Our Global Reach: UNESCO and ICAE as Catalysts

International travel has the potential to expand one's learning horizons exponentially, especially with the abundantly enriching experiences of adult, continuing, and lifelong learning conferences. You, the reader, are invited to virtually consider new horizons (deeper, broader, higher, and wider) without leaving your home. CONFINTEA VI (The Sixth World International Conference in Adult Education) sponsored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and organized by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) was held in Belem, Para, Brazil, December 1-4, 2009. UNESCO conducts an International Assembly on Adult Learning every 12 years. CONFINTEA V was held in Hamburg, Germany, July 14-18, 1997. All of the documents developed as background for Assemblies, and those produced by the Assemblies as the Official Documents, are available for viewing and printing: http://www.unesco.org/en/confinteavi/. Thus, you may begin virtually expanding your adult education horizons. Participation and Adult Education Definition CONFINTEA VI had 144 UNESCO member states represented in Belem, with nearly 1200 participants from civil society organizations, social partners, United Nations agencies, intergovernmental agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and the private sector. This was the first out of six times since 1949 that UNESCO was holding this International Assembly (now labeled CONFINTEA) in the Southern Hemisphere. A Civil Society Pre-Conference, entitled The International Civil Society Forum (FISC), sponsored by the International Council of Adult Education (ICAE), was held in Belem, Para, Brasil, November 28-30, 2009, just prior to CONFINTEA VI, the first time FISC was held prior to the Assembly. Having conducted adult education activities in the city of Belem (at the mouth of the mighty Amazon River, although not well known like Rio de Janiero and Sao Paulo) numerous times over a 25 year period through the Partners of the Americas, made it especially exciting for me that UNESCO chose Belem for CONFINTEA VI and FISC. I arrived in Belem on May 5, 2009 to conduct seven adult education workshops, prior to what was to be my participation in FISC and CONFINTEA VI later in May. On May 8, however, the Brazilian Government made the official announcement that FISC and CONFINTEA VI were postponed because of the H1N1 concern that was making its presence felt around the globe. FISC and CONFINTEA VI were to be scheduled later in 2009. Notwithstanding the postponement, the rescheduled FISC Pre-Conference in November, 2009 had nearly 800 enthusiastic participants. There were two very important aspects of the FISC Pre-Conference: (a) this was an extended time period providing the opportunity for people to discuss in-depth a variety of issues considered in the numerous concurrent sessions, along with the expression of overarching themes presented in a couple of plenary sessions, that would be recommended to CONFINTEA VI for inclusion in the culminating documents and final report, and (b) this was also a time prior to CONFINTEA VI for people and groups to consider elements they felt were overlooked during FISC and perhaps would need to be included in the overall reporting of FISC. Most disappointing, however, was the overlooking and exclusion, by FISC (at the Pre-Conference and in subsequent reporting of that event), of a civil society contribution by the Partners of The Americas (POA) people-to-people program,(Companheiros das Americas in Brasil), that since 1966 has been integral to North-South relations in the Western Hemisphere (North America, Central America, and South America). Moreover, this includes part of the Southern Hemisphere where this UNESCO Assembly was being held for the first time. Partners of the Americas was started in 1966, growing out of President Kennedy's Alliance for Progress, with specific states or cities in the USA partnered with a specific state or city in Central or South America. …

