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GEO/ICAE
1.- Adult Education and Development "CONFINTEA VI is just around the corner." This was the mood within the Consultative Group that met at the International People's College in Elsinore, Denmark, in March 2007. This was a historic setting be-cause the first UNESCO International Conference on Adult Education was held at this residential adult education centre in 1949. Another conference has been held every twelve years since then, in Montreal, Tokyo, Paris and, most recently, Hamburg in 1997 (www.unesco.org/education/uie/confintea) . And it has now been decided that the next will be in Brazil in 2009, to be preceded by regional preparatory conferences in 2008. It is perhaps understandable that there are worries whether the time remaining will be adequate for systematic preparation, motivation and mobilization. What can civil society organizations and professional associations expect from the next CONFINTEA, when it was clear from the Mid-term Review in Thailand in 2003 that there are few cases in which government responsibility for adult education has led to measurable successes? The policy, legislation and financing of adult education within a framework of lifelong learning, not to mention systematic initial and continuing training, research and documentation, compare poorly with what has happened over the last decade in other sectors of education - schools, vocational education and universities. "We are a long way from implementing the Hamburg Declaration" - this was the concern expressed in the critical undertone of the first meeting of the newly elected ICAE Executive Committee, which also met in March, in Montevideo, the city where the General Secretariat of the International Council for Adult Education has its offices. At the beginning of the year, the ICAE held its own World Assembly in Nairobi, back to back with the first World Social Forum to take place on African soil since the very first was held in Porto Alegre. It was a successful meeting, combining professional discussion of numerous major issues prepared by specialist commissions, such as health, gender, migration and citizenship, with the requirements of the further organizational development of the Council (www.icae.org.uy). The presentations and conclusions of one of the commissions, dealing with the highly complex question of the financing and organization of adult education, are examined more fully in this issue. The Education Committee of the German Bundestag also held a hearing in January on the funding of adult education as part of an overall system of support for lifelong learning. We reprint here the Report submitted by the DVV because we can easily imagine that it may be typical of the intensive lobbying of Government and Parliament that needs to be done on behalf of learners. "Remembering for the Future" was the title of one of the articles in the last issue of this journal, and an invitation was extended to send us further texts about the often difficult and painful process of dealing with history, the violation of human rights and reconciliation following ethnic conflicts, through and in adult education. Thank you - and we shall no doubt have to come back to this theme. Lastly, we turn to adult education for people with disabilities. We should like this too to be seen as a beginning. We should very much like to explore this topic more deeply, particularly through reports on practice. In November of this year, dvv international, EAEA and ICAE will be holding a conference on "The human right to education in the context of migration and integration" in Bonn (www.dvv-international.de). Depending on the method of counting used, the number of migrants varies between 50 and 100 million, and includes internal migration as well as that between countries and continents. The trend is upwards. There is a consequent need for many aspects of adult education: as preparation both for those on the move, and for those who need to provide integration in the so-called host countries. There is no doubt that this will be one of the major topics at CONFINTEA VI, and probably at the preparatory regional conferences in 2008, whether in Africa, Asia, Latin America or Europe. Migration is a global issue. Heribert Hinzen For
further information:
2.- Letter to Education International: Barometer of
Human and Trade Union Rights in Education? Members of Education International Present Dear friends from EI: First of all we would like to congratulate EI for the initiative and the efforts undertaken in the organisation of this Barometer, launched during the recent World Conference of Education International held in Berlin from 22 to 26 July. http://www.ei-ie.org/barometer/es/index.php We have noticed, though, that this Barometer is centred in the formal school system, leaving aside non formal education of children, youth and adults, which is also part of the goals from Education for All. It is not only boys and girls from school age who are entitled to the right of education and its exigibility but also youth and adults excluded from the school system. This right becomes more visible and its strengthened within the framework of the paradigm from Lifelong Learning, recognised and accepted today throughout the world. As we know, the six EFA Goals approved in 1990 in Jomtien and ratified in 2000in Dakar, with 2015 as the target date for achievement, include children, youth and adults and refer to education within as well as outside the school system: 1. Expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children; 2.
