions in relation to being or not being involved in those
actions, accepting the fact that we have to encompass our local actions
with the proposals of the organization.
“Misunderstandings may arise because it proves very difficult for
local members to explain to other local members, on the other side of
the planet, just who they are relating to, how and why. Their very
different situations need to be made visible so they can be taken into
account.”
I went through what Jeanine Anderson expresses in this paragraph
while carrying out different tasks for REPEM and ICAE: for example,
promoting the contest on income generating projects led by women from
popular sectors, or organizing actions for the Global Campaign for
Education could result in being difficult tasks if we fail to identify
the context at local level, and mostly at first, if we fail to give the
participants the impression that their actions are shared by real
persons, with faces and bodies, even if seen through photographs.
On the other hand, the credibility of the incidence of the actions when
it is about advocacy actions is perceived in dissimilar ways by the
participants if there is no media support, whether local or general.
Many times, the global vision contained in the slogans or in the
proposals for action may be felt as alien, or at least unconnected with
the local realities, and the feeling of insecurity arises around two
matters: not participating in the organizational decision-making, and
the need to make adjustments without knowing if they will fit the global
campaign.
Therefore, how to adjust the global, regional and local spheres?
I think this is the most important challenge posed to every organization
that is part of a network. I will now express my perception about how to
feel included, feel as belonging to, being part of…, taking into account
ways of inclusion for those of us who do grassroots work.
The first point is shared information. Any network that aims for its
members and associates to feel effectively part of it has to generate
information means towards its grassroots, which nurture their local work
and offer reasons to sustain their participation. We know that
publications are rather expensive, but guaranteeing them is part of a
global network’s permanence and growth. The website is key if it is
constantly updated, featuring the most outstanding networking actions.
The second point has to do with the fostering and promotion of
responsible behavior among the members: the first thing is connecting
with the members, and the second thing is informing the members about
their actions. J. Anderson says: “Networks that combine functions on
different levels are particularly useful but difficult to manage. The
functions may combine research, documentation, denunciation, mass
mobilization, organizing to expand the membership, lobbying and making
alliances with other international organizations”. This is the case
of ICAE, but many times we do not perceive fully who does what and where,
neither we know how to communicate among ourselves and share experiences.
However, what I deem most important of all is to teach the network’s
members how to develop responsible behaviour in their condition as such:
share, communicate often, ask, inform. I take into consideration that
the excess of information might be bothering sometimes, however, one
thing to learn is how to make a selection of the material and decide
accordingly.
2- Along the same lines of the above consideration, albeit broadening
the field, I think it is essential that organizations and persons that
participate in a global organization -if they really want to participate
in the network, and not just flirt with it, using it when the time is
right for them, leaving it when it is not- are co-responsible for
maintaining the flow of comments and participation generated in the
network. Networking supposes a new kind of daily responsibility: be
attentive, check the communications and publications, say at least Hello!
when receiving information, suggestions, requests, or proposals. The
link has to be kept working, receiving support, paying attention to
disagreements, because those who are not in the field work feel
sometimes a loneliness that has to be contained and dissolved, even if
through the e-mail or the web.
3- A key element for the local work is continuing training. The
possibility of generating activities and on-line exchanges -departing
from the organizations’ and persons’ experiences that encompass similar
fields- is an element that will favour the interlinkage among members,
while strengthening those bonds.
Finally, and for now, networking supposes new learning, different skills
and capacities, and perhaps the biggest challenge is to identify which
these skills are in order to foster and promote them among the members.
«Quel futur pour l’ICAE ou quel visage pour ICAE en 2009»
by Babacar Diop Buuba
Vice President for ICAE in Africa Region
It is a great honor for us to have been invited to
participate at this virtual seminar in relation to this topic. Our task
has been made easier due to the fact that we have developed, during the
90s, a reflection around adult education in the past, present and future.
That analysis was done for the local branch of ANAFA (Association
Nationale pour l’Alphabetisation et la Formation des Adultes) in Saint
Louis, in the North of the country. In that reflection we looked at the
definitions of adult education as well as at the different insights and
observations that around this topic exist in Africa and in the rest of
the world, in order to better capture national and local needs. Our
analysis was enriched when we looked back at ICAE´s past (see the
article “Shangai Seven After 21 years: reflections on the Breakthrough
ICAE meeting in China”, Convergence, vol. XXXVIII, # 2, 2005, p. 5-27)
and by the questions about the path and transformation of certain sub-regional
organizations in a context where the World Social Forum and other
initiatives have emerged (see article published in the same Convergence
issue about the destiny of the North American Association by Larry Olds,
op. cit. P. 29-41).
Adult Education encompasses all educational activities that benefit
those recognized as adults by a society. It takes different forms: basic
literacy, functional literacy, survival skills, continuous education,
lifelong learning, improvement techniques, community development, long
distance education, correspondence studies in open universities,
training in gender and education, family life, health, environment,
peace and human rights, citizenship and democracy, education and mass
media.