UNESCO and Lifelong Learning: The Road to and From Belem There can no longer be any doubt that adult education within lifelong learning is a key factor for economic and social development, as well as being a human right. New policies for adult education must now result in coherent forms of laws and legislation clearly spelling out ways and means for financing adult education. These must involve the public, private, and non-governmental organization (NGO) sectors, social partners, and individuals. As studies for CONFINTEA VI demonstrate, change in most countries is slow and not far-reaching enough, especially because of too low a public sector investment in human resources. In the current global financial crisis things are getting worse, and the gaps between those with and those without are widening at all levels. The need to reverse this trend is urgent. What is being done about it, especially by the key international body UNESCO? The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) now has 193 states and seven associates in membership. It was foreshadowed in 1942, the year after the United States entered World War II, to provide ways and means for reconstructing systems of education once peace was restored. The United States was a central partner in its formation. UNESCO came into force on 4 November 1946 after ratification by twenty countries and held its first General Conference from 19 November to l0 December 1946 with the participation of 30 governments. The first International Adult Education Conference was held three years later in 1949. The sixth conference in a series sustained over 60 years, CONFINTEA VI, was held in Belem in Brazil in 2009, with 1,125 participants from 144 countries and representatives of other international agencies, non-governmental organizations, and learner associations. UNESCO is now carrying out a follow-up strategy in an endlessly patient cycle of activity, concentrating on three aspects with actions at national and regional levels: policy development, improvement of provision and quality, and data collection and documentation of progress. UNESCO already has a schedule of activity running through to mid-term, which is halfway through the time before the next CONFINTEA is due. Most immediately, UNESCO's follow-up strategy looked to the UN Summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) from 20 to 22 September 2010. This meeting was embraced as a precious opportunity to disseminate the Belem Framework for Action (UIL, 2010), making the case for adult literacy and adult learning being central to the achievement of all the MDGs. What has this unceasing activity achieved, and where do we go from here? Unfortunately, the importance of quality youth and adult education, training, and learning was again not recognized as a major factor that helps in achieving the MDGs. So, challenges beckon and we still have much work to do. Some may want to start by further familiarizing themselves with the eight MDGs agreed upon by member countries at the Millennium meeting of the United Nations in 2000, available at both the United Nations and UNESCO websites. Namely: 1. Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger 2. Achieve Universal Primary Education 3. Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women 4. Reduce Child Mortality 5. Improve Maternal Health 6. Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and Other Diseases 7. Ensure Environmental Sustainability 8. Develop a Global Partnership for Development For a better understanding of the goals and targets of the Millennium Declaration and the accompanying indicators for monitoring progress, see the official United Nations site for the MDG indicators (http://mdgs.un.org/ unsd/mdg). For further inquiry see also UN (2010). UNESCO became rather politicised in the difficult Cold War era; its fourth big conference, in 1985, was fraught with power bloc difficulties, yet managed to achieve significant results. …

Reflections: Based on Dr. Charters' Presentation During CONFINTEA VI Belem, Para, Brazil, December, 2009 After being in World War II as a Canadian Naval Officer, on loan to the Royal Navy serving on an invasion ship (Landing Ship Tank-LST 63) in the Mediterranean and at Normandy, I returned to a little more sedentary life of study in adult education in 1948. At the University of Chicago, I was one of Dr. Cyril O. Houle's first doctoral students in Adult Education. Returning from the First International Adult Education Conference sponsored by the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Elsinore, Denmark, June 19-25, 1949, he inspired us with the vision of actively participating in the post-World War II International Adult Education movement. It was also an introduction to the recently created United Nations Organization (UNO), founded in 1945 somewhat as a replacement for the League of Nations, and UNESCO, a specialized agency of the UNO established in November 1945. Following the Second UNESCO International Conference on Adult Education, Adult Education in a Changing World, held in Montreal, Canada, August 21-31, 1960, a group of international delegates from the conference met with some Canadian and American adult educators at Sagamore (NY), a Syracuse University Conference Center located between Syracuse and Montreal that I administered as Dean of University College. It was a way for non-delegates to the UNESCO Conference from the civil society, especially from the academic sector, to acquire more information about the developments in adult education. From this meeting the International Council on University Adult Education (ICUAE) developed. In 1962, the Carnegie Corporation funded an Adult Education program initiated by Dr. David Kimball, University of Ghana, with the cooperation of ICUAE. The program followed the pattern of the Sagamore experience. It brought together four Canadian and six American adult educators from their universities to meet with one African adult educator from each of most African universities. Prior to the Adult Education Conference held in Accra in December 1963, each Canadian and American participant was paired with an adult educator from an African University attending the conference, thus able to share experiences at the conference. Following the conference, the Canadian and American adult educators went to the university of their counterparts, where they spent several days sharing adult education experiences and concerns. I spent several days at the Addis Abba University in Ethiopia. I had the privilege of participating in all subsequent UNESCO Assemblies. At the Third UNESCO International Conference on Adult Education, Adult Education in the Context of Lifelong Learning, in Tokyo, Japan, July 25 to August 1, 1972, I served as a member of the official United States Delegation. All delegates to the UNESCO Conference were appointed by the governments of the member states, although members from non-governmental organizations were sometimes appointed to the delegations. While in Tokyo, under the leadership of Dr. J. R. (Roby) Kidd, some of us, in the lobbies of the hotel and elsewhere, explored the possibility of an international organization on adult education with membership from the civil society. Partly from these discussions, the International Council on Adult Education (ICAE), a non-governmental organization, was formed in 1973. The UNESCO meeting provided fertile ground for the generation of such ideas. The Fourth UNESCO International Adult Education Conference, The Development of Adult Education: Aspects and Trends, was held in Paris, France, March 19-29, 1985. The United States had temporarily withdrawn from UNESCO, but I had an invitation to attend as a representative from the Committee of Adult Education Organizations (CAEO), later named the Coalition of Lifelong Learning Organizations (COLLO) of the United States, which continues and was involved in planning for CONFINTEA VI. …