Ensuring that by 2015 all children, particularly girls, children in
difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities, have
access to a complete free and compulsory primary education of good quality;
4. Achieving a 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015, especially for women, and equitable access to basic and continuing education for all adults; 5. Eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005, and achieving gender equality in education by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls’ full and equal access to and achievement in basic education of good quality; 6. Improving all aspects of the quality of education, and ensuring excellence of all so that recognized and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all, especially in literacy, numeracy, and essential life skills. We therefore make a request to EI to incorporate ALL EFA Goals to this Barometer. Limiting it to formal education would represent a step backward in relation to the recognition of the right to education. We also take this opportunity to recommend a review of the information provided for each country. When analysing the profiles included from different Latin American countries, and in particular the one from my own country, Ecuador, the existence of errors and inaccuracies in the information and its interpretation becomes evident. This reduces the value and credibility of an instrument that can actually become an important tool for research and social watch on the right to education and on trade union rights in different countries of the world. Warm greetings, Rosa
María Torres 3.- Femnet holds advocacy workshop
smlidi@yahoo.com The African Women’s Development and Communication Network held a two day regional workshop on Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights in Tanzania from July 31- August 1, 2007 with the aim of supporting African women organizations to act and advocate around reproductive and sexual rights and influence national and policy frameworks to protect and promote reproductive and sexual rights. The workshop was informed by a regional research project covering Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda on the status of sexual and reproductive health and rights. The workshop involved about 36 local organizations from all over the country working on sexual and reproductive health issues such as FGM, child and maternal mortality and morbidity, fistula, and maternal health services as well as sexual and reproductive rights of women and young girls. The workshop process intended to produce and national advocacy strategy for activist organizations working on sexual and reproductive health and rights. It also indicated some of the gaps in the way existing interventions on sexual and reproductive rights are conceived and implemented. On analysis it seemed easier to engage with the health aspect of sexual and reproductive health issues i.e. the scientific aspect rather than the rights aspects i.e. the ideological aspect. Thus sexual and reproductive rights were largely advocated on the basis of commitments to provide particular health services to women, men and young people and not so much from the premise of the body and personal autonomy over the body. Perhaps this was an indication of the general sensitivity surrounding advocacy over as sexual and reproductive rights where the criminalization of certain aspects of as sexual and reproductive rights like the right to choose and the influence of religious forces turn legal questions into moral questions. In such instances the question of women’s general powerlessness in the sexual relationship as well as in society are thrown out of the equation. Instead the status quo is reinforced with activists unable to achieve real shifts in guaranteeing women their sexual and reproductive rights and accordingly a greater realization of their as sexual and reproductive health. The general feeling of helplessness over the situation makes advocacy initiatives all the more imperative. Nonetheless great strides were made in identifying key areas for collective interventions. Legal reform into marriage and personal laws was seen as critical in promoting women’s as sexual and reproductive health and rights. Likewise improving the quality of reproductive health services through holistic interventions that address human resource issues, essential drugs and equipment; and improving the environment was emphasized. Networking between key actors and allies was equally stressed as vital in creating the critical mass to pressurize for action. To get this audacious agenda moving political will is necessary at both the government level as well as among activists engaged in the struggle for women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights. Participating organizations will further the initiative by finalizing the plans and implementing some of the short term strategies before the 16 Days of Violence Against Women and World AIDS Day. Coordinators for specific zones would assure that the process is coordinated. Salma Maoulidi Sahiba
Sisters Foundation is a member of FEMNET in Tanzania. 4.- INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE: on Lifelong Learning (ICLL)
“Ensuring Lifelong Skills for ALL” under the spirit of “Partners, Pathways
and Pedagogies”.