The current general offers do not satisfy the demands from the different
social groups. There are differences between the sexes, between workers
from primary and secondary education, between those in big or small
enterprises, between urban and rural between adults in the Northern or
in the Southern region.
It is also important to take into account the impacts of globalization
and of the New Information and Communication Technologies, the demands
of the old and new role-players, and the emphasis on the educational
environments (see Paul Belanger article in Education des Adultes # 47,
1996).
ICAE must draw lessons from the past, build on this rich past, take
advantage of the new elements from the international context while
working on the following four axis:
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As far as ICAE becomes more visible, this visibility will give security
and tranquility to its members and counterparts; it would be convincing
and persuasive against wars, in the dialogue about development and
between civilizations and cultures.
We would like to share with you the comments made by Joyce Stalker from New Zeland, and as she says some elements for a thematic line based on “Practicalities of organizational survival.’
We encourage you to share your own visions.
Cecilia Fernandez
I am having a hard time keeping up with the flood of
ideas and emails in this seminar but love the connection to people
around the world who are trying to puzzle out the best way to go
forward.
This seminar is about preparing for the ICAE World Assembly in 2007.
But really, it is about setting an agenda for beyond that, for the
Assembly will set the direction for many years to come. While some of
the previous discussions address philosophical issues and the aims of
ICAE, I want to briefly raise three practical, pragmatic points—for if
ICAE is to achieve any of the goals being discussed, it actually has
to endure as an organization. I believe that the elements below could
form the basis of a thematic line based on “Practicalities of
organizational survival.’
1. Succession. In many organisations with which I am familiar, there
is a group of people who are ageing and will not be there in ten years’
time. I suspect that this is true of ICAE’s membership and executive
as well. If this is so, it raises two issues:
• How can ICAE entice younger activists/advocates to attend the World
Assembly in the short term and to develop ICAE’s networks in the
longer term? We know that they are out there, being activists and
advocates. The World Social Forum and protests around the world
demonstrate that.
• Secondly, how can the energy, commitment and knowledge of the
community of adult education ‘elders’ be used effectively? For me, my
involvement has been made possible by a paid position and upon
retirement that support will disappear. At the same time, many of us
will have more energy, time and the same passion available to sustain
and build ICAE and its networks. How can ICAE tap into these elders?
2. Partnerships. It is clear that there is a wide divide between
nations who are the ‘haves’ the ‘have-less-es’ and the nations who are
the ‘have nots.’ A key issue for me is “What roles and
responsibilities should/could those in the ‘First’ or ‘Almost First’
worlds have in relation to the ‘Developing/majority nations?'. Some
networks in some countries have resources, facilities to share –not in
a colonizing way, but in a partnership way. Some ‘Developing/majority’
nations have precious knowledge and understandings to share. What
mechanisms can ICAE put in place to foster sharing and reciprocal
partnerships so that survival of fragile networks is more likely?
3. Technology. It is becoming self-evident that technology is a huge
organizing tool which can be used for/against social justice. I think
we have yet to explore the ways in which it can serve ICAE. It is
problematic that ICAE has a diverse and differently resourced
membership. However, the potential is there and its potential as an
organizing tool is indisputable. For example, it is technically
possible to make our university’s huge e-learning library resources on
adult education journals available to other organizations, if some
financial logistics are worked out. What partnership arrangements
might ICAE facilitate so that networks flourish??
A better world is possible. If not now, when? If not us, who??
Dr. Joyce Stalker
Policy, Cultural and Social Studies in Education
School of Education
University of Waikato
Hamilton, New Zealand Aotearoa
It´s really good to be able to share with you two comments. One send by Inayatullah from Pakistan that brings to us a regional perspective as well as advocacy priorities for ICAE. The other comment was send by Carol Añonuevo, that reminds us of the importance ot thinking and acting both globally and locally.
Thank you for your inputs!
Cecilia Fernandez
I found Jeanine Anderson's paper stimulating.
It provides food for thought.
Viewing ICAE in this context, we have first to refine the mission of
the Council and prioritize its contributions.
If advocacy is a priority and the pro motion of adult literacy one
of its concerns, how does it relates to its stakeholders and
supporters. South Asia has hundreds of millions of illiterate in
this day and age. Does ICAE have the capacity or even energy (assuring
that it has the willingness) to undertake the requisites/activities
in collaboration with UNESCO and other related international
agencies to take up the task of advocacy with country governments
where literacy rate is less than 50%. Another question is: how does
a member NGO benefit from the ICAE connection. Of course high
exchange of information and meetings do help in a general way but a
little more attention is needed to focus on the needs of the member
organizations.
We generally endorse the very useful ideas emanating from by Babacar
Diop Buuba, Vice President for ICAE in Africa Region.
I found the idea of the complexity factor valuable.
I have enjoyed reading the papers and discussions
in the last days and I think the richness of the different
perspectives and points of view, together with the fast pace of
communication are two concrete characteristics of a dynamic network
like ICAE.