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Institute for Lifelong Learning has been publishing the Global Report on Adult Learning and Education (GRALE) every three years since 2009. These reports provide comprehensive analyses of adult education policies, governance, budget allocation, participation, and quality across United Nations member states, offering a global perspective on adult learning and education. In this study, all GRALE reports published to date were examined, their content analyzed, and their reflections on adult learning and education policies in Turkey were evaluated. The findings indicate that the GRALE reports are significant as they present a comprehensive overview of adult learning and education on a global scale and encourage the development of policies and institutional frameworks in the field of adult education. However, the lack of standardized policies on lifelong learning and adult education among countries reduces the validity and reliability of the evaluations presented in the GRALE reports. The issues addressed in the reports are also found to be prevalent in adult learning and education efforts in Turkey, with the persistent problem of inequalities in education for women, migrants, and the elderly being particularly emphasized. In this context, it is foreseen that there is a need for initiatives specifically planned for women and other disadvantaged groups. Moreover, adult education has the potential to address unemployment challenges that may arise due to advancements in artificial intelligence, enabling individuals to acquire new skills. By doing so, it can support workforce transformation and play an active role in mitigating job losses.

Adult education policies around the world during the post‐World War II period owe a debt to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) both in their conception and implementation. Four UNESCO‐sponsored world conferences on adult education (UNESCO, 1949; UNESCO, 1963; UNESCO, 1972; UNESCO, 1985) and several other conference reports and surveys (Bhola, 1989b; Lowe, 1982; UNESCO, 1976) have contributed to adult education as an area of study, as a progressive movement in its own right and in developing adult education throughout the Third World, an area of special, but not exclusive, interest in this paper.

Globalisation, transnational policies and adult education – This paper examines policy documents produced by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the European Union (EU) in the field of adult education and learning. Both these entities address adult education as an explicit object of policy. This paper investigates how globalisation processes are constructed as policy problems when these transnational political agents propose adult education as a response. The author’s main argument is that while UNESCO presents the provision of adult education as a means for governments worldwide to overcome disadvantages experienced by their own citizenry, the EU institutionalises learning experiences as a means for governments to sustain regional economic growth and political expansion. After reviewing the literature on globalisation to elucidate the theories that inform current understanding of contemporary economic, political, cultural and ecological changes as political problems, she presents the conceptual and methodological framework of her analysis. The author then examines the active role played by UNESCO and the EU in promoting adult education as a policy objective at transnational level, and unpacks the specific problem “representations” that are substantiated by these organisations. She argues that UNESCO and EU processes assign specific values and meanings to globalisation, and that these reflect a limited understanding of the complexity of globalisation. Finally, she considers two of the effects produced by these problem representations.