Important Dates: The
abstract should be submitted no later than 25 August 2007. The full paper
must not exceed 10 pages (single spacing). Send a diskette (MS word format)
and a hard copy to the secretariat by snail mail or e-mail:
drnmn@pkrisc.cc.ukm.my
Copyright/Publication
Registration Form, Accomodations please contact:
SEE BROCHURE More than 1.000 organisations and individuals already signed and joined the call for a global day of mobilisation and action (January 26th 2008), on the website www.wsf2008.net. In 2008 will not be held a World Social Forum (WSF) global event, the proposal is movements, networks, organisations organise a journey of simultaneous mobilisations around this day, in whole world. The objective is demonstrate how the WSF is an alive process in local, national, regional and thematic forums, in many plural struggles, campaigns and alternatives for another world, developed in all the planet. The date, January 26th, has been chosen as a way to keep the confrontation with World Economic Forum, a neoliberal elite meeting always had during January in Davos, Switzerland. How to get involved? The global day of mobilisation and action will take place by all organisations and movements at international, national, local level concerned to get involved in it. Each network, movement, organisation will decide how to organise their own actions and will define their subjects, formats and how will articulate national and international connections. To join since now this mobilisations, your organisation should: - sign
the global call (on the website
www.wsf2008.net) To global day of mobilisation and action be successful, it's needed everybody disseminate information to all regions of the planet, taking part actively in the concrete construction process of local mobilisations. Soon, a website will permit everybody to register an action and to build alliances and coalitions around it. It will also work to disseminate the defined actions for the date. Follow WSF website and newsletter for further information, as well as on www.wsf2008.net. Social Forums around the world 1st
Quebec Social Forum, August from 23 to 26, 2007 - Montreal, Quebec, Canada
I am writing to share information on our forthcoming book Celebrating Mothers: Global Portraits to Inform and Inspire the first book to feature mothers who are making the world a better place for women and children through dedicated social advocacy. The book will be a collection of stories and photographs honoring the life experiences, wisdom and activism of mothers across the globe. A project of Mothers Acting Up, this book is an international collaborative effort through a call for nominations and proceeds will benefit nonprofit coalitions working to support women and children worldwide. Please see our website (www.celebratingmothers.org) for more information on Celebrating Mothers and our global mission to inspire mothers to become leaders of social change. We would appreciate receiving your organization s nominations and your assistance forwarding this email to your colleagues who can send us nominees for the book. We have some amazing mothers who have been nominated and we still need more stories from around the world even mothers doing smaller projects at a very grassroots level. Our deadline for submissions is August 15, 2007, but this can be extended to September 15, 2007 for you and your associates if necessary. We look forward to hearing from you. Kind regards, Amie
Nelson
Celebrating Mothers: Global Portraits to Inform and Inspire Celebrating Mothers: Global Portraits to Inform and Inspire is a forthcoming book to feature mothers who are making the world a better place for women and children through social advocacy. The book will be a collection of stories and photographs honoring the life experiences, wisdom and activism of mothers across the globe. A project of Mothers Acting Up, this book is an international collaborative effort through a call for nominations— and proceeds will benefit nonprofit coalitions working to support women and children worldwide. Please see www.celebratingmothers.org for more information on this project and our global mission to inspire mothers to become leaders of social change. Please
submit your organization’s nomination(s) for exemplary women who are: Celebrating Mothers will highlight global women’s initiatives, so please forward this to individuals or organizations you work with overseas who will submit nominations and concurrently raise more awareness of their efforts. The emphasis on cultural diversity will serve as a window to the array of social issues affecting mothers worldwide, different approaches to balancing work/volunteerism and family, and the common threads that bind all caregivers, regardless of home or heritage. Please submit nominations (limit 5 per organization) to celebratingmothers@gmail.com . Submissions should include:
1) Name of individual “Be the change you want to see in the world” -Mahatma Gandhi
Dear friends, In June of 2006, Action Aid International, Amnesty International, CIVICUS World Alliance for Citizen Participation, Consumers International, Greenpeace International, Oxfam International, the International Save the Children Alliance, Survival International, International Federation Terre des Hommes, Transparency International and World YWCA, international leaders in human rights, environmental and social development, endorsed an Accountability Charter for the non-profit sector. This document is the first international, cross-sectoral code of conduct for Non-governmental Organizations and sets out core values and operating principles, seeking to demonstrate that NGOs deeply value public trust, do not take it for granted and are committed to sustaining and deepening that trust. Please read more about this charter at www.aidswomencaucus.org Warm
regards,
PLEASE TAKE NOTE One of the objectives of Voices Rising, the on line magazine from ICAE (International Council for Adult Education) is to democratize the access to information. Although Voices Rising believes that the information it receives is of trustable sources and before publishing it measures are taken to ensure that it is reliable, the possibility is always there that we can make a mistake or that we can be surprised by ill intentions. Therefore, and with the aim of protecting the interests of all our subscribers and readers, VOICES RISING recommends that you take all necessary precautions before taking significant decision in relation to the published information. If you wish to subscribe or unsubscribe to VOICES RISING please write to: voicesrising@icae.org.uy
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