Every time I read a new paper and discussion
points, I have the possibility to be a silent reader or an active
participant in the discussion (depending on availability of time,
how strong I feel about certain issues etc) and that to my mind is
an important option available for individuals/organizations engaged
in a network.
I think I would like to reiterate what some
have remarked, that networks per se are not new (feminists have come
up with alternatives to the so called old boys network or networks
of women in the marketplace etc) and therefore all of us have
different experiences of what is to network in our specific contexts.
I think what is new is the global context of networking and the
availability of ICTs to make such networks more intense and fast
paced.
What this global networking implies for organizations like ICAE is I
think the main preoccupation of many of its constituents as
demonstrated in the past days discussions. But one could still
unpack the ongoing discussions and consider who among the
constituents are actively taking part in this virtual seminar?? How
could we connect the global and the local so that we both think
globally and locally and act globally and locally???
All the discussions are indeed pregnant with
more questions but I find most interesting the 6 questions raised by
Ximena relevant in terms of charting the future of ICAE.
Complemented with the context discussion by Salma on the kind of
world we are operating in, plus the case studies and the rest of the
discussion, we have the main elements of a future strategy for ICAE.
I think one issue that has not been discussed
is how ICAE will work with governments whether in a global or
national context.
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Dear all,
We are closer to the end of the second week of the virtual seminar, preparatory to ICAE World Assembly. We are now sending a synthesis elaborated by Jeanine Anderson, so as to help us visualize some relevant aspects that have been posed.
Many thanks to you all, and we hope this weekend to be as fruitful as the previous one.
Cecilia Fernandez
The perceptions of ICAE seem to be very diverse
as are the proposals for making it more agile and adaptable to the
opportunities that exist for positively influencing the future of
adult education in the world. I especially want to highlight Paul’s
call for zeroing in on just a few priorities, and Sofia’s argument
for participatory democracy.
Electing 3 or 4 priority issues would help to give ICAE a very
clear identity and make it a rallying point for other persons and
organizations interested in those issues. This is important
precisely because the issues in the whole education field are
inherently so very broad and complex. Setting priorities
unfortunately always makes it inevitable that important questions
are set aside for later action. The necessary decisions are
extremely difficult.
The Millenium Development Goals were mentioned as possible
instruments for organizing priorities. They are very far from
expressing the objectives and ideals that some of the seminar
participants articulated, undoubtedly. Nonetheless, they have the
legitimacy of their UN backing, and they are modest enough not to
be frightening. I suppose that international networks, if they
want broad participation and support, must be careful not to
frighten away possible supporters by seeming too ambitious.
Winning battles and having successful campaigns is important!
There seems to be a principle here of the visibility of the
network to its own members. The standard theory is that members
give time and effort to the network because they get benefits in
return: information, connections to like-minded people and
organizations, new ideas, new frameworks for thinking about the
world. However, it could be equally important that the members
see the efficacy of the network in international debates. They
can share in the pride of having helped to achieve a good outcome
at international meetings, and of being recognized as an important
actor.
I am very attracted to Sofía’s proposal of participatory democracy
and yet I think it is something that would have to be thought
through carefully. The reason is one I mentioned earlier: people
and organizations that disagree with the opinions of others can
simply “drop out” and stop communicating. In structured
organizations and in face-to-face groups that is not possible. In
networks it is all too possible. Instead of engaging in
discussion and reaching compromises, there is always the option
simply to leave the network.
Sofia is certainly right in what she says about the difficult role
of leadership in a network. Part of that role must be to draw out
the participation of those that might be tempted to leave but that
can be persuaded to debate and continue to share in the diversity
that makes a network rich and effective. Not everybody can be
fully involved in everything, but there must be something that
everyone can feel identified with. Again, that something may be
the successes of the network, if it chooses its priorities well.
I have been travelling in India for the past few
weeks and have returned to read through the many many thoughtful
contributions. One idea which I have not seen, but could have missed,
is the value of supporting adult learners own organizations. In
Canada at both the city scale (Toronto) and a larger scale (Quebec)
we have had important break throughs in setting up organizations of
adult learners themselves. The Toronto Adult Students Association
has been our pioneer model and with around 100,000 adult learners
being reached through the Toronto School District Continuing
Education programmes each paying $5.00 per year, there is now a
fully sustainable ( a potential $500,000./year revenue) organisation
which can be a voice for adult learners themselves.
We have thought about how to extend this model to a national scale
so that say 20 per cent of the local membership fees could go into a
national organization. So if we had 1 million adult learners in
Canada for example at a $1 each, there would be a revenue stream for
a national adult learners voice of $1 million. And it would be
autonomous, not dependent on government or outside funding agencies.
Could a model like this work at the international level? I don't
know, but as someone who has been looking for ways to sustain
independent voices for adult learners and adult educatiors, this is
the closest that I have come to a model that might work.
The brains behind this movement in Canada is Sue Nielsen, whom many
of you will have met through ICAE or UNESCO circles. It might be an
idea to get her to do a piece for this virtual seminar on taking her
experience to the global level.
with affection, Budd Hall, Victoria, Canada