Creative Hubs in Hanoi, Vietnam

The multiple processes of globalization of the 1990s have drastically changed the context in which governance of education takes place, altering the relationship between sovereignty and territoriality in the education policy development, and transforming education policy spaces, content, and the governance processes, actors and structures. Over the past decades, scholars have tried to explore new frameworks through which to examine the current complex field of power relations in education, and specifically to understand better the role of intergovernmental organizations and the United Nations in it. In the context of the historical turn for international cooperation characterized by the efforts of achieving Sustainable Development Goals, this understanding could be instrumental for finding effective solutions to educational challenges, and for re-orienting educational policies in the light of sustainable development. Proposing innovative theoretical and methodological frameworks which required an interdisciplinary approach which draw from international relations theories, political economy, philosophy, pedagogy, sociology, and global education studies, applying the global governance theory to education, the research aims to investigate the complex landscape of the global governance of education, focusing on the role of intergovernmental organizations in it and, in particular, it examines the evolution of priorities of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in the agenda-setting process. By means of a mix methodology of content and discourse analyses, the main political and flagship publications of UNESCO are studied throughout a period that begins in 1990 and extends until 2017, since this timeframe encapsulates the timeline of particular international education agendas (Education for All and Sustainable Development Goals) and is marked by the rise of globalization and its effect on the governance of education. The research identifies the evolution of UNESCO’s role in the global governance of education connecting it with the endogenous and exogenous changes of the period selected; it explains how a specific mechanism of agenda-setting has gained relevance in UNESCO’s global governance role; and it illustrates the dialectic relationships between UNESCO’s priorities and those of the global education agendas that the Organization has helped shape. In so doing, this exercise could be useful as it not only provides a fresh outlook on the ways in which education governance can be analysed in contemporary interconnected world, but it also creates new perspectives for studying the role of intergovernmental organizations in global education policy. The findings of this research are a fresh contribution to the field that could be also utilized by governance actors such as UNESCO in order to reflect on, review and problematise their positioning within global governance.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is the lead United Nations (UN) agency in the field of education. As its website proudly proclaims, UNESCO is: “the only UN body with a mandate in higher education.”1 However, UNESCO’s work in higher education has always operated at the margins of its education program (Daniels 2003, 22). Higher education has long been overshadowed by the organization’s focus on popular access to basic education, especially over the past decade, when UNESCO has made achieving “education for all” the central pillar of its educational activities (Mundy 1999). Nonetheless, a strong argument can be made about the need for a UN presence in higher education, particularly in the context of the globalization and internationalization of higher education. Massification of higher education, the growth of private and trans-border service provision, and new information and communications technologies are each transforming the global organization of higher education. In higher education, these processes of globalization have created new types of within-country inequality, and new regional and interstate forms of competition (Robertson and Keeling 2008; Marginson 2008). UNESCO’s mandate within the UN requires it to defend and promote the idea of equality of opportunity within an increasingly globalized higher education policy arena. Its own constitution also requires UNESCO to promote the sharing of knowledge and to defend cultural diversity. This chapter explores the effort within UNESCO to translate its mandate as the UN body in the field of higher education into an effective program of action. Based primarily on document review, this chapter also draws on private communication with 10 higher education experts either involved in UNESCO initiatives or on staff. The chapter is structured as follows: a historical review of UNESCO activities, suggesting how these activities have been shaped by the changes in the organization and in the wider UN environment; UNESCO activities in higher education over the past decade, assessing inparticular UNESCO’s response to the rapid globalization of higher education and its efforts to define a unique role for itself in the international higher education policy agenda; exploring the challenges posed to UNESCO’s work in higher education by current UN and UNESCO; and concluding with some preliminary thoughts on the key opportunities for UNESCO in the governance of higher education as a policy arena.

(2003). The politics of heritage in Tana Toraja, Indonesia: Interplaying the local and the global. Indonesia and the Malay World: Vol. 31, No. 89, pp. 91-107.

Books Across Borders: UNESCO and the Politics of Postwar Cultural Reconstruction, 1945–1951

In recent years, adult has emerged increasingly as prominent force on adult horizon. Although many adult educators have been conducting adult programs for numerous decades around world, Commission on International Adult Education (CIAE), formerly unit of American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE), has been most important catalyst for raising awareness and interest in adult education, stretching around globe to help adults learn in various cultures, contexts, and countries. The seven articles in this international adult education themed issue of Adult Learning (our journal of theory and practice) draw upon group of authors who share their experiences and broad spectrum of active engagement in facilitating adult learning through multiplicity of adult programs. Come with us on delightful trip as criss-cross globe! In first article, Roger Morris, from down under in Australia, reflects on his numerous significant adult encounters. He has done this during 30-year period of time to overcome what some call the tyranny of distance that separates Australia from other parts of world, including Asia, North America, Europe, and South Pacific. Roger has been deeply involved with United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and International Council of Adult Education (ICAE). In second article, Gretchen T. Bersch from Alaska describes in glowing temas how her grandmother and parents (because of their energetic, adventurous, and visionary penchant for travel) inspired in her lifelong interest in work throughout many parts of world. Asa consequence, Gretchen built figurative bridge flora Alaska over Bering Strait to Magadan, Russia (in far Eastern Siberia). She poignantly describes work she has done since iron curtain fell in 1988 between Russia and Alaska, and how she has helped destitute people in region where daily life is challenge often filled with unimaginable sadness. In third article, Peggy Gabo Ntseane from Botswana, Southern Africa, tells of her excitement for adult education, arising from Setwana Proverbs: we learn from one another, and a bag of locust can only be lifted if all lift it. Combining cultural socialization and indigenous learning models of collective learning with individualized learning models of United States helped Peggy focus her adult work on function of spearheading global social justice. In next article, Qi Sun takes us to Peoples' Republic of China. She developed her interest in adult through Scientific Research Institute of International and Comparative Education (SRIICE) at Beijing Normal University and discovered its connections with Russia, Eastern Europe, France, Germany, Japan, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and UNESCO. …

Abstract. This article examines the dynamics of Ukraine’s membership in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) over the past seven decades, with special attention paid to the country’s diplomatic efforts in the face of a full-scale invasion. Highlighting Ukraine’s strategic interaction with UNESCO, the article focuses on the role of soft power in the formation of international relations. Through a comprehensive analysis of Ukraine’s historical path within UNESCO, from acquiring membership in 1954 to contemporary challenges such as russian aggression, the article highlights Ukraine’s unwavering commitment to promoting UNESCO’s principles of protecting peace, justice, and the development of education and culture. Beginning with Ukraine’s initial struggles against external influences, particularly within the context of the Soviet Union, the article traces the nation’s evolution within UNESCO, emphasising its commitment to asserting national identity, preserving cultural heritage, and advancing global peace. It elucidates Ukraine’s strategic utilisation of UNESCO as a platform for promoting soft power mechanisms, multilateral cooperation, and coalition-building to address pressing global issues, including the ongoing conflict with the Russian Federation. Against the backdrop of geopolitical challenges, Ukraine’s diplomatic efforts within UNESCO are becoming an important mechanism for protecting sovereignty and strengthening the state’s voice in international affairs. The work highlights Ukraine’s diplomatic achievements within the framework of UNESCO’s operations, the country’s proactive approach to securing key positions in various committees and programs, as well as the implementation of consolidated efforts to ensure peace. Furthermore, the article underscores UNESCO’s key role in promoting Ukraine’s foreign policy goals and in addressing urgent global challenges. Adhering to the principles of multilateral cooperation, Ukraine reaffirms its commitment to promoting peace, justice, and sustainable development. Keywords: Ukraine, UNESCO, soft power, multilateral diplomacy, cultural heritage.

Education is a human right but one that remains elusive for displaced people and refugees affected by crises and emergencies. Against the background of global commitments to education, lifelong learning policies are essential to ensure self-sufficiency and autonomy for displaced people. While the field of Education in Emergencies (EiE) has successfully drawn attention to the educational needs of displaced people, lifelong learning receives comparatively little funding and policy attention. The aim of this study is to contribute to the field of lifelong learning and EiE by critically identifying, scrutinising and rethinking how the concepts of “crisis” and “emergency” are produced in the context of adult learning and education (ALE). By analysing the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s series of Global Reports on Adult Learning and Education (GRALE) and drawing on the “What’s the ‘problem’ represented to be” (WPR) approach pioneered by Carol Bacchi, this study examines representations of crisis and emergencies in ALE and the ways in which they contribute to the reproduction of dominant hierarchies and power structures. The analysis highlights the need to rethink the concept of ALE in emergencies and to critically challenge dominant discourses and promote a more equitable and inclusive approach. This article highlights the tensions between how different forms of crisis and emergency are represented and calls for alternative theoretical and epistemological thinking on education in contexts of conflict and displacement.

This article explores literacy education, especially the kinds practiced and promoted by organizations such as the World Bank and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), as a form of neocolonialism. Although researchers in other educational contexts have examined how schooling and education operate as a form of neocolonialism, little research has been conducted exploring this connection within adult literacy education. Using postcolonial theory and Thomas and Postlethwaite's framework for analyzing neocolonialism in educational systems, the authors present findings from a qualitative textual analysis of UNESCO- and World Bank—sponsored publicity and policy documents in which they examined two dimensions of literacy programs sponsored by UNESCO and the World Bank: (a) the purposes of literacy and (b) the funding of programs. Despite progressive shifts in how literacy is defined and practiced from colonialist Western control to local governance, for these shifts to continue, financial structures must be reorganized.